This blog has followed a lot of the marketing efforts of two very compelling vehicles from the past several years: The Chevy Volt and the Nissan LEAF. Both cars are currently taking charge (pun intended) in the battle for green bragging rights with consumers and now Nissan has thrown a new punch at its Chevy competitor.
The new ads feature life with gasoline fueled appliances. The ads look into the continued dependence of gasoline engines as an old technology that is far behind the times, of course most of Nissan’s own portfolio of vehicles are hence old technology, but this is about green bragging rights and Nissan showcasing its competitive advantage.
Chevy has ensconced its Volt as a fighter of “range anxiety.” Range anxiety is the uneasy feeling that one’s all-electric vehicle may run out of charge before reaching the owner’s destination. Chevy has a backup gas engine to avoid such moments of concern, of course that’s pretty expensive backup plan but thankfully both the Volt and LEAF gain from current $7,500 government incentives to offset costs.
I wanted to take a look at how performance for both of these vehicles is doing online and worked with some great people from MutualMind here in Dallas who ran some social media analytics against the two cars for the week of May 29 - June 4, just to get a peek at what is going on in the social conversation.
IMG 1: Brand Hits refer to the Nissan LEAF, Competitor Hits to the Chevy Volt
It’s interesting to see they are both neck and neck as far as coverage, mentions of the two vehicles are with the Nissan LEAF having a slight edge, but that may be due mostly to the new ad campaign that is gaining some visibility internationally since it is creatively similar to a Renault ad running in Europe.
Sentiment is where the data gets a bit more interesting. Negative sentiment for the Volt is almost two times higher than it is for the LEAF, but that’s only half of the story. Positive sentiment is 34% higher with Volt than LEAF. What's this tell us? At least in social media conversation, Volt is a more polarizing vehicle meaning people are either defending it or criticizing it.
There are some rumors circulating around GM doing an all-electric Volt (GM has denied this.) It’s highly doubtful GM would use the same vehicle name (or even the same brand Chevy) to compete more directly with Nissan’s LEAF and Ford’s coming Focus EV. Like the hybrid market, the electric-vehicle (EV) market is sure to get very competitive and not be as simple as evaluating two primary competitors.
For now though, it is interesting watching these two solutions from two big brands battle for the hearts and minds of the green crowd as we move into the Post-Prius green vehicle movement.
Later this week I'll be sharing some of my personal thoughts on the Chevy Volt after driving one several days.
Thanks to Babar Bhatti from MutualMind for providing me with some great data. For more information, please contact:
MutualMind is a social media management and intelligence platform that enables businesses to monitor as well as promote brands on social networks while providing actionable analytics and insights to increase social media ROI.
MutualMind offers a platform that allows users to aggregate and analyze feedback and conversations regarding their products or services on all of the major social media platforms. While many alternatives on the market today are limited just to listening or publishing, MutualMind’s has taken its value proposition further through the ability for users to actively engage with and manage the various social media outlets.
The functionality of this platform can be used for a myriad of business applications including: measuring market receptivity to products or services, tracking consumer or political sentiment, reputation/crisis management, generating sales leads, benchmarking versus competitors, and customer relationship management to name a few.
It's an interesting sell for a $60k plus luxury car - feature the owner's manual. Manuals are something so mundane and expected, but what wasn't expected from a car manufacturer is an electronic version included in the glove-box on an Apple iPad.
But does it matter? Does the owner manual matter in a luxury sedan? Of course no one is going to buy a $60k car because they get a $500 tablet computer. The Hyundai Equus ad has nothing to do with attracting luxury car buyers, it's really about the brand showing they are being innovative and hopefully some of that innovation will rub-off on other shoppers who may consider another Hyundai vehicle, sans iPad.
Is the Equus iPad app really that innovative? There have been other versions of owner manuals including the cassette tape I received when I bought a 1997 BMW 318i. Sure it was no iPad, but it was better than flipping through the paper copy in the glove-box.
Some found the debut of Hyundai's Equus iPad Owner Manual ad during tonight's Oscars a "Brilliant" idea. It is a solid idea and a great way for owners to get to know their car better, especially with all the technology in today's cars. It is an excellent way to explain the complexity of today's vehicles. Fortunately, my former 1997 BMW didn't have today's electronics and could be expressed on a tape deck.
Of course you don't need to spend tens of thousands of dollars to experience the Equus iPad Owner Manual; instead, you just need an iPad and an iTunes store account. Click here to download the Owner Manual app.
General Motors gave thanks this holiday week to the millions of taxpayers who helped bail them out last year. The timing of the ad is at least better than Chrysler's failed attempt at thanks in 2009 when they thanked people using a full page advertisement in the Wall Street Journal and USA Today right after they received the bailout money. At least, GM had the sense to wait for a thank you the week after they went public with their IPO and return to investor financing.
I see two desired outcomes GM wants from this particular ad. One to energize people who like the brand. Second is to get people to see GM has a fighter that didn't just lay-down after it got its money. They want people who have lost faith in GM to know the brand is getting up, not giving up and wants to be seen as a survivor and champion.
