Brian Ortega
Hi, I’m Brian Ortega — Creative Director, marketer, storyteller, and professional chaos coordinator behind some of the most recognizable automotive campaigns in California’s High Desert.
I lead creative and marketing for Valley Hi Toyota and Valley Hi Kia, where we turn dealership advertising into entertainment people actually choose to watch. From viral commercials and OTT campaigns to social strategy, branding, AI-powered content, and absurdly creative promotions, my focus is simple: make people feel something first — then make them move.
Over the years, our campaigns have generated millions of views, industry recognition, stronger brand loyalty, and a reputation for doing automotive marketing differently. Less corporate. More human. More memorable.
I believe the future of marketing belongs to brands willing to zig while everyone else keeps recycling the same playbook.
If you’re into creativity, storytelling, disruptive marketing, AI, automotive culture, or building brands that people remember — welcome.
About Me
Hi! I'm Brian Ortega, the other one. Not the MMA fighter who takes up all the Google searches, the one who does the out-of-the-box 📦 car commercials out in California.
In 2012, I was "let go" from a Government contractor position because I was charging my iPhone on a computer.
And like most people, when change occurs, it hurts. For
9 months I was on food stamps trying to support my wife and
3 sons, who were young at the time.
I was then offered a job that was far away, where the commute would be taxing ⛽ is always expensive when you're broke, am I right?
But I took a leap of faith and entered the automotive industry. I was hired as the 📷🚘 Used-Car-Picture-Taker for Valley Hi Toyota. I went through the motions but found myself having too much time waiting for cars to be ready.
I have a film degree from UC Santa Barbara because I was horrible at math and science, but I love movies- hey why not? I've always made films, ever since we borrowed HI-8 cameras and edited on iMovie (That iMac DV was a beast back then.) So I assisted the Social Media guy by making videos for him to post. Well, let's just say I eventually took over. I was movin' on up, which was new to me. Counting beans for the government was all I did and there was never room for growth. UNTIL RETAIL AUTOMOTIVE. Long story short, I dubbed myself the Creative Director and we're putting out different content constantly. Our TV commercials are things of beauty and taking chances, whether it's good or sucks, is what gets me going. Take a look and nice meeting you.
Our Work
I believe everyone is creative! I also think that far too often than not we limit our ideas because we want to remain prudent or status quo.In 2017, we were approached by Spectrum Reach to do car commercials that were out of the ordinary. It was a rocky start, but the evolution began to take place. Initially, General Manager, "Toyota" Todd was the only one in the commercials. I was on set for the spots giving him direction on his delivery of the lines. I direct some stuff like short videos, Christmas Plays at my church, and highlight videos.The team approached us by mentioning that perhaps the dealership includes little ole me in the spots.🚀 And we were off! 2 is better than 1 and the ideas just started to mount! Our brainstorming sessions are intense and interactive. Everyone has a say, and no idea is off-limits! Go ahead and see what I mean. Check out our commercials below and witness the evolution from regular dudes to some acting fools. 🎥 📺
Thank You!
Seriously, thanks for checking out our stuff. I appreciate you for taking time to do so.
Prius Cowboy (2017)
One of our first commercials. We shot 3 in one day and that was too many. I like my cow vest, reminds me of Woody. No horses were harmed. 🐴
Presidents Day Duel (2017)
This was the first actual commercial we shot. The chemistry was not there because we shot it separately. We never did that again. But you could see Todd and I were on to something.
Steal of a Deal (2017)
Our early spots were about finding our identity. How far were we going to take these characters? The acting was subpar on this one.
History in the Making (2017)
I loved the concept of this one. Todd didn't like it because he felt the hair was too 80s hair band! We went back and forth on speaking regular or "cave-manning" it up.
Construction Update (2017)
Pretty straightforward. We took a break from the antics to announce our construction. We wanted to let the community know what was going on.
Prius vs. Race Cars (2017)
I actually own a Prius and I always pictured this concept of the race cars gassing up but the Prius staying out. Slow and steady. See tortoise vs. hare.
