Last week we learned that GM has acknowledged Saturn has an image problem. Now, since TTAC started blogging, we've been stating that Saturn has an image problem, among other issues. But this is the first time the Detroit General has fessed up to it. How are they going to address this problem? Through advertising, stupid. Which got us thinking (I know, I know). Obviously Saturn's current Rethink campaign is not working, but are there others? And that thought led me to none other than Subaru. Have you seen the commercials for the Forrester? They're going after the CamCord demo. Look, we're big advocates of "know thy brand." Subarus appeal to Lesbians, hoons and people living in Oregon, Vermont or Colorado. And that's basically it. That said, can anyone explain this? At least in Canada they're getting closer. Can you think of other brands more out of touch?
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I’m just trying to figure out what makes a car appeal to lesbians.
Sumo wrestlers washing the Forester? Works for me.
Cicero: I’m just trying to figure out what makes a car appeal to lesbians.
Simple; herd mentality – group self-identification. We all do it with our cars and other purchases.
The all-new 2009 Forester restyle is exactly the sort of vehicle that will appeal to the bourgeois exurban personality and completely alienate Subaru’s core demographic.
I could never quite grasp the “Big Duh” sales event that Hyundai ran a couple months back. I know you’re trying to appeal to frugal/lower income/younger buyers, but I never saw how using the word “duh” in any context appealed to anyone.
I burst out laughing when I saw the new Toyota Sienna ad, shot in black and white, with the half clothed girl seductively touching the minivan on a beach. As if sex is the way to sell a minivan!
It’s obviously self deprecating, but hilarious nevertheless.
VW and their current campaign:
“It’s what the people want”
The people want a TDI, spec’d to the new north american diesel standards, and they want it ‘1.5 years ago’…
The only thing that comes to mind is Lincoln and using such characters as Harry Connick Jr., the one legged female marathon runner, etc. Personally, I think luxury and sport cars should feature the car and nothing else with the possible exception of a soundtrack, the car is the star, period.
The more vanilla, high volume vehicles seem to do better with lifestyle advertising. That is, showing mom and kids frolicking in the minivan, etc.
The most exceptional commercial I have seen lately is the commercial for the Jaguar XF, holy smokes!!!!! does that want to make you get your check book out or what.
Here’s a Suby Ad in Japan
I love the Canadian Impreza ad! Great send-up of the VW Un-pimp my ride series. But the Sumo wrestlers, yuck. The Saturn trip through Toon Town is also wretched. Of the two, the Saturn one is the worst because it doesn’t really have a message. At least the Sumo thing makes a point that the new Subie is out and “sexy” in an offbeat way. The older couple staring in shock at the end was fun.
So, my vote goes to the Saturn piece as the worst of the two. But they both stink.
Does anyone else see that commercial where the proud daughter shows her dad the new Cobalt she just bought? I look at this from the Dad’s perspective.
Did she even look at Toyondissan?
If so, how did this car come out on top?
Only 2 possible results…a) she watches the thing disintegrate over the life of the warranty or b) she tries to bail after a year or two and finds out she is way upside down on this pig.
As a dad I would not be impressed with her decision and would wish she had taken my advice.
I think every single Hyundai/Kia ad I have ever seen has insulted my intelligence and/or pissed me off in some way
I especially can’t stand the one they’re running now with the rich guy (I guess he’s supposed to be famous?) asking the prospective Hyundai customers in a condescending voice “You want to retire some day, right?”. I can’t think of a worse way to make somebody want to buy a car than to directly insult their intelligence using a rich, condescending asshole
The worst in mind is defintely the Subaru = Love campaign running right now. I cringe whenever I hear it come on the radio.
I think it is appealing to the aged hippie crowd who ingested too much LSD and still feel flashback effects.
Virtually all car commercials are so obnoxious that cars are sold in spite of them, not because of them. The only good ones I can remember are two from Porsche (a 911 C4 hustling along a winding road in the rain and a chance meeting between a young guy in a Boxster and an old guy in a 550), one from Honda (Civic as the second hand on a big clock) and one from Chevrolet thirty years ago (a TransAm Camaro at ten tenths on a road course). Mazda’s Zoom Zoom is cute until the novelty wears off.
Good question.
On one hand, there’s “out of touch.” On the other, there are ad campaigns that risk being out of touch, the new “The Van is Back” and “Respect the Van” ads for the Odyssey with freakin’ Barracuda playing and all the psychedelic stuff come to mind.
I’d like to buy another Subaru. I’ve had really good luck with mine and it’s been a great car in most respects. But their latest ad campaign is for my mom.
On the other hand, I’m am squarely in the Odyssey’s target demographic(early 30s, kids…). loathe as I am to admit it or give in to it. And that campaign pretty much hits the nail on the head.