The imagery used in the ad is all about not giving up. It shows several historical and socially recognizable clips when it looked over, but the people in the ad did not give up and found the strength to win.
The biggest criticism I can see from the imagery used is that all if it showcases individuals who got back up using their own freewill and not through a helping hand. No one gave the boxer a 5-hour energy drink, shoulder massage and pep talk to rise up from the mat. Sure someone helped Evel Knievel up from his accident but he got back on the bike himself and kept going.
The Henry S. Truman image makes no sense. That was just the Chicago Tribune showing how low their opinion was of Truman. There was no falling down, just miscalculation.
Perhaps Popeye is the most relevant image as he gets his boost from an outside source - spinach. But unlike Wimpy, Popeye probably didn't have to borrow the money today with the promise of paying it back Tuesday. Cynics might think Wimpy was the better image to use..?
It would be interesting to see how they tested this ad. Did GM bring in people upset with the bailout or did they focus test against people open to seeing GM as independent again. My guess is more the latter. Perhaps it has a chance of getting people 'on the fence' to see GM as a fighter and survivor.
Personally, I think they are fighting the good fight. GM has not laid down and they are trying hard to win back public opinion. Unfortunately, this ad falls down in its ability to recycle history as a way to repair GM's image. Fortunately, their new products are giving them a true fighting chance.
Jalopnik summed it up pretty well yesterday when they posted an article entitled "The Toyota Highlander Is Breeding Assholes" about the new ad campaign for the Highlander. It's a bit harsh, but it gets to the point and made me wonder if right now is the best time to be promoting obnoxious, stuck up children who look down on others in older cars.
The premise of the ad is that a child does not want their parents picking them up from school in an old station wagon. It's embarrassing when a dad pulls up in a Buick Roadmaster while the Toyota family's child has a shiny new Highlander SUV to brag about.
What Toyota forgets is that a Buick Roadmaster can be very cool. In fact, really cool in a fun car enthusiast way; hence, the headline slam from Jalopnik.
What bothers me most about the ad is its timing.
At time when frugal spending is in vogue, it is a bit counterproductive to insult families who are being sensible driving used, most likely paid off, cars. Though, I'm not surprised a car company is promoting buying a new car. Increasing used car sales or promoting keeping a car that is a decade plus old isn't good for business. Insulting frugal families isn't good marketing either.
"We're wanderers. Wayfarers. Even nomads. So doesn't it just make sense that we build an electric car that goes far... really far."
Chevrolet is getting ready for the Volt to hit the American road as we near the final months of 2010. This is the first consumer video promoting the production car.
Overall, I personally like it. It's not groundbreaking and maybe it should be, but I think Chevy is trying to normalize electric vehicles and make the concept more friendly, not just for Greens, but for everyone.
There are no MPG claims just some very small type about "25-50 miles of electric driving in moderate conditions." Also, the information about the car being electric isn't shared until the very end of the ad.
Chevy is also introducing a new tag line for the brand: "Chevy Runs Deep". Not sure where this is going but it's a bit confusing at the end of the Volt ad, since the ad is talking about the car running more miles than any other electric car. How that is "deep", or what "deep" even means from a brand positioning statement, is still lost on me. Will be interesting to see how Chevy, which I thought was called Chevrolet, evolves "deep" in coming marketing uses.
If the Toyota Sienna is the "Swagger Wagon", does this latest commercial for the Honda Odyssey make the Honda minivan the "Hair Band Wagon"? And what appeal would a hair band wagon have besides being capable of hauling around a couple kids and a pair of Marshall amplifiers?
Sorry Honda but this one tries to come across as absurd fun, similar to the Toyota Sienna campaign but it unfortunately misses the mark. It just falls flat. It comes across as if the ideation team looked at what their main competitor was doing and decided hey we really need some music in our ad and should make the minivan cool again. Answer: Black cat, Marshall amps, and fireworks. Hmmmm.... maybe the ad needs more spandex and a drum solo?
The Dodge Caravan "Kittens" commercial is strange. What else can you say about it? It's an odd jump to the concluding line of copy: "It has everything. So you can do anything."
After watching the Dodge ad I had to wonder if they were inspired by another recent, fairly viral kitten ad. A year ago Toyota Australia did a commercial with their Ninja Kittens that is far more entertaining with a better soundtrack, energy and storyline.
All of this makes me wonder if kitten memes, laser cats, and general fascination lately with being a 'cat person' is showing it's impact on automotive advertising. Should we expect more? Will it always be human- kittens or will this develop into something more emotional and gentle like Ikea's brilliant ad that recently featured cats getting comfortable in a store after closing? (ps - don't forget to checkout the Ikea behind the scenes video.)
After a decent debut with their Super Bowl Man's Last Stand ad, the work from Wieden+Kennedy has been less impressive. The Charger sitting in an empty parking lot with Michael C. Hall's voice-over or the "Why" ad featuring three racing minivans driving in the desert have been confusing and looking like Wieden+Kennedy was struggling with extending the campaign concept that is until now.
