Car Commercials, the good, the bad, and the annoying!

fintail

The average white van or work truck sees more off road duty than the average posh wannabe SUV too....gravel driveway > mall parking lot.

This evening on my oh so awesome commute I saw a poser in a late model MDX creeping along at about 28 in a 35. At least he was in the right lane. He was fully involved in his handheld phone conversation, of course.

xrunner2

I see gray-blue haired senior women and senior men driving Mercedes cars and station wagons in some of the rich suburbs. At least as I recall, Mercedes tv commercials are not as stupid as BMW which has cars sliding sideways and kicking up salt clouds apparently on salt bed lake somewhere. Last weekend, spotted a middle-age couple showing off their new Mercedes station wagon (temp license plates) at gas station in nearby little town and then slowly driving around streets.

xrunner2

Don't see as many macho pickup truck commercials on tv as in years past. Maybe sales of these vehicles primarily for work use these days with slowing sales to guys driving to their desk jobs.

A couple of years ago, hired a contractor to do couple weeks work on the property. He brought an enclosed trailer having tools, materials and placed it in one of our parking areas. His pickup was a Ford F250 diesel duallie with 4-doors and long bed. These big duallies make Rovers, g-wagons, vans, land cruisers appear to be child's toys in comparison.

urnews

Don't see as many macho pickup truck commercials on tv as in years past.
The new Chevy ads with "manly" Howie Long are really biting. He makes fun of the Ford tailgate step and the Tundra's V6 gas mileage.
Boz

fintail

There aren't many MB commercials at all. It has never been an advertising addicted company. In the past decade it has also had a few spots which are far better than anything to tout Lexus...the "falling in love", "reincarnation", "inventions", E-class timeline, and the CLS door closing spots were all just awesome.

I'd rather be a senior in a rich suburb driving a pristine previous model MB than an over-leveraged Stepford Wife in a RX and a souless tract McMansion

lemko

Nothing says :"old money" like a well-preserved S-Class. I don't think any Lexus will ever come remotely close to the majesty of one of those 1960s 600 models.

fintail

A 600 might be a little higher up than a normal S-class, but even a common W108 has more style than a LS (which cribbed the S-class design wise for many years)



When I see a little old lady in a pristine 1989 SEC, I suspect she can buy and sell the RX clone like a penny stock.

Heck, my fintail seems to draw more attention and admiration than an IS-F or whatever the most exciting model is now.

xrunner2

Mercedes has run Christmas commercials the last 2 or 3 Decembers with 10 white or silver Mercedes cars 2 abreast, 5 rows deep followed by a red Mercedes roadster being driven by Santa Claus. That is pretty good, but still not the imagination of the Lexus RX Christmas commercials which tug at the heart strings. Last Christmas was best of series with a flashback of young girl getting a pony, then getting an RX for Christmas currently as adult. That is marketting.

What about being a senior in a sun city area and driving a golf cart locally and a Buick Lucerne for out of area. Hey, maybe a good idea for a commercial for Buick. They could show a senior couple getting into their Lucerne in the driveway in front of the garage doors with a high-end golf cart parked nearby with clubs in it.

fintail

Yeah, those MB Christmas spots ring a bell...maybe I wasn't paying attention. I know MB has copied the now legendary Lexus December sales events.

Maybe my heart is colder...Stepford wives/kept women/whipped consumeristic "men" don't tug at my heart. Those ads seem to be about materialism and living above one's means...the cars seem to be hanging around a house you just know would be over-bought. The RX and maybe LX have a world built around them now.

And I still can't get over a not-very-old guy who was supposed to be enthused over an ES. Give me a break.

This tugs at my heart

This is nice and sentimental too

For Buick, maybe a good promo could be buy a new Lucerne at sticker, get a nice golf cart for free. I bet a lot of the target market for those doesn't negotiate very hard anyway...

ateixeira

The new Chevy ads with "manly" Howie Long are really biting. He makes fun of the Ford tailgate step and the Tundra's V6 gas mileage.

Honestly that must be the dumbest ad ever. They highlight a great feature from a successful competitor.

