Turning Dealerships Into Content Studios with Brian Ortega

As Creative Director for Valley Hi Toyota & Kia, Ortega has built a reputation for going beyond ads into full-on entertainment—think summer blockbusters, zombies, and even AI-powered characters based on his staff. In this conversation, he shares why entertainment is the ultimate differentiator for dealerships and how creativity, when paired with strategy, can turn a store into a community brand.

Why it matters for dealer teams:

• Creativity drives connection. Customers don’t just see a car ad; they see themselves in the story. That’s why people walk into Valley Hi saying, “You really work here?” His team has built characters and continuity that make the dealership feel bigger than the transaction.

• AI unlocks scale. When salespeople resist video, Ortega builds AI avatars of staff—complete with cloned voices—to keep content flowing. For busy managers, that means their personality and authority can still show up online without extra time demands.

• Content = loyalty. Giving away cars two or three times a year doesn’t just generate buzz; it sparks user-generated content from families and customers, creating shareable, authentic moments that money can’t buy.

• Planning ahead multiplies impact. Ortega’s team already has a full content calendar through the year, weaving seasonal moments (yes, even pumpkin spice zombies) into dealership storytelling.

The big takeaway? Dealers who think like entertainers win attention in a noisy market. Customers may forget an ad, but they won’t forget a story that made them laugh—or a dealership that gave their neighbor a free car.

Follow Brian Ortega on LinkedIn or at Valley Hi Toyota’s YouTube channel to see how it’s done.