The newest Dodge ad to debut on today's coverage of the USA versus UK World Cup Soccer match is irreverent, macho and patriotic. It features an Independence War reenactment with a gas peddle mashing George Washington behind the wheel of a Dodge Challenger.
It's brash, historically hilarious, and appeals to an inner defiance every man has who loves fast cars and waving flags. It's as if Wieden+Kennedy did a mashup of Dukes of Hazard and a History Channel Documentary and exclaimed "Fuck Yeah! That's a heaping pile of awesome right there! Let's do it."
As one Auto Blog commenter put it, "Loved the commercial as it gave me a good chuckle and brought back a little of that car fun."
Funny thing is the commenter is right; it works. Nice job Dodge.
It’s been a very busy week for me and I haven’t had much time to catch up on some blog posts. So, here is something worth watching from Autoline Detroit. They discussed the state of the automotive advertising market covering things like Kia’s in-theater marketing effectiveness, the many-many changes of agencies by OEMS (last Friday marked the end of Cambell-Ewald doing advertising for Chevrolet) and they talked briefly about social media; though, this panel lacks some depth in this area, so it’s a light touch.
Enjoy the show. The panel does have a lot of expertise and there are some interesting thoughts especially on agency-client relationships and why the magnitude of changes has occurred.
Myself, I’ll get back to covering more news this week. There is definitely some interesting marketing going on so please stay tuned.
Link to Autoline Detroit TV Show "Just Do It!": Click here.
While everyone is talking about 1 or 2 mile per gallon differences in fuel economy, MINI decided to put a different spin on the fuel economy message with this odd TV spot from Canada done by agency Taxi 2 in Toronto.
What I personally like is the ad is far more memorable than flashing a MPG rating next to some sheet-metal. It conveys the MINI is a fuel efficient car. Sure the MINI isn't the most fuel efficient and yes there are bigger cars with betting MPG ratings. Here the marketing team probably realized they couldn't impress with a big MPG number, so why not make the message more emotional, more interesting -- appeal to the benefit of great fuel economy.
The Lexus Power of h campaign has been going strong since 2008. I’ve always loved the idea of Lexus owning a letter of the alphabet; it is a great way to define the campaign in a simple, easy to comprehend manner plus it gives the brand a way to show it is an early adopter in the hybrid space, in the same way someone gets an email address like "chris@yahoo.com" or "@Justin" on Twitter. It shows they were there before everyone else.
Lexus’ new ad campaign highlights their first mover advantage by positioning their luxury hybrid products in the total miles and vehicles built while their competitors are just beginning to come to market. With Lincoln, Infiniti and many others to enter the luxury hybrid segment, now is the time for Lexus to show their experience and the TV spots do that very well.
The Power of h campaign also received a newly designed web experience that uses interactive demonstrations that teach more about the hybrid and green technologies found on Lexus vehicles.
The site’s primary content areas are Innovation, Responsibility, and Conversations. The Innovations section talks about the technology benefits to the overall hybrid message. Users can see how different technologies impact fuel economy and better use energy in the vehicle.
Responsibility content communicates the ecological impact of the Lexus vehicles on our ecosystem, providing information about recycling, reducing waste, and even some cradle-to-cradle approaches to design.
The Conversations area houses video content that talks about different ecological actions that have less to do with hybrid cars, but is rather a way to associate the Lexus brand with green thinking. Most of the videos showcase green engineering examples to create a better world. The content is very interesting and demonstrates a true respect for the environmental movement.
As part of the Lexus 250hs launch, Lexus marketed to a group of video developers in a contest to create Viewer Created Ad Messages (VCAM) -- user generated video content developed by the community at Current TV. Typically this kind of content gets relegated to a YouTube channel or stays within the community it was created in, but Lexus brought the user generated videos into the new hybrid site under the aptly named “Conversations” navigational link. It’s a great example of how to extend user generated content into a larger campaign and by using Current TV members they attracted a group who semi-pro to professional videographers, which increased the quality of the content generated.
Overall the new Power of h campaign has some great messaging, an engaging web experience, and showcases user generated content in a way that is perfectly integrated into the work. None of this should come as a surprise as Lexus has set the bar for hybrid marketing.
I’ve been enjoying a lot of the coverage and beauty of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia. When I was growing up, we lived in Portland, Oregon for many years and would visit Vancouver quite often on family vacations. I always imagined that’s where I would live when I was on my own. It was of course gorgeous, clean, and a lot of fun with suspension bridges, totem poles and the charm of English ancestry throughout the city. What I didn’t realize is that Canada is far more liberal than the United States.
With a much smaller population than the United States and a more laid back society (they even have legalized same sex marriage), running homosexual-themed automotive ads would be unthinkable in our country but not in Canada. It’s refreshing seeing the latest ad from Hyundai where two women find a common bond with a car in a very flirtatious, subtle way.
The lesbian-themed ad played on daytime TV, not the middle of the night. It shows a more open society, something we will likely not see here in the States for many more years even decades.