I saw it casually the first time, not really paying close attention, and I thought it was an ad for Ford.

xrunner2

Lots of dopey commercials in northern Illinois on Cubs radio station WGN for Chevy. Wonder why loser Cubs have tie-in to Chevy commercials. Wait a minute. It's the atmosphere at vine covered Wrigley Field that draws people there to get drunk and oh, maybe watch a ballgame. I would think that Honda or Toyota would never get invoved with losers like Cubs.

fezo

Honestly that must be the dumbest ad ever. They highlight a great feature from a successful competitor.

My thought exactly! "Oh, a little man step," and I'm thinking "what a great idea!" If I were ever in the pickup market....

ateixeira

Even what they call it - he should have called it a "girly step" or something so people would understand they are attempting an insult.

All wrong on so many levels.

lemko

...did I hallucinate this ad, or is BMW truly offering to pay the first three payments on a new 3 or 5 Series? What's the catch?

kyfdx

I think it's two payments.... the program varies on models, etc.. Maximum of $750 per payment, so an incentive of around $1500...

They've had much bigger incentives than that, though in other forms.. 0.9% financing for 60 months on most of the model lineup at one time or the other in the last year.... That's a $4000 incentive on a loan of $40K...

$3000 on 335i sedans right now... $4000 on X3s...

Nothing new for BMW... They've incentivized cars through cheap leases for years..

roadburner

BMW Financial has offered the two payment deal for BMW bikes several times over the past few years. It almost persuaded me to by one of those wonderfully weird Rocksters:

Kirstie_H

Maybe I just have a stupid sense of humor, but the new Carfax commercials crack me up.

Car Fox

Better than Carfax

fintail

There's a set of Honda ads on now, they might just be local...with a person calling their car like a pet dog or cat - "Here Honda Honda Honda", and the car comes to them. It's like a commercial my mom would write, a little corny.

ateixeira

Cool bike, especially the boxer engine. Like nothing else on the road.

roadburner

The Ford ad where the twentysomething girl describes her new Focus as "sleek" and "sporty". Compared to what? A 1968 Checker Marathon perhaps?

ateixeira

Well, compared to a Corolla, it is, a little.

Too bad they didn't bring the new euro Focus.

Ford had the Fiesta at the NY Auto Show but it was closed up. They need to show that they are taking small cars seriously and get the new Fiesta and Focus over here to the US market. Those cars do actually have sporty models that are worthy.

roadburner

They need to show that they are taking small cars seriously and get the new Fiesta and Focus over here to the US market. Those cars do actually have sporty models that are worthy.

I agree 100%. If they offered the Focus RS over here I'd buy one in a heartbeat:

roadburner

Today I heard the radio version of this ad. I just cringe when I hear know-nothings calling BMW automobiles "Beemers". In any event, I doubt that Munich lost any sleep over that customer defecting....

ateixeira

The ad isn't bad, though.

Remember the short mini-skirts that Cindy Crawford wore in the "Caddy that zigs" commercials? Those offended female buyers like nothing else.

I think this ad is actually fine. 5 series size for a 3 series price, I think it sends the right message. A successful, passionate middle-aged woman is a much better spokesperson for this car than a model in a miniskirt.

roadburner

I think this ad is actually fine. 5 series size for a 3 series price, I think it sends the right message. A successful, passionate middle-aged woman is a much better spokesperson for this car than a model in a miniskirt.

But who is the ad's target audience? Certainly not Audi/BMW?MB shoppers and/or enthusiasts. Middle aged women? They are about the youngest people you ever see driving a CTS. I guess Gubmint Motors is trying to throw everything but the kitchen sink at the wall and is praying that something sticks...

ateixeira

Artistic, affluent females 45+? I dunno.

Seems much closer to the target than a 30 something model.

i_luv_toyota

...is BACK!

Ugh.

At least it doesn't have the dreaded "Cash for Clunkers" crap in it. At least for now anyways.

Also these new VW "future" ads are getting on my last nerve. I liked them at first, but, as usual, they got ran into the ground with WAY more airings than is necessary.

stever

Maybe those commercials explain this:

"Although almost all of American Honda Motor Co. Inc.'s models made buyers eligible for cash-for-clunkers rebates, Honda still couldn't pull out of its recent sales doldrums, recording July sales down 17.3 percent compared with last year."

AutoObserver

ateixeira

I've seen some Nissan ads selling Versas for $6xxxx. Surely they're including the C4C money.

I just read that the IRS will count the $4500 as taxable income.

