New GM Corporate Ads Build On Product Styling, Quality
DETROIT - General Motors Corp. is launching a new corporate brand advertising campaign that will highlight the styling and quality of its broad lineup of 2003 cars and trucks, reflecting GM's focus on offering "gotta-have" products.
"General Motors has a lot of positive momentum going today: great-looking, great-quality products, higher levels of customer satisfaction, and good business results. Our new advertising builds on this momentum. It's designed to prompt consumers to consider GM products every time they think about purchasing a new car or truck," said C.J. Fraleigh, executive director of GM advertising and corporate marketing.
GM's new campaign, dubbed "View-Master," is an extension of GM's "Overdrive" campaign, which began in January 2002. "GM Overdrive" touts GM's styling, quality, and simple, arresting retail offers.
"'View-Master' takes 'GM Overdrive' to the next level. We want to support our 'gotta-have' products with 'gotta-watch' advertising. We are doing this by focusing on our products in an emotionally engaging manner to create a connection with consumers. By emphasizing the good styling and high quality of our vehicles and telling our story in a passionate, break-through way, we are encouraging people to rediscover GM," Fraleigh said.
"The View-Master® is a great icon of youth, one that people remember fondly. It evokes a feeling of the joy of discovery. We want to build on that mood to engage people so that they will see GM in a new light and become more aware of the great new products that GM's divisions have in the marketplace today," he added.
The campaign begins with new corporate brand television commercials that will first air on CBS' "Survivor" on Thursday, Sept. 19. It will consist of one 60-second TV spot, two 30-second TV spots, and 10 15-second TV spots, as well as an extensive online component, including a specially designed "micro-site" resident on gm.com. In addition, there will be promotional efforts at a number of high-profile, high-traffic venues, including Walt Disney World's EPCOT, the Texas State Fair, ABC Studios in New York City and pro-football games.
Fraleigh noted that in addition to the new corporate brand campaign, nearly all of GM's marketing divisions have launched or are preparing to break new advertising campaigns for the 2003 model year.
"Collectively, all of this new work is sending the message to the marketplace that General Motors is on a roll. The corporate campaign is designed to showcase the depth and breadth of GM's product lineup across all of our divisions - Cadillac, Buick, Oldsmobile, Pontiac-GMC, Chevrolet, Saturn, Saab and HUMMER. And all of these campaigns have something in common: they tell their stories in an emotional, engaging, entertaining and sometimes unexpected way," he said.
McCann-Erickson Detroit, the agency of record for GM's corporate advertising, developed both the "View-Master" and "GM Overdrive" campaigns.
The View-Master® trademark is a registered trademark of Mattel, Inc., and used with permission of Fisher-Price, Inc., a subsidiary of Mattel, Inc.
General Motors , the world's largest vehicle manufacturer, designs, builds and markets cars and trucks worldwide, and has been the global automotive sales leader since 1931. GM employs about 355,000 people around the world. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com.