One thing I do wonder is how accepting would a gay male ad be, even in Canada? Apparently, Hyundai tested those waters in Sweden back in the 1980s with this hilarious ad. Maybe we'll see an updated male version for the Canadian market next?
Thanks to Auto North for a good article about the ad and other gay-themed advertisements.
It’s refreshing talking about Toyota without mentioning their recall nightmare. Okay, that was one mention. The new Sienna minivan campaign just launched and it is providing some decent ways for a brand to leverage their online properties to further promote an attempt at a viral video campaign.
The videos are cutesy comical takes on parenting and mocking the “look at me” parents who are all about style and self-congratulatory recognition. Actors Brian Huskey and Rachel Drummond play the part well. The ads are well done for what they are; though, some wonder if the timing of this campaign couldn’t be worse. Toyota is trying really hard to get people to think of Toyota beyond just the recall as they heavily market their brand and the Sienna during the Olympics.
Bill Green, who writes one of my favorite ad blogs Make the Logger Bigger and co-hosts the AdVerve Podcast, writes “After seeing mommy get a timeout, Toyota’s getting too cute for its own good, especially given their recent troubles. All brands on deck means they should be focused on rebuilding rep across the board, not glossing over a recall problem by pushing happy minivan families.”
I’m not sure I agree. Toyota still has to promote its new products even with a major recall. Sure the Sienna stuff is tongue-and-cheek at a time when the company needs to be very stiff and serious, but the Sienna campaign was in development long before the recent recall news and the work does fit well in the minivan segment.
Let’s face it anyone buying a minivan has already given up on being cool and probably feels smart choosing a minivan over pricier, less practical SUVs and CUVs that dominate the driveways of most families. So what better way to endear yourself to your buyers by making fun of the superiority of style conscious sport utility parents by applying that attitude to minivan drivers? Also, taking a few liberties with the “fun” of parenting is not a bad thing either.
This is not a new concept for the Toyota Sienna. Sienna’s last effort in 2007 included ads that ran on a similar theme, but slightly reversed. Instead of the parents mocking the kids, the kids mock the parents as in this commercial featuring some ungrateful kids whose new playhouse doesn’t feature leather seating surfaces like their comfy new minivan.
What I like best about the campaign is not the witty writing of the commercials; rather, the digital connection of various web properties is well executed by the online team. The campaign is made available through a branded YouTube channel that also promotes connecting to the vehicle’s Facebook fan page and links out to more information at the Toyota website.
Unlike most auto manufacturer shopping sites, the Sienna vehicle page clearly connects to the campaign and promotes the accompanying social websites; though, the call to action to “watch more Sienna commercials” on YouTube is less than exciting on a vehicle’s landing page. It’s a bit we really love our ads now go watch them and see how smart we are.
Even so, the vehicle-landing page communicates clearly and connects with the campaign in an uncluttered way while promoting a connection with the brand in social media. I really like how the communication happens across Toyota’s site, their Facebook fan page, and the YouTube channel. It is all nicely integrated and finds a way to bring the whole effort together even if it is distributed across the web.
The online flow isn’t revolutionary. It’s simple, not overdone like Sienna's “Making It Rain” ad.
BMW is marketing its largest ever brand awareness campaign during this year’s Winter Olympics. The “Story of Joy” campaign is built off the early foundation first started with the launch of the BMW Z4 campaign.
The ads focus on new products, drivers and one TV spot showcases the compelling BMW Vision EfficientDynamics concept car that debuted last August at the Frankfurt Auto Show. From BMW’s Press Release about the campaign, “Story of Joy” introduces a new creative aesthetic characterized by strong, colorful images often conveying people and their experiences with the subtlest of references to BMW products.”
Brand messages encompass everything from emotional responses about the product line making drivers feel youthful and inspired. The campaign also dips heavily into BMW’s heritage of driver events. It’s the second time in the past two years BMW has highlighted the Southern California Bimmerfest event, which is one of the largest gathering of BMW owners and fans. The last time was in a spot for the last 3-series sedan.
Audi Begins Its Latest Brand Campaign Too
The new brand campaign comes at a time when BMW’s most aggressive competitor Audi is launching its own brand campaign mocking BMW for falling behind Audi in “three straight Car & Driver comparisons.” The Audi spot is entertaining, but the BMW brand ads appeal to those who are advocates and satisfied owners of BMW products.
Showing images of happy owners, enjoying their vehicles is nice feel good marketing, but is it effective? This is a difficult question to answer and depends on what BMW is trying to gain from the spots; sales of course, but I’m sure some positive brand awareness is in the mix of campaign goals too.
The issue is that the ads are forgettable and barely interesting enough to share from a brand enthusiast perspective. Unlike the 3-Series ad from 2008 that brought together a strong emotive response from many BMW brand advocates and fans, the new Olympic spots fall flat giving people little reason to talk about the ads or promote them to their social network.
The Audi ads have a more interesting message; though, I’m personally not much of a fan of mentioning your top competitor in your marketing, since you’re just giving your key competitor free advertising. That said the Audi ads are at least memorable and interesting enough to share. They're definitely not forgettable.
