On this Wednesday’s wailing wall, Autoextremist.com lambastes Motown’s marketeers for their cowardice and creative poverty—without naming names, providing egregious examples or suggesting rectification. “Automotive marketers are too often squeamish, risk-averse or clueless. There, I said it. Yes, at least 75 percent of the people involved in automotive marketing don’t know what the hell they’re doing – it’s a pathetic fact but it’s the High-Octane Truth.” Not in these parts it isn’t. You want the truth? DeLorenzo is guilty of the same timidity that he assigns to unnamed auto execs and their equally unidentified ad agencies. Where’s the indignation at GM for cutting Caddy’s cutting-edge ad agency adrift? Or some good-old-fashioned finger pointing at Bob Lutz, for his infinitely asinine decision to put Chairman Wiseacre at the front of the nationalized automaker’s laughable “May the best car win” ad campaign? Where’s Chrysler? What’s up with Ford’s epic failure to figure-out Lincoln? Someone show DeLorenzo how to sample crickets chirping. Meanwhile, truth be told, DeLorenzo’s dissing the competition for no greater goal than feathering his own nest . . .
Category: Media
Cadillac has confirmed that TTAC’s very own Jack Baruth will be allowed to compete in Bob Lutz’s SuperSedan Shootout (also known as the Cadillac V Series Challenge). The race will consist of five hot laps in any production sedan, and will take place at the Monticello Motor Club in upstate New York. Sadly, because of the time-trial format, we will not be treated to awesome footage of Jack putting Maximum Bob into the wall with some trademark “avoidable contact.” Still, TTAC’s resident speed freak will have the opportunity to take on GM’s resident cranky old man (as well as other bloggers) in a face-off that’s been nine years of online confrontation in the making. The only problem at this point is that the bastards at Jalopnik have stolen our whip…
Normally, Car and Driver gets slated for gaming their comparos in BMW’s favor. In its November issue (har-har), the buff book pits the Audi S4 Quattro against the BMW 335i. The S4 pips the Bimmer at the post, taking first place, racking-up 229 vs. 223 points. The Audi wins even if you discount two “extra” points in the mag’s justly maligned “gotta have it” and “fun to drive” categories. But here’s the thing: the Audi S4 Quattro would have trounced the 335i if Car and Driver had matched the cars’ drivetrains (S4 has all wheel-drive vs. the Bimmer’s rear wheel-drive). It’s such a glaring inconsistency that K.C. Colwell pens a three ‘graph mea culpa sidebar. “Before you start cranking out toxic verbiage about our selection process, listen to our side of it. Audi’s competitive target for this S4 is BMW’s 335i xDrive (the all-wheel-drive variant). Don’t we, by the natural laws of the universe, have to compare the AWD S4 with BMW’s AWD version of the 335i, the so-called xDrive?” Minus the reader-dissing sarcasm, it’s a good question. The answer in two words: “We don’t.” The money shot (so to speak): “We think the 335i in rear-wheel-drive mode is the more compelling package. So why penalize the BMW just because the S4 only comes in all-wheel-drive?” Yeah, that wouldn’t be fair! Would it?
Yesterday, we learned that GM CEO Fritz Henderson was surprised by Marketing Maven Mark LaNeve’s departure. If true, it’s a revelation that puts paid to the theory that GM has finally learned how to fire someone for something. Make that anything. Today, we learn that Monster Mark LaNeve’s favorite ad agency, Modernista, “has elected not to participate [in Cadillac’s ongoing renaissance].” This from Automotive News [sub], quoting recently elevated Cadillac GM Bryan Nesbitt. Huh. So Modernista dumped Cadillac? AN’s spies say the ad agency didn’t fall on its sword; it was pushed.
The tortured relationship between auto writers and the industry got a little more complicated this week, as Hyundai debuted its “Hyundai Momentum” advertising site. The site itself is a wall of images showing reviews of Hyundai products from such fine publications as Autoblog, Edmunds Inside Line, and KickingTires. And of course, carefully curated by Hyundai PR. “Everything you want to know about Hyundai,” reads the tagline, “As told by everyone but Hyundai.” Which is true if “everything you want to know” consists of breathless Genesis reviews, concept car hype, and meaningless award write-ups. If Hyundai’s going to drape itself in the questionable credibility of so-called auto-journalists, why not post a few Elantra or Sonata reviews while they’re at it? Or, better yet, why not pretend there still is a line between the auto media and manufacturer PR? The sad part is that Hyundai actually has momentum, which makes snowjobs like this all the more unnecessary.
The Federal Trade Commission has announced revised rules guiding advertisement, endorsements and disclosure for bloggers. These new rules will particularly affect car bloggers, due to the heavy influence that advertising relationships exert in editorial decisions by auto journalists. And the seemingly undying trend in mainstream auto “journalism” towards pimpatorials. Needless to say, they also validate TTAC’s long-standing disclosure policy. From the FTC’s release:
The revised Guides specify that while decisions will be reached on a case-by-case basis, the post of a blogger who receives cash or in-kind payment to review a product is considered an endorsement. Thus, bloggers who make an endorsement must disclose the material connections they share with the seller of the product or service. Likewise, if a company refers in an advertisement to the findings of a research organization that conducted research sponsored by the company, the advertisement must disclose the connection between the advertiser and the research organization.
One last General Motors-Condé Nast parallel worth pursing: Both companies have been badly run by executives who invested more effort in pursuing perks, status, and empire-building than chasing profits. Writing in a slightly different context, Condé Nast veteran Tina Brown summed up what ails the magazine company in an April post on the Daily Beast: “The court of the Sun King is a rats’ nest of competing favorites who jostle for the 81-year-old supremo’s [S.I. Newhouse] attention.”
