GM Unhappy With New Buick Ads: Report (VIDEO, POLL)

What image should the bailed-out General Motors project to the world?

AutoBlog passes along a report from Automotive News (subscription required) that GM's VP of marketing Bob Lutz is already unhappy with new Buick ads that are aimed at young, hip buyers. Here's AutoBlog:

"Both Lutz and GM CEO Fritz Henderson don't believe the commercial positions Buick as a luxury brand that competes with Lexus. They have told GM's ad agency, Leo Burnett, that it needs to do better. However -- and here's where it gets convoluted -- the ad was created by an independent shop that Leo Burnett was told to hire to do the work."

The ad, a spoof on a beach side photo shoot, features a pretentious director who says of the Buick, "She's had work done." Later in the spot, the director addresses the car: "You've changed - and I love it!"

What do you think of the ad? Is this the right image for Buick as a brand? Will these ads help the brand compete with Lexus? Should GM be worried? WATCH and VOTE below:

Quick Poll

GM's New Buick Ads - A Good Move Or A Bad Call?

Good Move

Bad move

Neither, but I'm still not buying a Buick

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Comments

[noaxe397]

They said the same thing about Cadillac ads in the 1990s when that brand was trying to appeal to a younger market and ads featured a leather skirted Cindy Crawford driving, I believe, something called a Catera.

The really, really disturbing part of this article is the Bob Lutz is back out of retirement. That is certainly not an indication GM wants to leave the past behind and look forward. The guy doesn't believe in global climate change. Even Rush Limbaugh agrees there is global climate change, just that it's not man made.

[Lauren SoFlo]

GM needs to do everything in their power to appeal to younger people. Forget trying to compete with Lexus, to think that Buick can compete with a brand that is admired by young and old alike such as Lexus is just hilarious. Some here have wondered why they need to rebrand their image if the 55+ crowd likes the image the way it is, but those people forget that Buick needs to remake its image because today's 45 year olds are turned off by the granparenty vibe of a Buick, and those people are the 55+ year-olds of tomorrow and they don't want their car to make them feel older than they already are. You can't stay in business if your demographic is dying out. My two grandmothers had Lincoln's, Buick's and Caddilacs for the last 30 years, but now one drives a Camry and the other a Prius. Even today's seniors like feeling young.

[demomntgirl]

Buick doesn't a ppeal to younger people BECAUSE GM has used ads and tainted it as
GRANDMA's CAR. Not exactly a lexus!
I like the ad...I think it might lure in younger people...
if they quit with the OLD Buick ads "It's your grandma's car!"
Do you think Toyota sells cars b/c they appeal to OLD people?
Older people buy Toyota's (and there are alot of them) B/C they feel younger
driving them! Sleek, hip, grandma cars, that the grandkids think are COOL!
And that is why Buick and GM are where they are...
stuck in the past!

[vote you]

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The biggest losers were: Manufacturing 1.5 million lost Finance
& Prof Serv 1.5 million lost
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[joehines]

I currently drive a Buick (2001 Regal - great car). I like Buicks I'd like to buy a new car in the next year to 18 months. My problem with Buick is not image -- it's whether GM will be around in the long term. I have seen this ad several times, and it certainly isn't going to motivate me (a 62-year old) to go out and buy a Buick. On top of that, it is really annoying. It comes across as a pretentious ad company making fun of a pretentious ad company. Are Buicks also supposed to pretentious?. They should have kept Tiger Woods as a spokesperson.

[beanchihuahua]

The only places where I see a lot of Buicks are in the parking lot of Old Country Buffets. Though a Buick is a nice car, it cannot appeal to the younger buyers.

[bdl0715]

I don't like these ads, but I've only seen then in movie theatres where I have paid to watch a movie and they always have Buick commercials on before the movie.

Movie theatres that show commercials is a pet peeve or mine.

[BMFZ]

Screw GM. Losing one of the best looking lines, Pontiac, was unbelievable. China is keeping Buick afloat. So what. The Volt will be a huge loser too. How can so many "professionals" in one company end up with so many losing ideas.....­...unreal.

[barrycourage]

What was Leo Burnett thinking?

GM wants to position Buick as a luxury brand that competes with Lexus? The agency didn't listen to its client. And its "creatives" should be shot.

Lexus has always been a car for the "middle aged." Think cellulite, not sexy.

A Buick TV ad should express:

--Luxury features

--Quality construction and reliability

--Lower price; higher mpg

--The "green" factor. People of all ages are becoming concerned about the planet.

As for GM generally, it should consider losing its old images completely. Scrap all of the old nameplates. Make ONE line (who wants a Buick that is just a fancier Chevy) of fuel-effecient, reliable, environmen­tally-resp­ectful cars. Offer ONE model for each type of car and truck. Large and small: family sedan/coupe, economy sedan/coupe, SUV, wagon (yes, bring back the station wagon), pick-up truck, utility van. Offer two trimlines--basic and "luxury" for each type. Offer hybrids, hydrogen, electric in the models in which the technology works best.

That is the best way to compete.

[CoOpEdAmerica]

A commercial isn't going to change public perception that Buick is an old person's car. It is much like what happened to Oldsmobile. They tried to change perceptions about Olds with ads ("not your father's oldsmobile"), but the cars still looked like an old person's car. If Buick can style their cars right they may be able to overcome the perception of the brand. I have never given much thought to Buicks, but that 2010 LaCrosse is a pretty good looking car.

[PurpleLove08]

I'd gladly buy that SUV if it ran on electric or was a plug in hybrid. I personally like the design of the Buick SUVS but they are huge vehicles that go through way too much fuel. Many times when I see them on the street they are being driven by some rich grandma and she is the only one in the vehicle.
If GM improved the gas mileage by about...50-75% then I might be in the next Buick dealership waiting to sign on the dotted line. Until then...I'll keep driving my Honda Insight.

[RuthlessDictator]

I really don't understand why GM is trying to remake Buick's image. The over-55 demographic is still a significant slice of the car-buying public. The Buick has been for the most part a solidly built and conservatively styled automobile for older Americans.

What's wrong with that? Buick shouldn't be everything to everybody.

[revhatchell]

you could spend a $billion, but you will never ever make 'buick' sexy.

'ick' is right there in the name.

[deepfreezevideo]

Look, if the poll is asking me for my opinion then here it is:

The commercial is nauseating.
It's stupid, it's lowbrow, the talent is supposed to be a comical sendup of a snooty director but the problem is that it's not comical. That's because it's too close to the real thing.
Just tune in any show on Bravo Channel. There's real people who act exactly like that, and they're attempting to be for real.

GM's ad agency didn't do a good enough job picking the talent, director or writer.
Had the director character been over the top enough, like perhaps the way Bruno is, the joke would be funny.

The audience that the new Buick lineup is aimed at is fairly sophisticated so either appeal to their sophistication or be so damn funny that they can't help but laugh.
Landing somewhere in the middle is suicide.

What happened to all the great car ad agencies of the past?
BBDO or J. Walter Thompson wouldn't let this out the door and neither would Foote, Cone and Belding. Maybe it's a Young and Rubicam spot?

[mykebee]

Such a shame the UAW pushed and won that Stimulus dollars would not be spent overseas....Say good bye to Opel....the best, most impactful and profitable overall business GM owned.....­.engines..­.bodies...­Saturn....­all gone...rotsa ruck UAW with your 2013 paychecks.