The BMW Joy campaign is pleasant and aligns well with an Olympic games feel good message. It’s just that the ads will probably be lost in the marketing clutter.
“In September of 2008 we carved grooves into a quarter mile stretch of asphalt on the outskirts of Lancaster, CA. The goal was to create an experience that embodied the connection Civic drivers feel with the road.”
Honda’s creative musical road idea was an interesting, fun way to express the connection a car has with its road and what its drivers experience as road, car and driver connect in one simultaneous beautiful experience. To bring that experience to life, Honda cut grooves into a road in southern California and create a YouTube channel featuring the original TV commercial and several documentary short films explaining how it was done.
A new online experience on Honda’s Civic shopping website extends the idea in a new way. Website users can now create their own virtual musical road where they can plot different notes on a road and playback the version they made on the “Grooves Game” website.
The experience is an interesting way to bring new life to the original idea and bring an user generated, interactive experience to make the idea more personal. Of course, to make your own song, that’s worth listening to, it helps to have some musical experience. My ability to create a musical road sounded as muddled as the thuds I hear on my daily “musical” expression on the pothole-ridden roads of Michigan each morning.
Supposing you can actually create a new tune that’s worth listening to it is a shame the Honda Grooves Game doesn’t let one share their creation. The only share that can be done is an email sharing form that sends the website link for friends to create their own song.
In an age where most sites share through social media properties, it seems odd that Honda didn’t allow for an easy way to make that happen or a simple way to share a person’s own musical road. This would have made the experience more interesting. Perhaps budget or timing prevented such expression.
Overall, the idea is great way to extend a real-world idea to a digital idea. Unfortunately, without some stronger social sharing or allowing people to express their own musical roads, the site loses its power to be more compelling.
Dodge has answered back after receiving probably what they expected, some backlash for portraying men as wusses who can't make their own decisions and treating the Dodge Challenge as a "Man's Last Stand" car. The female gender answer is a commercial that's on Dodge's YouTube channel called "We Make Getaway Cars."
The ad features a woman who resembles actress Maggie Gyllenhaal. She is having her belongings thrown from a second story window by her boyfriend/husband/brother/dad??? It's not really clear what is going on, but the flannel shirt wearing woman gets into her Challenger SRT8 and roars away with onscreen copy reading "We make getaway cars."
I love the attitude of this ad, but it's not clear what she is getting away from not that it really matters. Making a fast U-Turn looks cool and the idea of getting away is also a positive.
I do love how the Dodge brand is having fun with their identity and trying to create a certain attitude that has disappeared in an industry where everything's gone green. There is just something refreshing and different with this latest effort from Dodge's new agency Wieden+Kennedy. This shouldn't be surprising to those who know automotive marketing history. Wieden+Kennedy was the firm featured in the book Where the Suckers Moon about the marketing efforts of Subaru in the early 1990s.
I don't think we are witnessing a similar story as Where the Suckers Moon, but I do believe we are experiencing some solid marketing from a marketing firm that creates some distinction for a brand and the latest from Dodge is doing just that. Now if only Dodge had competitive products to market, it would be even more interesting.
Social media is all about extending one's network and I am fortunate enough to have met Melanie Batenchuk (@BeCarChic) who has her own blog and also writes for AskPatty.com. The two of us decided a couple weeks ago to work together on a Super Bowl article covering the automotive ads. Here is the result.
Volkswagen “PunchDub”
SHE SAID: Having a brother six years my senior, my upper arm could never forget the pain it endured from the “Punch Bug” game of my childhood. There was a “Punch Bug” graveyard on the way to our Aunt and Uncle’s lake house that housed hundreds of broken down and beat up VW Bugs. My brother and I played the game every time we went to their place, both of us anxiously awaiting that lot. Whoever spotted it first not only won the game but also had the pleasure of endlessly punching his opponent in the arm.
The VW “Punch Dub” ad appealed to anyone old enough to remember the original VW Bug. It successfully spanned demographics both through the characters in the commercial and in its appeal. While memorable, I don’t think this commercial ignited a new game of “Punch Dub” in America. I doubt kids riding in their mom’s Routan today are looking for other VW’s so they can punch each other and shout a color.
HE SAID: This ad was an early favorite at the party I attended. People really enjoyed the end with Stevie Wonder and Tracy Morgan. In the beginning, it was a bit confusing to those who may not be familiar with the ‘punch bug’ game the concept is developed from, but it is effectively communicated in the 60 seconds.
Most surprising about the campaign is how VW extended the idea online with a video called “How did he play PunchDub?” where Stevie Wonder educates the viewer about a device that helps the blind “see” colors. It is a nice extension of the Super Bowl ad.
It was also nice to see VW not bring in the online personality of “Sluggy Patterson” who is currently leading the campaign through social media (see my blog post for more information.) VW realized the difference between online and TV and showcased PunchDub in a way that was more accessible to the large audience of the Super Bowl while maintaining the integrity of the campaign. This was by far my favorite ad from the industry Sunday night. It was simple, memorable and effective in communicating a passion for the brand. Plus I believe VW will build on the success of the ad as it continues to evolve the campaign.
