CarMax’s advertising and promotions departments have been busy.

The national used-car retail giant announced two big promotional pushes in the past week, affiliating itself with a blockbuster movie and a minor league baseball team.

The movie is “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” which opens in theaters this week, and in partnership with Warner Bros. Pictures, CarMax is launching a new ad campaign: “BeetleMax: The Way Car Buying Shouldn’t Be,” a play on CarMax’s “the way car buying should be” slogan.

In an extended 90-second spot, CarMax shows a family looking for a CarMax to buy a car but ending up at BeetleMax, a “nightmarish” dealership populated by the creepy characters from the new movie. When they say “BeetleMax” three times, they are pulled into the classic “Day-O” song – with some changes to the lyrics to remind viewers of CarMax’s features.

The spot was inspired by the fake commercial in the original film in which Beetlejuice imitates a devious salesman offering a free demon possession with every exorcism.

“We’re taking you on a wild ride through a car dealership run by none other than Beetlejuice himself,” CarMax senior vice-president and chief marketing officer Sarah Lane said in a news release. “With his mischievous and unpredictable antics, Beetlejuice is the perfect character to show you how car buying shouldn’t be, and why CarMax is the way to go.”

CarMax said the campaign will run through Oct. 10.

The company also announced Wednesday it has acquired naming rights to a new ballpark in its hometown of Richmond, Va., that will be home to the Richmond Flying Squirrels, the Double-A Eastern League affiliate of the San Francisco Giants.

CarMax said it signed a multi-year exclusive naming rights deal for the ballpark, which will be named CarMax Park, expanding a partnership with the Flying Squirrels that began in 2016.

The company said CarMax Park will also host large-scale events such as concerts, festivals and community gatherings year-round.

A groundbreaking ceremony will be held Friday. Construction is expected to be completed before the start of the Flying Squirrels’ 2026 season.

“This is an exciting time for Richmond, and CarMax’s naming rights partnership reflects our commitment to our city, its people and its growth,” CarMax president and CEO Bill Nash said. “CarMax Park will bring the community together through unforgettable experiences. We’re thrilled to take this next step with the Squirrels, continuing to build on our history of community engagement, innovation and progress for our hometown.”

Flying Squirrels managing general partner Lou DiBella credited CarMax and other community stakeholders with keeping professional baseball in Richmond, thanking them and the team’s fans for “believing that Flying Squirrels baseball belongs in Richmond and that we all deserve a ballpark we can be proud of.”

“Our long-term partnership with CarMax allowed our future home to become a reality,” he said.

CarMax was founded in Richmond in 1993 and opened its first store on West Broad Street in Glen Allen, Va. It currently has two retail locations and two headquarters locations in the area, including its Digital and Technology Innovation Center in Richmond less than a mile and a half from the future CarMax Park.

“CarMax has a long history of being committed to its hometown, and Richmond is proud to be home to such an innovative company,” said Stoney. “CarMax Park, the future home of the Richmond Flying Squirrels, will bring together all corners of Richmond, and as mayor, I am thrilled to see this partnership move forward.”

Dealership GM buys S.D. Chrysler store

A dealership general manager is moving into ownership.

Toby Doeden, GM of Aberdeen Chrysler in Aberdeen, S.D., has purchased Harr’s Redfield Ford in Redfield, S.D., from Matt Harr of Harr Motors, according to Performance Brokerage Services, which advised on the deal.

Doeden joined Aberdeen Chrysler as a sales consultant in 1997, was promoted to general sales manager and, in 2011, to GM. He and his wife, Elizabeth, had previously been partners in a paint and home decor business with his parents.

Harr Motors was founded by Matt Harr’s father, Jim Harr, more than 50 years ago. The company operates a Nissan-Toyota-Honda dealership and a used car store in Aberdeen.

Harr’s Redfield Ford will be renamed Redfield Ford.