The Blackfoot What began as a lighthearted local radio ad in 2019 to promote Tadd Jenkins Auto Group as a family-friendly, neighborhood company has gone viral on Facebook and TikTok.
Many people in eastern Idaho have heard the funny radio ads with Tegan and Telaine Jenkins, siblings, on local stations. Local listeners have laughed, smiled, and sometimes even rolled their eyes at their lighthearted banter and mocking.
Their close relationship and sense of humor were intended to be shared with the community through the advertising. Telaine challenges some of Tegan’s absurd beliefs or actions in numerous instances.
In 2013, Tadd Jenkins Chevrolet opened in Rigby. In 2017, it acquired 20th Century Ford in Blackfoot, which changed its name to Tadd Jenkins Ford and added a dealership for Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram. Quality used cars are available at Tadd Jenkins Auto Sales in Idaho Falls, which opened its doors in September.
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Tegan is the general sales manager of the Blackfoot locations, and Telaine, one of Tadd Jenkins’ children, is the fixed operations manager who travels between dealerships.
The more gregarious of the two, Telaine, stated that the campaign was intended to demonstrate Tadd Jenkins Auto Group’s commitment to community service and small-town values. That goal is reflected in the company’s slogan, Where small town values endure.
According to Telaine, family members don’t always get along when they work together. I get along with Tegan. He is accustomed to me controlling him because I am eight years older than him. In both our personal and professional lives, we get along like siblings. We take pride in that. We are fortunate.
The more reserved sibling, Tegan, adding, “I like working on site in Blackfoot.” In Blackfoot, we do a lot. The community is close-knit.
Ken Longmore of Square1 Creative Services in Idaho Falls, a longtime family friend, is the writer of the advertisements.
According to Telaine, Ken has known us since we were young. We accept the concepts that he comes up with.
Telaine said it required some preparation to make the commercials sound natural, even though the two are at ease with one another. Since the beginning, we’ve improved significantly. While cutting the spots, we’ve learned to smile and have fun. The advertisements reflect that.
Tegan’s attempt to put a bison into his car and the joke about sticking their tongues on a frozen flagpole, which was adapted from the film A Christmas Story, are two of the most well-known radio commercials. The commercials aim to promote the dealership while making viewers chuckle.
The radio campaigns have now spread to social media, where the two have produced brief, funny videos that have garnered a sizable following: 188,000 on the Ford and Chrysler Facebook pages, 104,000 on the Tadd Jenkins Chevrolet Facebook page, and up to 260,000 followers and over 6 million likes on TikTok. Additionally, Instagram’s numbers are increasing.
Taglines like “Nobody can say no to Telaine” and “How lucky is Tegan that he has Telaine to annoy him?” appear in the videos.
TikTok has been very popular. “A woman at the blackjack table in Vegas recognized us from our TikTok reels,” according to Telaine.
Watch as Tegan pulls a practical prank on Telaine in this Facebook reel.
Tadd Jenkins Auto Group is renowned for its community service, which goes beyond the jokes. Every year, the company contributes over $100,000 to local causes, such as food drives, school fundraisers, and campaigns to increase awareness of Down syndrome and veterans.
RELATED: With a new auto college, a local dealership hopes to better prepare students for the workforce.
The organization collaborates with the Shannon Wilker Foundation to support families impacted by breast cancer by raising money and awareness for the disease throughout October.
The business supports local parades, the Eastern Idaho State Fair, and the Rigby Fourth of July fireworks.
Every year, Tadd Jenkins Auto Group donates three brand-new automobiles to nearby high schools for raffles, which helps them generate hundreds of thousands of dollars for sports and artistic initiatives.
RELATED: Blackfoot High School will profit from a dealership’s 2017 automobile giveaway.
“We are here because we love giving back to the communities we serve,” Telaine added. Although I’m gregarious and Tegan is a quiet man, I can speak for both of us when I say that we love our neighborhood and enjoy working together. That is not something we take for granted.
Watch Tegan’s and Telaine’s reels on TikTok, as well as on Addi Jenkins Chevrolet and Ford.
