• by Karl Greenberg , August 9, 2012

Subaru has launched two new ads to support its new campaign, "Support," that shows people giving a literal or moral hand to others, using Subaru vehicles. The effort, via Carmichael Lynch, touts the 2013 Subaru Impreza and Forester vehicles with a eight TV spots, four of which are now airing.

One of the new ads shows a husband cheering on his wife during a bike race, jumping in his Impreza to drive to spots where he can cheer her on in imaginative ways. The ad references Subaru's off-road capability, as the guy has to find a remote spot to hold a sign she can see.

The other new ad, "Take Your Daughter to Work Day," shows a real-life mother and daughter who take time off in a Forester. The ads tend to use real couples rather than actors, per a spokesperson for the agency, who said upcoming creative includes a spot focusing on a dad and his kids washing their car together, and a dad sending his daughter to school on the school bus for the first time. Another forthcoming ad in the series will be a through-the-years montage of a guy and his dog and the Subarus in which he and his dog have travelled.

This week, the company also launched its fifth iteration of donation-on-purchase platform "Share the Love," which donates $250 for every new Subaru vehicle sold or leased, but this time consumers choose the charity, via a Facebook tie-in. Consumer votes determine which two charities will be added to the current roster of three under the "Share the Love" retail banner.

The Cherry Hill, N.J.-based U.S. retail arm of Subaru says it has donated nearly $20 million since it launched the program four years ago and that based on past sales this year, $5 million in donations will go to the five charitable organizations.

The other recipient organizations that will benefit from this year's program include the ASPCA, Make-A-Wish, and Meals On Wheels Association of America. On the Facebook voting list are The Alzheimer's Association, American Forests, First Book, Leave No Trace (an outdoors organization), Special Olympics, and the USO.