LOS ANGELES -

Meet “Shirley,” the new brand ambassador for SureSale Certified.

The company, which describes itself as “the gold standard for quality used vehicles and purchase protection,” launched a new multi-channel advertising campaign centered around Shirley, who SureSale describes as a “trusted advisor.”

According to the company, Shirley helps consumers understand that with SureSale, they can “Be Sure” that their SureSale Certified vehicle will be a quality one. The campaign premiered in the Louisville, Ky., market, with plans to expand to other U.S. markets in the coming months.

“We created a whole new category of used vehicle with SureSale Certified, so it was critical that we support it with a marketing campaign that both educates consumers and inspires them to opt for a SureSale Certified vehicle – all while being whimsical enough to entertain,” SureSale president and co-founder Jeffrey Schwartz said in a news release. “With Shirley, we have generated a broadcast campaign that embodies SureSale Certified, as well as distinctive point-of-sale merchandising that will give our auto dealer partners a competitive edge.”

To find a spokesperson to help car buyers understand why they should buy a SureSale Certified vehicle — and to reflect the essence of SureSale — the company conducted a nationwide search.

“We believe that SureSale is a truly disruptive and truly positive development for the auto industry, offering benefits for both car buyers and auto dealerships alike,” said SureSale chief executive officer and co-founder Donny Hall. “With humor, Shirley offers confidence and clarity to used-car buyers, and we are sure that consumers will soon be heading for dealerships that offer SureSale vehicles.”

SureSale Certified vehicles are currently available at dealerships around the country. They come with a free CAReport (comprehensive auto report), clean title, 150-point inspection, a five-month, 5,000-mile comprehensive warranty, a five-day exchange guarantee, and extended protection plans.

SureSale says when consumers know the past, present and future of each SureSale Certified vehicle, they can “buy with confidence and own with peace of mind.”

For dealers, SureSale says they have a consumer-friendly selling proposition that helps them turn vehicles faster during what the company describes as an ongoing market shift to used vehicles. The company describes Shirley as an important component of the marketing dealership toolkit that helps dealers sell SureSale Certified vehicles.

As the decline in new-vehicle sales continues, SureSale says more consumers want the assurance of a certified pre-owned vehicle. But the company says that because of automaker program brand restrictions, only a fraction of auto dealership inventories are CPO vehicles. SureSale Certified expands the number of certified vehicles that dealerships can offer consumers.

SureSale Certified allows auto dealerships to extend consumer protections to a wider range of vehicles, which the company says is similar to auto manufacturer CPO programs. That range is up to 15 years, 150,000 miles for more than 20 brands.

The following features come standard with SureSale Certified vehicles:

— Clean VIN and free CAReport (Comprehensive Auto Report)

— 150-point certified inspection

— Five-month/5,000-mile comprehensive warranty

— Five-day exchange guarantee

— Extended protection plans up to 36 months or 36,000 miles