Real stories of people helping people.
OnStar has traditionally been recognized for safety and security, even with their products moving in a more technological realm. To amplify their spirit of always helping those in trouble, a podcast was developed: Tell Me What Happened. Now on its sixth season, every story comes from real people. People that landed in life-threatening situations that were saved by random strangers. OnStar is always there to help, and by sharing these inspirational stories, it extends the spirit of the brand.
2026 D Show Winner
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Black D Winner
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Best In Audio Marketing
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2026 D Show Winner ✳︎ Black D Winner ✳︎ Best In Audio Marketing ✳︎
Uplifting and refreshed.
Followers have consistently grown over the lifetime of the podcast. For an impressive sixth season, a new look was unveiled to match the spirit of the show. Effectively, a torn paper look was used to illustrate lives being upended and forced together due to unforeseen circumstances. A custom logo bug was developed as well, to use where the full podcast name might be present nearby. Through stories, textures and graphics, it all comes together to create a people-centered approach that finishes on an upswing.
Recounted and inspired.
In the social spaces, promotional mini-documentaries were created to promote some of the most harrowing episodes. The situations were extraordinary: escaping the Palisades fire, being buried in an avalanche or getting stranded in the Sonoran desert. These were told by the actual people that survived them and the heroes that helped them, staying true to that human-centric approach.
The Palisades Fire
In January 2025, a deadly fire blazed through the hills north of Los Angeles. Amidst the inferno, Aaron Samson needed to get his 83-year-old father-in-law, Ron, to safety. Aaron didn’t have a vehicle, and Ron has Parkinson’s disease. They tried 911. They tried to get a rideshare. They were on foot when they encountered Andrew Lin. He was attempting a different rescue when he stopped to save them instead.
Heatstroke in the Desert
While on vacation, Colt Johnson went in search of a little fresh air and headed toward Arizona’s Superstition Mountains. Five hours into his hike, he began to feel lightheaded. He knew the heat was probably getting to him. His water was gone. Colt started losing his balance, and then his body started to fail. He laid down under a thorny bush and passed out. Before that, however, he fired shots into the sky and hoped someone heard them.
Landing the story.
In addition to a new look for wherever the podcast was available (Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music), a new landing page was devised on the OnStar website were all episodes were available, plus any news of upcoming events. Responsive for all devices, the OnStar brand was always there but the story was always first.
Extending the story.
Not every tactic makes it to production due to one reason or another, but some things remain smart nonetheless. A couple of ideas were proposed to keep the story going, even after it was told, and are still worth sharing.
The Afterword
Meant to be hosted by an influencer, The Afterword was a venue to conduct interviews of the people that lived through their ordeals, or reunite folks that hadn’t seen each other since. An Unlikely Avalanche was one such story were rescuer and the rescued hadn’t spoken since their event.
Imagine for a moment…
Also an influencer-focused tactic, Imagine for a Moment… was meant to hype episodes before they were released. The aim was to pull viewers into the scenarios that were survived, to get a feel what it might have been like. As always, every story had an uplifting ending, but building tension in one way to build interest.