Car advertisements can be weird. Whether it’s a country backroad laced with “deeper meaning,” or something ridiculous and oddly memorable. Some recently debuted ads for CarMax that follow the second format. Utilizing alpacas to prove anyone can buy a used car off CarMax, and aliens to show that it doesn’t take forever to sell them, these ads stick out among the rest. And above all else, they’re just plain clever.

Buying a car of CarMax is so easy, even alpacas can do it!

Chances are, you’re not an alpaca. But if you were an alpaca, even you could use CarMax’s website to sell your old pickup to buy a like-new 2021 Ford Explorer XLT. And CarMax even offers home delivery, meaning you never have to leave your home (or in this case, your farm). And it ends with our alpaca hero sticking out the sunroof to the tune of Bad to the Bone by bbno$ (not to be mistaken with Bad to the Bone by George Thoroughgood and the Destroyers).

As for the nitty-gritty details, the car listed on the CarMax Website at just under $40,000 and with only 3k miles. Unfortunately, that isn’t terribly accurate. Of the two 2021 Ford Explorer XLTs available nationwide, each has higher mileage and an even higher price tag. One with 11k miles costs $40,998, and another with just 7k miles costs $45,998.

So the advertisement took some “creative liberties” on how the Explorer XLT in the ad was priced. Does that mean all CarMax prices are bogus?

Are CarMax prices fair?

CarMax used cars are on the expensive side, and you can certainly find cheaper used cars from other dealerships. But if you value warranties and well-organized services, then CarMax may be able to beat out the competition. In fact, the price markup doesn’t reflect the car, but the dealer itself.

CarMax has the widest selection of used cars available, treating their business as if they’re selling new cars. They also put their cars through the wringer in terms of inspections to make sure the vehicle they’re selling you is in tip-top shape. But some of the factors affecting car prices are out of CarMax’s control.

New and used car prices are skyrocketing right now due to chip shortages and high demand. In fact, a brand new 2022 Ford Explorer XLT starts at just $33,100. And with every available option that I could click, it tops out at $54,000. So depending on how stock the Explorer XLT in the advertisement was, it may have been cheaper to buy new.

But there are two sides to every coin. Not only can buy a car off CarMax, even at their higher prices, but you can sell your used car to CarMax and get reasonable quote. Though, instead of alpacas, CarMax proves this with alien invasions.

You can sell your car through CarMax before the alien invasion

If you’re like me and watch YouTube channels like Kurzgesagt – In A Nutshell, then you’ve heard many theories about why aliens may never come to earth. Space is big, we’re too primitive, and so on. So if aliens invade before your car is ever sold, that’s an issue.

This clever advertisement exaggerates that point, with human society advancing far beyond the need for cars. In fact, flying cars have already taken to the skies as the Toyota Camry continues to sit. And by the end of our seller’s imaginary sequence, aliens eviscerate the human race (and her car). Her conclusion? It’d be quicker to sell her vehicle online using CarMax.

What’s great about this ad, however, isn’t the payoff at the end, but the little details throughout. The jetpack-wearing individual checks out the car like many would if they were in a car dealership, before flying away. And at the very beginning, there’s a phone number: 804-781-4112. Call it, and you’re sent straight to voicemail, but not just any voicemail.

It’s clear someone, or something is trying to communicate. But the voice sounds otherworldly, and it’s best to experience it yourself. But that’s multi-level marketing done right.

Amidst a sea of generic quotes paired with a car driving down backroads, creative car advertisements like this are welcomed and appreciated. And the best part, these ads sell the point brilliantly. CarMax is a simple, easy way to buy or sell a car.