-Matt
The one that kills me is the ad for the Hyundai Sante Fe with the “financial advisor” actually recommending going into debt for a new car. That guy needs to be taken out into the street and flogged. Often. Given the stupidity of our nation and the massive debt load we carry, this guy looses all credibility when he advocates loosing your ass in depreciation. I somehow don’t think Dave Ramsey would approve!
Cicero :
I’m just trying to figure out what makes a car appeal to lesbians.
It starts with a giant vag on the front grille.
I’d say Honda and their classic Americana ads for the Accord and Odyssey which are pretty neat. Just further proof that their cars are assimilating into American culture as well, i.e. larger and heavier.
You left Alaska off the list of exciting places where Subaru has large concentrations of owners.
Marketing be damned, they’re still very good cars.
I like the cheeky VW advertising. It’s fun and youthful but doesn’t do much to sell the brand. It’s just better at maintaining awareness.
The worst advertising I’ve seen is Land Rover. WTH is it about? It looks like its vaguely similar to Hummer advertising but with a loftier, unachieved message. Good luck with that now that gas is $4.00+/gallon.
My vote would be for Volkswagen.
Their tagline is (loosely translated as) “For the love of the car”, yet I look at their line up and none of their cars jump out at me. They’re all functional cars (not that there’s anything wrong with that. Copyright Jerry Seinfeld). I don’t think there was any “love” when they designed and made these cars. If VW’s tagline reflected their functionality (i.e. “If only everything in life was as reliable as Volkswagen”) then I think it would suit VW more.
Does it have to be for a carmaker? Because the “sludge from the heavens” ones from Castrol are so cheesy and played so goddamn often that I’ve gotten to the point where even if their stuff was the cheapest at Pep Boys or wherever, I still wouldn’t buy it.
That Saturn ad is terrible, as are the two Subaru ads. I can’t say much more since those are the only ads I’ve seen since I got my PVR (thank god)!
What are the Food Network Car ads really trying to get across. Recommending snacks to take with you in your XL7 and VUE?
I really don’t seem to the greatness in it “oh, i like the snack i just made from a 30 second comercial, i think i’ll buy an Equinox with a long wheelbase”
The one-legged woman in the Lincoln ads is bizarre on many levels.
The Kia ad were the idiot drivers forget what side to fill up on. Also, the Kia(?) add where they talk about how much money you save by buying a Kia. Basically any Kia ad in general just because there is no reason for anyone to buy a Kia.
The “An American Revolution” Chevrolet ads which featured the made-in-Korea Aveo. I laughed out loud and almost spit Dr. Pepper through my nose when I saw that.
Does it have to be for a carmaker? Because the “sludge from the heavens” ones from Castrol are so cheesy and played so goddamn often that I’ve gotten to the point where even if their stuff was the cheapest at Pep Boys or wherever, I still wouldn’t buy it.
If it can be for anything, I nominate the irritating Phillips 66 ads with the cars supposedly singing. Augh. Nothing like a gas seller saying that its gas improves fuel economy. And the ads don’t even try to fake some kind of pseudo-science to push “gas mileage”.
I think the Forester ad had promise, but they didn’t do it quite right. I’m not sure exactly how they should have done it, but it should have been funnier, and probably could have been a lot funnier. The old couple staring at the end was a great touch, though.
The Impreza ad is absolutely hilarious. I laughed out loud through the whole thing.
I hardly ever watch TV so I haven’t seen the others people talked about.
Lots of Subarus in Maine. Only 4WD they can afford.
Cicero: I’m just trying to figure out what makes a car appeal to lesbians.
PN: Simple; herd mentality – group self-identification. We all do it with our cars and other purchases.
I think it helps that both Subarus and lesbians are out of the mainstream.
About ten years ago there was a print and televion campaign featuring a black guy and his kid waiting for this Buick dealership to open, so they could go in and finally buy the dream…a Buick Century. I still think of that as the benchmark for a business not knowing it’s market segment.
I don’t know about out of touch, but BMW’s campaign equating the X6 with actual sports cars of the past kinda tics me off.
It’s a five door streamlined SUV, dammit. Not a sports car.
The latest Car and Driver has an ad for the new Dodge Journey…next to a picture of the vehicle is a “floor plan” of the interior made to look like a house, with den, dining room, closets, etc. I’m sure they’re trying to say it has lots of room like a house, but it doesn’t show the real interior layout and it’s just dumb to me.
John
Airline ads.
I have yet to see a single airline address the actuality of flying.
It’s all happy people sitting in spacious seats jetting off to exotic locals for $49.00.