Audi “Green Police”
SHE SAID: Audi’s commercial was much better than the PSA previews the company aired ahead of Super Bowl XLIV. I liked the rock n’ roll tune and the way Audi brought all of it together to highlight the product. Personally, I love the Audi A3 TDI – and it won Green Car Journal’s 2010 Green Car of the Year Award – so it wasn’t a tough sell from that perspective.
The German automaker was targeted greenies and car enthusiasts alike by wittily excusing the A3 TDI from a “Green Police” Eco Check Point. Car enthusiasts like me also enjoyed hearing the TDI’s exhaust and power as it navigated its way out of the checkpoint, dodging green traffic cones and speeding off into an enviro-conscious sunset.
HE SAID: In a world of Eco-Guilt, Audi decides to mock the ridiculousness of it all with a crew of police patrolmen busting yuppies and teens for all kinds of environmental mistakes. Eco-Guilt is a developing trend where people feel they are not doing enough for the environment. Even Oprah Winfrey’s “O” magazine covered the topic demonstrating there is a cultural awareness about the behavior.
Audi received some early criticism around using “Green Police” which was a phrase used to describe Nazi Germany’s police force. Very few know about the history and it became a minor issue for the brand online, but soon dissipated after most acknowledged the “Green Police” name was about environmental “policing” for those not in environmental compliance and was simply a poor naming choice by the marketing team.
Cheap Trick did the soundtrack for the ad and the situations busting people for wrong light bulbs, using plastic bottles, and choosing plastic bags at the supermarket. The ad ends on a couple high notes with the “Eco Check” police checkpoint that lets the Audi A3 TDI go ahead and with cops stopping cops for using Styrofoam coffee cups. The ad received predominantly positive buzz online, which tells me it did get its message across effectively. Overall it’s another win for the Volkswagen Group.
Dodge “Man’s Last Stand”
SHE SAID: My first thought was, “Is this the man version of ‘I am woman, hear me roar?’” From a woman’s perspective, there wasn’t much positive to say about Dodge’s commercial. Sure the music was cool and they had some great camera shots at the end, but Dodge seemed to go a little overboard with its man-centric, “women force us to suppress our true feelings and deny us the ability to have our own thoughts” theme. Unlike the man-bashing FloTV ads, the humor injected was not funny to both male and female viewers.
In fact, I was surprised that so many Super Bowl ads were focused only on the male buyer when women continue to be the bigger spenders. This is what I want to know from Dodge. I’m a woman; I like fast cars with horsepower and a sleek design. Why does he deserve to drive a Dodge Charger R/T with the 5.7L V8 and I don’t?
HE SAID: I feel like almost disqualifying myself for providing any commentary on a Dodge ad. I just feel so subjective whenever I review the latest from Auburn Hills, Michigan, but I’ll give it a try.
Of all the automotive ads on this list, this was by far the most polarizing from what I can gather across YouTube comments and Twitter conversations. People either loved some of the swipes at the elimination of manliness like the “I will carry your lip balm. I will watch your vampire TV shows with you.” Or they hated it for the ad’s attempt to insult all requests from a wife or girlfriend as if it was being anti-female.
Personally, I felt the ad followed a common theme of Super Bowl marketing: It’s okay to make fun of boring middle-aged men. It’s the last segment of the population that is fair game to mock. Can you imagine the uproar if this concept were reversed?
Women staring blankly at the camera with voiceover by Weed’s star Mary-Louise Parker saying, “I will get the kids ready for school, kiss you goodbye and rush to get ready for my job. I will pretend to understand why you care if a team wins a game. I will fake an orgasm this weekend.” Oh wait, maybe this concept does work. Now what car would go roaring down the highway in the female gender version? BMW Z4 sDrive 35i with a manual transmission to beat the pants off that automatic only offered Dodge Charger.
Honda “Crosstour Squirrel”
SHE SAID: I had to watch this ad a second time to get the gist. Sadly, the featured squirrel was a hoarder. Thankfully the Honda Crosstour’s space helped him store and organize items like an acorn, a pineapple, and a bowling trophy. I think kids and their parents probably enjoyed the commercial, but the general population may not have found this ad memorable.
The most clever aspect of this commercial was how the camera panned through the interior of the car before they showed you the exterior. So many automakers focus on the exterior design elements and expect customers to visit the dealership to see what’s inside. Honda was smart to take this approach because the Crosstour’s exterior is specific to certain tastes, but the interior’s style likely will make up for it.
HE SAID: For what it had to market, the RPA Agency did an excellent job with this ad concept. I can just imagine the creative brief: It’s an inside story. Communicate the versatility and beauty of the vehicle using its interior amenities.
The squirrel filling what appears to be a tree and ends up being the inside of a Honda Crosstour with all kinds of items is an interesting way to showcase the CUV’s space. I also really like the art direction with the sharp edges and strong use of shadows throughout the commercial.