Jack Shafer connects the dots between the failures of Condé Nast and General Motors over at Slate.
Though I’m not as old as Bob Lutz (who rivals Mermaid Man for out-and-out age-related dottiness), I’m ancient enough to remember when Night Rider first put the pixels in pistonhead. I also recall an era when social commentators got their knickers in a twist about videogame violence. In terms of driving sims, they seemed to find the idea of running people over somehow anti-social. Personally, I saw nothing wrong with it—save the homicidal motorists’ tendency to imitate Beavis and Butthead when doing the deed. But I wonder what’s happened to the really violent stuff. Oh sure, you can find the odd gem— like this flash game called Blood Car. But the Carmeggedon franchise is dead; in 2005, the fourth installment was canceled without explanation. That’s the same year 60 Minutes reported on an alleged link between Grand Theft Auto and an actual cop killing—producing yawns for all concerned (save the cop’s family and the defense lawyers). So, for those of us out of the loop, what’s the current state of play when it comes to electronic automotive mayhem? [Warning: video NSFE… not safe for epileptics]
A member of our TTAC faithful brought this Car and Driver BM photoshop scandal to our attention in a comment posted under a recent Ask the Best and Brightest. I let it go unremarked at the time. But now that Autoblog has picked-up the Car and Driver cudgel and beat the mag over the head with it, the story has officially mainstreamed (not to verbize or anything). Whatever credibility and good will the Alterman regime has generated at Car and Driver just disappeared in a puff of imaginary tire smoke. Imagine blaming the writer for browbeating the art department into faking a drag race to mislead the reader. And then calling deceived readers idiots. As someone who grew-up devouring Car and Driver, this is the final straw. Enjoy the slide boys. There’s no coming back.
John Phillips became so attached to the BMW X6M that it – appropriately enough – triggered many irrational responses. One of these was his insistence that we photoshop the BMW beating the clearly superior Chevy Nova. Any attempt to dissuade him – by telling him, for instance, that only an idiot would believe a BMW SUV could beat a purpose-built drag car – just resulted in heated calls to the suicide hotline and even more foaming at the mouth than usual.
Automobile Magazine, Motor Trend and Ford’s Advertising Department bring you 6versus8.com. If you were waiting for a last straw to cancel your subscription, this should just about do the trick.
I recently received an email from the now bi-weekly AutoWeek offering me a FREE YEAR! “Now, for a very limited time, you can take advantage of our lowest rate ever. For just $19.95, you can enjoy TWO YEARS (52 issues) of your favorite magazine! That’s 90% off the retail rate–just 38¢ per issue!” Despite “bi-weekly race results, news straight from the auto show floor and unbiased editorial reviews,” I’m holding out for the last 10 percent discount, and the removal of the two-year requirement. That’s not as strange as it sounds; we’re getting reports that Car and Driver subscribers are getting the buff book long after they’ve let their subs expire. Subscription income sacrificed on the Alterman of advertising? Perish the thought! Meanwhile this from Automobile: “An exclusive limited-time offer has been reserved for you from Automobile Magazine. Through October 9, you can get a full year of Automobile for only $10! That’s $49.88 off the cover price – an 83% savings!” Clearly, these guys are toast. The question is, what, if anything will replace them? Personally, I think it’s the ideal time to start a new car magazine; one that redefines the genre with coffee-table compatible paper stock, world-class photography and scintillating, insightful reviews and features (a la The Rodders Journal). Or is it time to stick a fork in the whole car mag thing?
I was completely prepared to leave this Bob Lutz’s CTS-V race thing to Jalopnik. And then Lutz went on the FastLane blog and said he’d welcome all comers: “One of the social media initiatives we’ve launched is a challenge with the Cadillac CTS-V, which we claim to be the fastest 4-dr production sedan in the world, and we have asked any potential challenger to meet us at Laguna Seca and race what you brung.” As the TV lawyers say, Maximum Bob opened the door. So I called Cadillac PR flack David Caldwell. Is this a Jalopnik-only deal? If so, so be it. “You know who I work for,” Caldwell said. Yes . . . “If Bob said he’d take all comers then he’ll take all comers.” Which means TTAC is in on the action, which will go down at Monticello (not Laguna Seca?) sometime in the first two weeks of October. Or not.
UPDATE: Hyundai PR’s talking to their CEO about racing MB in the Genesis. Jaguar’s pledged the XFR.
What’s happened to MINI’s advertising? The car company that defined clever TV commercials, highly effective viral marketing and rockin’ real-world signage has dropped their cute ’n‘ quirky post-modern arched eyebrow cock-a-snook-at-SUVs play up the handling and performance in a “less is more” kinda way branding message—most recently exemplified by their MINI Cabrio campaign. Now MINI’s going for simple shock tactics. Note to BMW: a brand is a terrible thing to waste. Note to MINI girls: fuck you, too. [Thanks to Seth L for the link.]
Yup, Honda’s a glutton for Facebook punishment. After pulling the previous page to remove literally hundreds of disses against HoMoCo’s new Crosstour, the brand’s webmasters have gone for the red, red whine. The new images on the new page show the red Crosstour featured on the company’s official website. Which seems to have changed precisely nothing about autoblogosphere’s opinion of the CUV’s ugly ass—I mean, “controversial” styling. “New pictures prove to be more horrible than the first,” Facebooker Lewis Desoto opines, re-opening the decidedly one-sided “debate” dogging the, uh, you know. Punctuation-challenged Terrence Lee says, “the new pictures just shows how uglier this car can get !” Ditto Honda’s ongoing PR debacle.
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