GM's New TV Commercials -- Do They Grab You?

While it's beyond me why GM is using Ed Whiteacre in a new TV spot, their new board of directors chief, who said at his first press conference that he doesn't know much about cars, one of the new Cadillac commercials is right-on.

First, the Caddy commercial, one of four new TV spots which debuted last weekend.

It's for their SRX crossover, is dark and moody, uses a popular tune from the "alternative" category ... but what got me was the final line: "SRX --- The Cadillac of crossovers."

When I grew up, if some product was considered the best in its field, it was called the "Cadillac" of those products. And that saying had been around for many years before I ever heard it (I was born in 1954). In fact for decades, Cadillac's tagline in their advertising was, "The standard of the world." And in that time and place, Caddy was.

Today, the name "Lexus" is often invoked to denote a great product; best-in-class.
GM's new Mr. Excitement, Ed Whiteacre

Maybe the line hit my nostalgia button just right, but I liked the fact that GM, having suffered from a terrible inferiority complex for the past 20 years (often based, in truth, on some pretty bad product) seems, at least for this commercial, to have gotten some guts back and is not afraid say Cadillac is something special.

Of course, the first battle is to get people into dealerships, folks who haven't visited a Detroit car-makers' store in, in some cases, three generations. Especially in the southwest, a probably not-too-apocryphal story says ask the average 30-year old if they ever heard of a car named "Buick," and the response will be something like: "Oh yeah, my uncle had one of those years ago and he always had problems with it." Then they get in their Honda and drive off.

These are not people planning to spend the weekend shopping the local GM outlets.

On that note, I must mention I just finished driving the 2010 Buick LaCrosse for over a week. The LaCrosse "target car" for GM was the Lexus ES, and they've bypassed that car in almost every respect. Any family looking for a new sedan should test-drive the LaCrosse before buying anything else. There, I said it. I am rooting for GM; in America, only a fool wouldn't.
2010 Buick LaCrosse

On using the board chairman to do the "And let the best car win" spot: Whiteacre needs a fast charisma transplant if people are going to respond. This is not Lee Iacocca. He looks interchangeable with every bland top car exec Detroit has produced in the last 100 years. I mean, this guy used to run AT&T.

And where's Bob Lutz?

Lutz, the GM exec who is overseeing advertising (as just one of his jobs) did Whiteacre (and GM) no favors by apparently not fighting the decision for Whiteacre to do the ads (and if he did fight, he lost). Maybe Whiteacre insisted on it, maybe Lutz was kissing the boss' ass and telling him how great he'd be on TV; maybe he's hoping Whiteacre's spot will fail and step into the TV ad himself.

If GM indeed has guts again, someone there should remember that "Guts" is the name of Lutz's book and without doubt he'd be best to represent the corporation to the TV audience. Lutz is today's Iacocca; he's a natural on-camera and compelling to watch.
Bob Lutz in his natural habitat; the center of attention

A lot of people I talk with, and I mean people who do not live and breathe cars, don't know Whiteacre's name or his history, but they do know he made that "I don't know much about cars" statement. Apparently, Letterman and Leno and the rest, who still mention this line on occasion, do have a lot of people watching. And it hasn't done GM any good.

Some late info on the company's "60 day guarantee:" Automotive News reports that instead of the guarantee, buyers can take an extra $500 rebate on their purchase. The trick is that the salespeople, apparently, are not allowed to mention this to shoppers, and buyers are made the offer only after they've decided to buy and are in the "Finance and Insurance" office in the dealership, signing documents and being sold undercoating and car alarms.

On the back of that, the financial website "24/7 Wall St," is reporting that some 3.5% of GM dealers, about 150 of them, are opting out of the guarantee program altogether, the site saying, "Although GM has stated it will foot the bill for returns, it appears there's enough concern (or confusion) that it's causing a car-fuffle."
2010 Cadillac SRX

GM offers a good 5 year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty, but instead of the money-back guarantee, why not increase the warranty to 10 years, as Hyundai offers? One reason is that the warranty will cost GM more money in the long run than the money-back guarantee, but matching many of the import warranties would say a lot about what GM thinks of their new product. Whether GM thinks they have the money (or can get permission from the White House to plan for those big expenditures) is another thing.