My only negative is that it didn’t really standout for a Super Bowl ad and was forgettable when people tried to recall what they watched. I probably would’ve saved the media buy dollars and went more niche targeted since the vehicle is desirable to a very distinct customer segment.
Hyundai “10 Years Strong Featuring Brett Favre”
SHE SAID: The Hyundai Brett Favre commercial was a fantastic play on his situation and with impeccable timing. It was clear that Hyundai was comparing the certainty of their 10 year/100,000 mile warranty to Favre’s NFL retirement uncertainty. I believe their audience, although it could be perceived as just for men and football fans, was actually larger. Anyone who’s watched mainstream news on a regular basis could have picked up on the joke. The commercial was funny in a relevant, rated G, way – unlike random men walking through a field in their undies.
HE SAID: You can rarely knock relevant, ‘rarely’ because you can screw it up. Here Hyundai delivers with a play on their 10-year warranty and the longevity of football’s aging quarterback Brett Favre. The message highlights the term of the warranty in an interesting, compelling way that is also appealing to the football faithful and who doesn’t know who Brett Favre is, especially after “There’s Something About Mary.”
Hyundai “Sonata Built-by-Hand”
SHE SAID: In its crowd-surfing ad, Hyundai stressed quality and American craftsmanship by highlighting the 3,300 employees who work at its Montgomery, Ala. manufacturing facility. The ad persuaded potential buyers to consider the care and attention to detail Hyundai’s employees give to each car that comes down the assembly line, and it showed that this Korean-based automaker employees Americans to build their cars right here on our home turf.
HE SAID: Hyundai used the Super Bowl to help launch its all-new Sonata. This is one of two ads promoting the new car. Unlike the Brett Favre ad, the two Sonata ads showcase the car as part of Hyundai sponsorship of the NFL Pre-Game Show. The ad is fine as far as a vehicle launch commercial is concerned, but it is forgettable. Though that’s fine since the Sonata ads played heavily during the Pre-Game spots and were really about getting people familiar with the new sedan.
Hyundai “Painted Hyundai Sonata”
SHE SAID: This advertisement was elegant, classy, and it struck a chord with my pianist and violinist background. It was a refined way to appeal to upper class buyers by comparing the paint job process to that of the Mercedes-Benz CLS550, while indicating a much lower price tag. The audience in the room did mention that it may have been more effective had the Mercedes comparison line run on the screen for longer.
HE SAID: Of the two Sonata spots this one has a bit more appeal than the one with office workers carrying an empty body frame of the all-new car. The ad communicates a technical process in a way that is more interesting and elegant than what might have been expected when talking about paint. So it’s a well-executed product feature commercial to compliment the launch of the Sonata.
Kia “Sorento”
SHE SAID: Kia’s ad also struck a childhood note with me. The commercial reminded me of when I was a kid and believed that my stuffed animals came to life at night. Kia used the reverse logic – the stuffed creatures daydreaming of a more exciting nightlife – to appeal to its audience of busy parents and their kids.
The music was catchy and fresh; I watched the commercial again just to hear it. While Kia alluded to these children’s characters coming alive and having a good time in its teaser ads, they left you totally clueless as to how the company would incorporate them into a worthwhile Super Bowl commercial. This ad was a definite win because Kia connected its teasers with its Super Bowl debut as seamlessly as a sock monkey.
HE SAID: As a father of twin 3-year-old boys, I actually know all the characters in the whimsical, odd Kia Sorento ad. The ad played late in the game after many football fans were probably a few beers into the festivities which I’m sure made the more inebriated wonder out loud, “is that a sock monkey riding an electric bull and a robot toying doing the robot dance? Or is it time for me to put the beer down?”
The ad’s campaign line of “A Departure from the Unexpected” works well with the commercial’s concept while the music “How You Like Me Now” by The Heavy added an extra oomph in energy. It was definitely my second favorite ad from the automotive industry and the best music score for the night. It also marked the first time in over a year that I didn’t think about the Kia Hamster, which further added to the success of the ad. The Kia Soul hamsters are cute, but the brand needed to not be defined by them and this Super Bowl spot helped with that issue.
Cars.com “Timothy Richman”
SHE SAID: The “Timothy Richman” ad aired by Cars.com incorporated a more sublte vibe into the mix. The storyline was slightly far-fetched, and the ad didn’t believably link the character’s Doogie Howser intelligence to his inability to make a decision on a car. Cars.com wanted to assure everyone that, regardless of their IQ, they could feel comfortable buying a car simply by visiting their website and consulting a professional. In that sense, the commercial was a hit. I personally missed the “Timothy Richman is a life-long genius but can’t figure out how to buy a car” theme. Perhaps that is merely a reflection of my own aptitude.
HE SAID: A calming, storytelling advertisement that isn’t about being outrageous or insulting male behaviors should be a refreshing departure from most of what was shown Sunday evening. For the most part, it was a nicely executed exception to the silliness.
