You’d think with the world watching as the worlds greatest automotive company declares bankruptcy, the first effort to rebuild the brand would reassure you that they still know how to produce quality - would at least mention it?
https://youtu.be/WR9KtVJyS6o sorry embed is off.
Not so with the new spot from Deutsch.
The reason GM failed was that they took their eye off the ball, and refused to listen when Americans started buying smaller, higher quality, better fuel efficiency from companies that didn’t change the trim a little bit and try to convince us that a cat was now a dog.
Telling the American people that “This is not about going out of business. This is about getting down to business” in a spot full of canned imagery including hockey, football, baseball and horse racing- isn’t about getting down to business at all, it’s more mumbo-jumbo from a company that has not only failed it’s stockholders, stakeholders but our entire country.
When the saying used to be “What’s good for GM is good for America” you can’t just slap some anonymous announcers voice on top of emotional images like a tattered flag waving and expect people not to wonder why our government just backed you up.
Lee Iaccoca set the standard when Chrysler took a bailout, coming on camera with a direct and honest apology for failing- and making a promise to come back. What this spot says is that GM doesn’t even have anyone left with balls enough to lead them out of their mess.
Compare this Chrysler spot from 1984, and you’ll understand why GM still has no clue about what “Getting down to business” means.
Boy, I couldn’t disagree with this more! The chutzpah Lee had saying he was going to build cars that would beat BMW and Mercedes! Ha! And beat the Japanese at their own game? That must be why they partnered so much with Mitsubishi. Turbo cars that will make you never want a V8 again? We know where that went. And while they did OK for awhile, they are now in the same boat as GM after having been passed around like a cheap whore to the Germans and now the Italians. Right! So they had the better approach?
If this is the best GM has to offer, we tax payers can kiss our money goodbye. The pathetic “reinvent” campaign clearly shows GM leadership has no clue what a CF they have created, GM Leadership has no clue what is wrong, GM leadership has no clue how to fix what is wrong, GM leadership has no clue.
Ditch the campaign and ditch the leadership.
Just watched the first new post bankruptcy ad titled GM Reinvention on YouTube.
The first thing GM can do in their reorganization and reinvention is to push their ad agency for something new, something fresh, innovative and exciting. And if necessary, change their agency.
The commercial they came out with was just BORING. GM has to bring back the excitement. The new commercial focused to much on the past, and was just sloppily thrown together in iMovie with sections looking like it was shot with a handy-cam. And then it shows random, irrelevant stock shots of plants, horse racing, a hockey player and building a house. Was this a volunteer thing? Do I care? No.
And how much more did this commercial cost because someone on the creative staff decided to show football players, baseball players w/team logos, and that famous boxer Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr.? That must have cost some bux. Not sure what any of that has to do with cars, except driving up costs needlessly. There is just too much going on here for one ad. And you have the same old GM monotone announcer. Next.
Lastly, did anyone notice the waving American flag shown in the commercial? It is totally ripped horizontally down the middle and is flying in two parts? Looks bad and is disrespectful to the country that has bailed out this company.
It is attention to detail that GM needs to focus on. They need to start with their commercials.
fyi, GM’s re:invention campaign also has a significant online component. From my archive of online ads, here’s some of the current creative:
http://adverlicio.us/general_motors_re_invention_300x250
Unfortunately, it’s perhaps worse than the television campaign.
For all of you- make sure to go look at this spoof:
http://www.gmretardation.com/
Absolutely brilliant!