Summer Slam (2017)
Cody, our director pitched this concept and we were all for it. Especially, since I thought my "Macho" Man impression was pretty good. We probably couldn't get away with this anymore.
Super Hero vs. Villian (2017)
Spectrum always pictured 2 is better than one. There are so many scenarios that can play out between two people. Superhero movies were really taking shape and we wanted to hop on board. Shauna (Kernel) designed the "Toyota" Todd costume. I remember my head drenched with sweat at the end. Ask me for the photo.
Zombies I (2017)
One of my favorite by far! Everyone was committed to bringing this one to life. Hours in makeup, the script was on point. "Brains" was born. It was the start of something for our Halloween spot.
Black Friday Doctors (2017)
Of course, we had to spoof Black Friday sales! Every year you would hear of someone getting trampled on. Wow! I wished I saved that mask.
Santa Todd & Elf Brian (2017)
This was a fun one. The concept was hilarious. I kept the elf ears on and we went to dinner after. I talked with a high-pitched voice when I ordered. We had a blast. I think we have some outtakes on this one. The actress was great.
Holiday Leftovers (2018)
We caught some flack on this New Year's spot. But man, Alex, the guy who did my make-up, was on point. We went live and I did the Humpty-Dance wearing the fat suit.
Service Mantra (2018)
I didn't do this one. I couldn't. I was severely heartbroken at the time. I wrote the mantra, but I also wrote myself out of it. My mom was battling stage-4 cancer at the time.
Presidents Day - Overdoing It (2018)
Back at it! "Brian goes over the top anyway." My wife loves this one. I was so loud at the dealership and Service area. The slow-mo shot is my favorite. Walking inspired by George Jefferson.
Speedy Car Delivery (2018)
We were on the delivery kick pretty early. I wanted to be like Jim Carey in Ace Ventura, the screaming scene. Todd loved yelling at me too much to get into the rocket car.
Invest in Fidget Coin (2018)
Top 5 for me. Fidget spinners were in, Bitcoin was getting more mainstream, and the fact that we tied it in with Tax season was perfect! One of my favorite acting jobs too. The freeze frame is funny.
Sooold! World Cup (2018)
I was shopping at JC Penny and I just kept saying Soooold! It was near the World Cup. I just threw the concept out and we brainstormed a great spot. A lot of complaints though because it got pretty annoying.
Too Much Summer (2018)
We adlibbed a great portion of this one. Todd and Robert finally spent more time in make-up than I! It gets really hot in the High Desert.
Rowdy Rodney's Tent Sale (2018)
We made up this character for our Used Car Manager. I've been dubbed a clown so I said let's roll with that. Rodney's great on-screen.
Price Shrinker I (2018)
Cody (our director), pitched this and we were impressed with the concept. Todd had a field day calling me tiny Brian.
Behind The Lens (Stars) (2018)
At the time, the word was getting around about our quirky spots. We wanted to make fun of that. I remember going to a barber and asking him to make my beard look like Jon B's.
Zombies II (2018)
So the previous Halloween a Zombie family bought a Camry. Well, obviously they have to get it serviced as well. We got to introduce the waiting area, because hey, every BODY is welcome.
Santa Buys Toyotas (2018)
Cody pitched a fast-paced, Hollywood-style spot. We were promoting our Express Retailing tool at that time. Sure! Let's have Santa make Valley Hi Toyota do the heavy lifting.
Times Square (2019)
This was a must. The Times Square ball drop is iconic. Our New Year spots are about me trying to make something better, but just not quite functional.
Presidents Day Debate (2019)
The gentleman who played Todd's rival was amazing. Once again, we're touting the Express way to buy a car, this was pre-Covid too! It was hard to keep a straight face while totally dismissing the poor guy,
Make It Rain Tax Day (2019)
Apparently, this one was too gangsta! We had some complaints about the slap too. I loved shooting this day, because I always wanted to dress like 90s Hip-Hop NY-style. We were bumping Bell Biv DeVoe too!