Where’s the ad campaign explaining that you’re paying $200.00 to sit in a milk crate so you can get back and forth to Boise in one day?
The best car ads ever were the ones with “Joe Isuzu”.
The worst car ads are anything where you hear crappy electric guitar riffs while watching a car driving on an empty, just-rained-on road.
I have to disagree on the Honda ads. Is Honda TRYING to age their demographics? Those hippie songs and psychadelic graphics will appeal to the baby boomers – people in their 50s and 60s, but not to the the young families in their 30’s that actually need the Odyssey. Same with those Led Zepplin Caddy ads. Try some songs from the 80s.
In the “Banging their heads against the wall” category: Mercury with the Jill Wagner ads. THEY AREN’T WORKING PEOPLE, TRY SOMETHING ELSE! Not that they are bad ads, they showcase the cars and why to buy them, but they are not bringing young women into MY showroom.
I wish Ford would bring Jill Wagner over from Mercury so I could see more commercials with her in them. At least, I think it’s Mercury…she’s trying to sell me a car right?
One of my favorite car ads was an old Volvo ad I’d seen in Europe. It showed a stylish, sophisticated, lady driving a Volvo 740. With dramatic music playing, the ad showed the Volvo handling a rain swept curve, going around a fallen tree, and stopping to avoid an accident. Each time an ominous voice recited the litany of Volvo safety features, ABS brakes, secure handling in all weather conditions, etc., and saying how safe you were in a Volvo.
The lady then parks the car, gets out, and immediately falls down a manhole.
I don’t get the Volkswagen ad with the guy holding the chainsaw at the dealership.
As far as the worst ad on TV of any kind, I nominate the ad for the New York Lottery which features a band playing some of their favorite numbers.
We’re gonna play the ballad of 9,2,7
9……2…..7
Out of touch? Does GM’s ad for the Volt count? It is nothing but a dog licking a guys toes. WTF? I guess what they are saying is “Get a dog that will lick your feet ’cause you are going to be doing a lot of walking with your Volt”.
Worst commercial playing right now has to be the new Acura TSX one. “This is pretentious, sickening nausiating advertising luxury.”
Sheesh.
I’d say the best continues to be the Mercury commercials. For some reason, I always perk up and pay attention to those.
No one’s mentioned the Porsche ad where, just because the Cayenne’s exhaust note sounds good, it’s part of the family.
Saturn doesn`t have an image problem. Saturn has a product problem.
Saturn doesn`t have an image problem. Saturn has a product problem.( because image is based upon what the product is!) Please, retype it zillion times!
It would be much easier to name good car ads than bad ones. VW’s “unpimp your auto” were brilliant. They pointed to VW’s simplicity and functionality. Their latest commercials (with nauseatingly stupid Asian chick asking “what’s happening?”) are on the opposite side of the spectrum. What aspect of their cars are they supposed to sell? That imbeciles drive them?
More out of touch ads, a couple of years ago GM praising fuel economy of their trucks and SUVs. Apparently they subscribed to the idea that if you repeat something often enough, then it must be true. Looks like their audience was not as dimwitted as GM management hoped.
Cicero :
May 14th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
I’m just trying to figure out what makes a car appeal to lesbians
Here in Seattle – We have a lot of lesbians – and a great number of them can be seen any given day in a Subaru Wagon.
BTW, they may have to change their ‘designation’ soon: http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/04/30/greece.lesbos.ap/index.html Talk about bad publicity and marketing!!!
I’m just trying to figure out what makes a car appeal to lesbians
The one most likely to match a flannel shirt?
Yes, the Hyundai ads with the financial gurus is fairly condescending and irritating…
But the VW ad of the guy (who presumably just bought the Jetta on the showroom floor) using the panic button on the fob to scare away a couple of potential buyers away from “his” car is just irritating as hell (and has awoken me from a Saturday nap more than once).
how has no one mentioned the Jimmy Neutron Chrysler Voyager advert yet?
@sean362880
“I burst out laughing when I saw the new Toyota Sienna ad, shot in black and white, with the half clothed girl seductively touching the minivan on a beach. As if sex is the way to sell a minivan!”
Actually, (the result of) sex has sold almost all of the minivans ever made!
Gotta add Chevy’s latest “fuel efficiency” ads. Let’s see the tiny crappy little Aveo gets 34 MPG!!! Wow that’s impressive. Not to mention the “class leading” Cobalt “special M/T only” XFE that gets the same Highway MPG as every A/T Civic on the lot. “Class leading” my ass….more like “class-almost-leading….kinda.”
Chevrolet
an American Revolution?
more like revoltingly American.
Cicero :
I’m just trying to figure out what makes a car appeal to lesbians
Just look at the front end of the old B9 Tribeca before they restyled it