The ad follows all of the intelligent decisions and deep knowledge of a growing young man who finally is baffled by the process of buying a car for the first time. Fortunately, he is bright enough to turn to Cars.com for expert advice. It is a well-written commercial. The issue is that it just falls flat in the circus that is Super Bowl advertising; though, I do have to give kudos to the buy because the ad would probably be ignored on any other given day so at least it does drum up some buzz for a rather sedate brand.
I like it for its charm, but also fault it for its charm. Charm is simply lost when everyone else is going with absurd.
CarMax “Dramatic Chipmunk”
SHE SAID: The first “Dramatically Smart” ad run by CarMax was my favorite “funny” auto commercial. These ads made me want to watch the furry creatures, all with the same action line, perform again and again. My guests and I actually rewound the DVR so we could watch the prairie dog repeatedly nail his cue to glare intensely into the camera. Those beady eyes are ingrained in my memory. The commercial may not be the best representation of CarMax, but it was hilarious nonetheless.
HE SAID: When you have nothing smart to say attach your brand to a popular YouTube viral video that has over 18 million views. To me it is a dull ad that does nothing for the brand with its cheap desire to be interesting and funny of which it is neither. This was by far the worse ad from the automotive industry. Yawn.
"The Green Police is, in many ways, a representation of the impact every day choices have on the environment- from choosing paper or plastic bags at the grocery store and drinking bottled water to the type of car we drive," said Scott Keogh, chief marketing officer, Audi of America. "The star of our ad is the Audi A3 TDI, awarded the Green Car Journal's 2010 'Green Car of the Year' award, and clearly a great option for customers who want to be greener without sacrificing the thrill of driving."
So is the Audi Diesel campaign not making traction? Or is this just some really obscure experiment that is acceptable during Super Bowl commercial folly? I get the make better “green” decisions to better the planet, but I don’t know how watching a bunch of fake cops talk about how many napkins I’m supposed to take when eating a burrito will increase interest in Audi’s A3 TDI. Perhaps that is coming on Super Bowl Sunday.
I get that it is supposed to be satirical, but it’s really boring. It lacks the fun and good writing of Audi’s other recent viral video concept “Meet the Beckers.”
“trying to save the planet with recycling and saving napkins is like bringing a dustpan and brush to an earthquake”
“Aren't napkins compostiable [sic], recycleable [sic] and most are made from recycled material? Sometimes environmentalists need to pick their battles. Stupid stuff like this is a waste.”
“wouldn't it be better if places just switched to cloth napkins if dining in?”
“Manbearpig approves of this message!”
The other issue is the use of “Green Police” for the campaign. The phrase "Gruene Polizei" is well known as the name used for the Nazi police force due to the green uniforms they wore. Fortunately for Audi it is well known by history buffs and not the general U.S. population; though, some articles are already getting published discussing this as a potential public relations snafu for Audi’s otherwise innocuous campaign.
Sure the Green Police title will get some negative buzz but I doubt it will have much impact on the campaign. The bigger issue is around whether this police parody will have any impact on getting U.S. consumers interested in Audi Diesels.
I found this ad from the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership on AdGabber under Steve Hall's headline "This is The Most Beautiful Commercial I Have Ever Seen." It dramatically demonstrates the need for safety belts in a car crash in an emotional, relevant way. At a time when most product demonstrations show electronic diagrams of what a car does in an accident, this public service ad shows the consumer why an automotive feature is necessary.
It is a beautiful message because it shows consumer need in an emotional way. We all clearly understand why it is an important part of the car. Automotive advertisers can learn a lot from this ad. Mostly that it's not about the technology and gadgets; it's the why technology and gadgets provide us with a better and safer life that extends beyond just driving experience.
In an attempt to add some macho to the brand that brings us the Caliber and Avenger comes a new ad called “Man Bag” promoting the Dodge Challenger, created by Wieden & Kennedy, the agency that recently won the Dodge business from BBDO. The ad features one of my favorite TV show characters the actor Michael C. Hall who plays the lead on Showtime’s Dexter series (he also played the gay son on HBO’s “Six Feet Under”.)
So what about the ad’s name: “Man Bag”. Well at least someone has a sense of humor. I know it’s supposed to mock the femininity of the metro sexual male, but that seems like something that was more topical in 2008 than 2010. Plus the double entendre of the ad’s title is a bit ridiculous; though, not as ridiculous as W+K’s LaDainian Tomlinson Electric Glide for Nike.
So why this approach?
It is definitely on target for the Dodge Challenger consumer, assuming product research showed tough, rugged guys mocking girly-men is where it’s at for an American muscle car crowd. A safe assumption I’m sure. It will probably resonate, but the lack of any cool imagery or a more confrontational, humorous storyline instead of just a voice-over might have helped the concept.
Also the voice-over choice fits what Ad Age reported today, that the “new tone and feel seems to be about trying to cast the automaker as a brand associated with celebrities and social causes (two things said to be a passion of Olivier Francois, Chrysler brand's president-CEO).”
If this is a precursor to the coming Super Bowl ad from Dodge, don’t bother. It’s just too forgettable to have any change in brand perception or product consideration.
