A bodyshop in the UK has come up with a unique way of promoting itself releasing a spoof video comparing its services to a vet. The 'Cougar Vehicle Hospital' video is made in the style of popular animal hospital and vet TV shows, with cars taking on the role of family pets.

The Cougar Accident Repair Centre in Luton is already active in many marketing and digital media areas, producing a monthly newsletter and posting regularly on social media sites. A video seemed like the next natural progression, but management felt a typical "How we repair your car video” would not have enough impact.

In the video actors act as if the car is a beloved family pet going through a medical emergency. The Cougar staff take on the role of vets and nurses who quickly diagnose the problem and provide the right treatment.

The video gets the message across about the service and technical sophistication of the bodyshop in a humorous way and importantly is quirky and unique enough to get noticed. The hope is that people who view it will share a link and expose the bodyshop to a large audience.

With a user base of over one billion people, YouTube can offer a fast and cost effective tool for getting a message across to potential customers, if a video stands out. In this instance Cougar Accident Repair Centre seems to have found the right formula.

Click below to view.