Archive for the ‘Advertising’ Category

Buy Chrysler Pacifica New, Get Used PT Cruiser For $1

Wednesday, November 19th, 2008

This is an excellent example of how disposed various car dealerships are to doing business these days, but the consumer still has to be sure to do her math and not get something she doesn't really need.

Men Buy Fast Cars When They’re “Penistically Challenged”

Tuesday, November 18th, 2008

That mad Brit auto writer, Jeremy Clarkson, is back with details on what many people have suspected about men and over-powered cars for a long time.

Company Hopes Seatbelt Corsage Becomes Fashionable

Monday, November 10th, 2008

This seems like a good idea, since you have to do your seatbelt up for the colorful and large corsage to be visible, and anything that gets people doing up their seatbelts is a great idea.

GM And Toyota Campaigns Say Financing Is Available

Friday, October 17th, 2008

To remove what they believe is a mistaken impression about the availability of credit for new car loans and leases, the world's two biggest car companies are running marketing campaigns to show consumers what kind of financing plans they offer.

Ferrari Tries A Model More Suited For Women

Thursday, October 16th, 2008

The Italian sports car company brings out the California, which it hopes will appeal more to women. Right now, men account for 96 of every car with the prancing horse insignia, so there's surely lots of room for improvement. A British writer gives her view on what it is that ...

Honda Strikes Flat Chord With Musical Road Effort

Monday, October 13th, 2008

In an effort to break away from the regular advertising arc for cars, Honda actually built something into a stretch of road north of Los Angeles that played a few notes of music every time a car drove over it. This amused some drivers but also annoyed many of the ...

$160,000 BMW Goes On Neiman Marcus Christmas List

Tuesday, October 7th, 2008

Best of all, it comes with a holiday on the Riviera as well as a whole bunch of boring old car stuff. 

Mitsubishi Sponsorship Keeps Charity Out Of Olympics

Thursday, October 2nd, 2008

An athlete-supported charity called Right-To-Play that promotes physical activity in less-developed parts of the world will not get a high-profile spot at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver in 2010 because it took sponsorship money from Mitsubishi, which puts it in conflict with firms that have paid more for Olympic sponsorships. ...

Car Ads In UK To Appeal More To Women

Wednesday, September 24th, 2008

While women often seem to play second fiddle to men when it comes to automotive marketing in North America, it's nothing to how they're treated in the UK, Europe and (especially) Japan and Korea. So this story about the car execs in Britain moving more toward a female-centric reality is ...

Car Guys Debate If Mad Men Man Bought Correct Car

Wednesday, September 24th, 2008

To show you how deeply strange men who love cars can be, consider this column in the NY Times (there's probably nothing serious going on in the auto world right now) about whether Don Draper of TV's Mad Men did the right thing when he bought a new Cadillac in ...

Bringing TV Ads To The Cash Register

Wednesday, September 24th, 2008

The primary reaction to the idea of TVs behind cash registers in service stations showing ads is that those cars that run on electricity and can be recharged at home or at work (like the Chevrolet Volt) can't come fast enough.

Chevrolet Volt EV Photos Leak Onto The Web

Monday, September 8th, 2008

Photos of the car that could revolutionize the auto industry (you might not have to put gas into it or visit a gas station ever again) have surfaced on the web, a week or so before its official unveiling to GM employees on the firm's 100 anniversary. The car looks ...

Roadside Assistance Group Pushes Green Image

Saturday, September 6th, 2008

On the face of it the Better World Club (BWC) seems to be a greener version of the classic roadside assistance company, but the smart consumer will take care to look at the small print closely. The same goes for what the AAA is up to with regard to its ...

One Woman’s View Of The Perfect Future Car

Monday, September 1st, 2008

If you've got a spare 30 seconds, check out this funny little video for the Sci-Fi network that shows what the perfect car for women will be like in the future. 

No Response For Bikes As Short-Term Loaners

Thursday, August 28th, 2008

For living proof that car dealers can spin anything to their advantage if they're clever, consider that a BMW-Mini store in British Columbia says it's trying to get its service customers to take bicycles instead of cars as loaners because it's environmentally sensitive, not cheaper for them. No takers yet, ...

What Is Wi-Fi In Cars Going To Mean?

Wednesday, August 13th, 2008

At first of course the increase in mobile Wi-Fi hotspots will be cries about more driver distraction (which will be true), but beyond that might be more consumer-pleasing features. Maybe you'll be able to download a new movie for the kids (Shrek VII) while you're filling up the tank with ...

Women Don’t Buy Spark Plugs

Saturday, August 9th, 2008

A marketing executive talks about how women interact with cars, and not. 

Falling SUV Prices Hurt Dealers And Papers

Friday, August 8th, 2008

The fallout from today's painful gas prices continues to ripple across the economy, as this informative article from the Society of Environmental Journalists makes clear. In particular there are points that anyone trying to sell an SUV will appreciate.

Ford’s Promotion Event For Flex

Thursday, July 17th, 2008

Beth Spotswood has a funny post about promotion event for Ford Flex in San Francisco. Beth writes "For reasons I don't really understand, I get invited to some weird, weird events. Like this past Wednesday when my frieditor (that'd be friend/editor) Eve and I were treated to a night on the ...

Which Automaker Has Best Site For New-Vehicle Shopping?

Monday, July 7th, 2008

JD Power released its semi-annual survey on the usefulness of automakers' websites in the search for a new vehicle and Kia.com came first. The survey found "Kia has successfully satisfied shoppers with its straightforward, intuitive Web site by providing pages that load quickly and that are easy to navigate," said Arianne ...

Volvo Owners Can Fight Kids Cancer, Save On Service Costs

Wednesday, June 25th, 2008

Volvo has announced a new program that helps a cancer charity and gives Volvo owners a discount on service costs. The press release states "Is there any better cup of lemonade to buy than one that works to find a cure for pediatric cancer?  The world's first virtual lemonade stand ...

Karl Lagerfeld And Yellow Vests

Saturday, June 21st, 2008

Karl Lagerfeld has been drafted by the French government to appear in a road safety campaign this summer. The ad encourages French drivers to store yellow vests and triangles in their vehicles in case of emergency. The tag line is "It's yellow, it's ugly, it doesn't go with anything, but ...

In Praise Of Car Propaganda

Saturday, June 21st, 2008

There is an article in yesterday's National Post about car propaganda from the first half of the 20th Century. Peter Kenter writes "I like the look and feel of public safety and propaganda posters from days gone by. The people who put their creative muscles behind them had an axe ...

Toyota Targets Black Women

Monday, June 9th, 2008

An interesting story in Ad Age today about how Toyota, in the face of decreased sales this year, is making a concerted effort to appeal to middle-class black women. The article says "The automaker's Camry has been the best-selling car in America for nine of the past 10 years, but ...