Now you know what I think. What about you? Is GM whistling through the graveyard or do the Whiteacre and other new TV spots, plus the 60-day guarantee and selling cars (in California) on Ebay make sense and have GM headed in the right direction? Would a 10-year warranty make you more comfortable shopping GM products?

Most important, will all of this get you into a GM store?

Many car-maker employees read this blog, so this is a chance to tell them what you think.

Follow Steve Parker on Twitter: www.twitter.com/autojourno

Comments

[sheeple723]

I don't know that using Whiteacre will make much of a difference as there is no name recognition. I do like the new slogan "May the best car win." This hearkens to Ford's "Drive One" slogan that seems to be doing ok for them.

The biggest challenge for GM is getting the non-believers into showrooms. It seems that they've solved a lot of the problems with their models and have recently been putting out some very good product. People who would consider GM will take note of this, and I believe GM has done these consumers good with their new line. However, you still have many Japanese/foreign fanboys who will not, as of now, be caught dead in an American car. And those people make up significant market share.

Thus, one of the best things GM can do right now (other than letting their cars speak for themselves and giving the consumer time to realize they are for real), is to challenge people to pit their cars against the best. I believe that if using an objective unbiased eye even this hard-to-convince demographic has to admit that many of GM's cars are competitive with foreign automakers.

[Steve Parker - Huffpost Blogger]

Thanks for the comments.
I hope you're right and buyers go to GM stores. I've criticized GM for 35 years (and Ford and Chrysler) for never truly replying to the import invasion of the early 1970s, precipitated by the first oil crisis. But I want to see GM succeed ... too many people work in the US and around the world for GM and GM suppliers. In spite of my hope, I think the question of whether they will succeed is still open. But we have to accept that the car market in the US is NEVER going to be what it was, at 12 or 14 million units a year. China and India, Africa, eastern Europe, will all bypass us.
Most people think the only place to get objective opinions on cars is Consumer Reports, which is unfortunate.
There are third-party companies which do the testing you're talking about, and I hope GM spends the money to get out their quality message. I just spent a week in the 2010 Buick LaCrosse, and I'd have no problem buying one for a family sedan.
On NPR, Robert McNeil interviewed GM's Bob Lutz recently and asked him how the company can overcome 30 years of bad press. All Lutz could say was, "Well, our current team wasn't here when those mistakes were made." Weak.
Steve

[johnsopinion]

The commercial is fine, I've seen it once and want to see it
again! Why? I'm glad you asked.

As it started, I didn't know what was being advertised. I did
know it was 'another car commercial.' I did not know who
this bland guy was. What I did notice and what piqued my
curiosity was ...... right at the end, the tag line
"And let the best car win."

That..... is a challenge that interests me. And yes, when I recently
leased my second new Nissan, I looked at the GM line-up (and
almost...... almost.....) and the Ford line-up.

And also, yes, I too remember when the new Caddy was the
Oooh! and Ahhhh! of the town! Thanks for the reminder.

[Steve Parker - Huffpost Blogger]

Thanks for that!
I still think Lee Iacocca shouting, "If you can find a better car, buy it!" will be remembered long after Ed Whiteacre is gone. Subtle doesn't work in TV advertising; oh, maybe it does for those in the business or students of advertising and marketing, but the reason most ads are loud and obnoxious is because that's what works with the most people.
Apparently, the vast majority of people buying GM cars and trucks right now are foregoing the money-back guarantee and taking instead the $500 rebate when it's offered to them (it's offered in the business office when you're signing contracts; salespeople aren't allowed to mention there's a choice). The guarantee got them some good press, and I think buyers refusing it is good, too --- apparently these buyers believe in the product enough to trust it for more than 60 days ...
Steve

[LADawson]

I just don't understand what they're aiming for. Having some older gentleman stand in front of a camera and say "We're better this time. Really. No... really. Stop laughing." is not going to convince anyone to buy their cars. Especially if anyone has been paying attention and takes Mr. Whiteacre at his previous word, in that he really doesn't know what he's talking about when it comes to cars. Lets hope someone gave him a crash course.

