GM Reaches Out To Consumers Who Don't Consider GM Vehicles

DETROIT May 28, 2003; General Motors Corp. today announced that it will launch an unconventional effort to attract American consumers who don't consider GM products when shopping for a new car or truck.

It will begin the first week of June with an initial print installment called "The Road to Redemption," which tells the story of GM's long-term commitment and success in dramatically improving the quality of its cars and trucks. Over time, the campaign will describe GM's leadership on several other fronts, including technology, the environment and leading-edge design.

"We need to communicate to consumers in a new way, in a voice that's very different from what they expect," said Gary Cowger, president of GM North America. "This is much more than a traditional advertising or image campaign. It's a unique effort to reach those consumers whose perceptions of GM are out of step with today's reality, and we plan to use some innovative tactics to achieve that goal.

"The text of the first ad details the company's long journey on the longest road in the world - the `Road to Redemption,' " Cowger said. "Now, with a lot of great-looking, high-quality products and higher levels of customer satisfaction, we want to persuade consumers to consider GM products in a different light."

The campaign complements GM's other ongoing efforts designed to let consumers experience how good GM products really are: the GM 24-Hour Test Drive program, which offers potential customers the opportunity to take a test drive of a new GM car or truck and return it the next day; and Auto Show in Motion, which since 1998 has allowed non-GM owners to test drive GM vehicles against competitors' products in a relaxed, outdoor setting.

The campaign's initial ad is scheduled to break the week of June 2. The ad template features a four-color, two-page spread, which includes a technical story, product examples, and detailed copy that supports each particular focus. All GM brands in the United States, including Saturn and Saab, are featured in the ads, which will run in national and regional newspapers and magazines. McCann Erickson Detroit is the creative agency responsible for the work.

In the recent results of the J.D. Power and Associates 2003 Initial Quality Study, GM was the top-performing domestic manufacturer. Fourteen GM vehicles ranked in the top three of their respective segments, including three that came in first place. In addition, five of the top six highest quality assembly plants in North and South America were GM plants, including the first-place plant (Oshawa 1 in Canada) and second-place plant (Lansing Grand River in Michigan).