I too enjoy that they're advertising Cadillacs as something above and beyond... but are they really? I like their styling. I like the CTS, the SRX, and especially the XLR, but I'm still not convinced they're on par for quality with the vehicles they compete with from Lexus, BMW and Mercedes.

I freely admit I'm prejudiced against Buick, I think they should have been canned before Oldsmobile, but really... they'd be the last place I'd go for a GM vehicle. I just don't see the point or where they fit in the overall product structure. Their upper end pricing cuts into Cadillac territory, their lower end pricing cuts into Chevrolet, so unless for some reason you really want a Buick, there are better choices. Not to mention, I still think the last car they made worth buying was the Grand National in 1987, and LaCrosse is a silly name for a car. :)

[Steve Parker - Huffpost Blogger]

Buick's tagline is going to be: "The new class in world class."
So what does that say about Cadillac? Doesn't that dilute the Caddy brand? Hasn't GM learned their lesson about trying to sell the same-themed cars in different stores?
I say get rid of Buick and GMC ... Cadillac as the luxury brand, Chevy trucks instead of the GMC brand. By the way, if they combined GMC and Chevy truck sales GM would have the best-selling truck in the US --- but they've given that away to Ford for over 50 years!
Oldsmobile died on its own, unfortunately. I still think their final effort, the Aurora, is one of the best-looking cars ever made. And with the V8 engine it was plenty fun to drive! But they couldn't overcome their sales slide and their desperate "This is not your father's Oldsmobile" slogan (now considered one the worst ad campaigns in history) and John Rock, the division's last general manager, almost worked himself to death trying to turn it around.
I attended Olds' 100th birthday celebration in Lansing, and met the great grandson of Ransom Eli Olds ... Ransom Eli Olds III. It was a thrill.
And my father did have an Oldsmobile. We had a brand-new 1961 Super 88 convertible, fire engine red in color, and we drove that car from NYC to southern California in 1961, still using much of the original Rt 66.
So I loved my father's Oldsmobile!
Steve

[LADawson]

A friend of mine bought an Intrigue back in the late 90s. I thought he was insane at first. Oldsmobile? Really? Turned out though, it actually was a very nice car. Lots of room inside, very comfortable. The V6 in it is torquey and all but bullet proof - never giving him a problem. He's still driving it, holding out hopes for replacing it with a Volt. It's almost a shame they spent so much money convincing earlier Olds customers that they weren't going to get the same cars they remembered, and then failed to draw many new customers. I'm sure they could have come up with a great ad campaign based on the sheer extensive history of the company.

[whatbox]

Nothing fundamental has changed in the corporate culture at GM. The bail-out and subsequent restructuring has merely given them more rope with which to hang themselves. Look for them asking for another bail-out within 12 months.

[ranchero42]

My impression of "Cadillac" when applied to unrelated products or services meant "premium price; superior service or product taken on faith". Never being susceptible to this kind of marketing means never having to say you're sorry you fell for it.

[FoonTheElder]

American car companies have been advertising on the "hey come back to us and forget the past" or "we're just as good as the other guys" basis for over a decade now.

For the most part, they are just as good or better than the other guys. The problem is that after periods of crap quality and poor management, many people refuse to believe it. I can go through a list of 70s and 80s American cars that I owned that fell apart prematurely. I can also do the same thing with some Japanese cars that had some very serious defects.

When you lose a customer, you may never be able to get them back.

[Steve Parker - Huffpost Blogger]

That's why the Japanese hired an American, W. Edwards Deming, co-author of the Western Electric quality control handbook (remember when phones lasted forever?) to teach his systems to their industry right after WW II. Deming said the best way to promote customer loyalty and future sales is to make sure a product is as perfect as possible when it leaves the factory.
When Detroit carmakers were booming, they'd send any piece of junk to their dealers, and "Let the dealer fix it" was their mantra.
Deming eventually did some work for Ford. The highest award for quality in Japan is the Deming Prize, presented annually by the emperor.
Steve

[srdon]

from 1968 til 2005, i never owned an American car til i bought a Chevy Tahoe. have owned Lexuses, Infinities, Saabs, and BMWs. i liked all of them. however, the Tahoe was/is a pleasant surprise. it's been trouble-free and is a pleasure to drive on the freeways of Northern California. i think GM has a real shot of making it.

[kramey]

I saw the commercials and the invitation to "compare cars head-to-head" and decided to do just that. On mileage, most American cars - including GM - aren't even in the same league as the imports. They just can't seem to learn.

[jsarets]

I'm amused by this "crossover" terminology. An American who woke up from being in a coma since the early 90s, if asked to describe these vehicles, would say, "those are station wagons".

In Europe, they were called estate cars, and now that they're back in fashion after the SUV craze, they're still called estate cars. Why do we need a new name, but they're content with the old one?

Is it that we have shorter memories, or are we that desperate for anything that seems new?

[MajorKong]

Because "crossover" somehow implies "young and hip" and station wagon somewhere along the way came to mean "your parents".

Even though, yes, it's really just a station wagon.

[jsarets]

The 18-35 generation that GM needs to win back is not going to be "grabbed" by an old-school pitch ad starring a gray-haired CEO.

The product lines are headed in the right direction. The styling for Cadillac has gotten much more aggressive and attracts a younger market, but I think it's a mistake to celebrate the Cadillac pedigree. The message should be "this isn't you grandfather's Cadillac". They should be self-deprecating.

That's how they achieved success with the Escalade. They portrayed Escalade drivers as people that might be armed and dangerous -- not your stereotypical Cadillac drivers. Cadillacs are luxury cars for people who want to feel powerful and inspire fear in everybody else on the road.

Chevy just needs to lean on the modest success of the Malibu and ride out the next year. They have three compelling new cars for the 2011 model year -- Volt, Cruze, and Spark -- all of which I expect to be very competitive.

Buick works best as a luxury brand exclusively for the emerging Chinese market. China loves Buick for some reason. In America, though, the brand is damaged beyond repair. If Tiger Woods couldn't fix it, nobody can.

[MajorKong]

"Cadillacs are luxury cars for people who want to feel powerful and inspire fear in everybody else on the road."

Oh they inspire fear all right. Usually because the drivers are such idiots I never know what crazy maneuver they're going to pull.

[Saidas]

Too little. Too late.

[customgreen]

I think Gm is moving in the right direction. I agree that the CEO is no Lee, then again no one is. The GM products are certainly better than they have been in the past. GM is still making some very bad decisions especially with Cadillac. The Caddy staion wagon will flop and flop badly. Just because it is a Cadillac does not mean people will buy it. The staion wagon thing has been tried (Dodge Magnum) and it flew for a very short time. People have moved on from staion wagons, they are passe. I think they are on the right track in general.

[widollar]

Using this old worn out southern guy trying to be a Lee Iococca type person to tell your story is missing the target by a mile! Bob Lutz would work but the "new king" would not have anything but himself as the center of the GM Universe! They will look back on this failed attempt to move GM forward as another one of their many blunders!

[brklynivn]

I've completely lost faith in GM and their products. They lost me back in the 90's when they spent billions trying to redefine the word "quality", instead of just poring the money into more metal, more reliable sub-parts. I think they are just too far gone...

[unitron]

One of GM's new spots (I think it's for Chevy trucks, but I change channels when it comes on) uses music that's a blatant (and anemic) rip-off of Booker T and the MGs' "Time Is Tight".

Either use the original, or use something original!