They never seem to waste any opportunity for bad PR, eh? If you're in the 28% tax bracket that lowers the rebate by $1,260. Not insignificant.

stever

I think the taxable income for the voucher just applies to the dealer's income. The law specifically says the voucher isn't income to the consumer. (link)

tmart

He has never bugged me like he has most of you, but now it is becoming annoying when he taps on the inside of the picture tube and you get the "glass" sound. Wonder what LCD's or Plasie's sound like from the inside!

i_luv_toyota

Maybe. I remember a few years back that Wendy's fast food chain sales had dropped like a rock, forcing them to get rid of their "Mr. Wendy" campaign, which apparently was a major cause of the falling sales.

Honda could stand to learn a lesson or two here. Most importantly is that annoying mascots do not get people to buy things, cars or otherwise.

Mr. Opportunity is having the opposite effect that Honda would've hoped. Rather than bring customers into their dealerships, he is driving them away.

stever

Maybe, but he's also causing talk about the product. I don't watch TV and even I've heard of him.

ateixeira

More of a "tap, tap"?

Reminds me of the screens they have at local Shell stations that bombard you with ads every time you get gas. Annoying as all heck.

Too bad I have a Shell card, I should get another gas station credit card with discounts.

kyfdx

Hard to beat the 5% rebate on gas with the Shell MasterCard, though..

stever

I quit buying gas at a nearby Chevron station because of the irritating music blaring out. I quit buying food at Albertsons because they are too high, but when I do happen to go in one, I find the TV screens over the meat and produce sections grating.

The screens around here aren't too bad at the gas stations yet; a few try to sell you a car wash, but most are ok.

ateixeira

Indeed, but it's the same audio, every time. You pull up and they time it to start at the same place again and again. Gets old fast.

kyfdx

We don't have that yet..... thank goodness!

i_luv_toyota

I've already seen Mike Rowe shilling for Ford's Year End Sales Event, it's only a matter of time before the hated Lexus "December To Remember" ads show up.

[sarcasm] Oh, how I absolutely cannot wait!!!!!!!!!! [/sarcasm]

anythngbutgm

I don't know if anyone else has seen them, but BMW has been running a series of ads mocking the Lexus Red Bow on the roof.

fezo

Well, we've hit the time of year that may be only slightly less annoying then Mr. Opportunity - it's Toyotathon time! Ugh. :sick:

euphonium

MY NAME IS RAM & I AM LOADED This Dodge ad can go away.

Christmas lights on the block houses except for the new guy who rolls out two late model Audis with high beams glowing illustrates the brightest lights on the street.

A lot better than the Dodge truck ad.

fezo

I don't like either ad but the Ram ones are really bad.

As if having the Toyotathon wasn't bad enough no we have Happy Hondadays! :sick:

stickguy

finally saw a couple of the BMW ads where they make fun of Lexus and their red bows. Actually kind of funny.

fintail

"I live, I ride, I am" - getting tired of this one really quickly, as Jeep is the brand of choice among wannabe outdoorsmen here, who live in urban townhomes and drive over the pass twice a year. Kind of like some local Subaru owners who stick ski racks on their roofs, but don't even ski - they just want to "look cool".

The false machismo of the Ram ads is pretty funny. When you see someone using a huge Ram dually quad cab as a commuter, they appear anything but tough.

Anything that makes fun of Lexus is good by me. The LS ad claiming the "world firsts" is stretching it too...first AWD hybrid sedan? Who cares?

ateixeira

Not a fan of that Audi ad, either. Jeremy Clarkson called the "fairy lights".

ateixeira

Subaru does sponsor both the Ski and Snowboard Instructors groups, I forget the names. Membership in either group also gets you VIP pricing on a Subaru, so it's legit.

Check the staff parking lot - half are Subarus.

I'm sure there are a few pretenders, but the Subaru faithful are up in arms about the new Outback's roof rack because the spread for aftermarket cross bars isn't wide enough.

It's actually the hot topic now for the Subaru Crew. LOL

fintail

Oh, I know lots of skiers drive Subarus - really the perfect ski car. But in my area anyway, they've attracted a lot of posers too. People who don't hit the powder in any way, but put a rack on their car....they want an adventurous image, just like so many SUV drivers. Lame.

Lots of Jeep drivers are real off roaders too...but there's a "look at me" crowd which is annoying, and IMO the latest commercial slogan is aimed at. The real die-hards don't need a commercial like that.

The "fairy lights" comment is amusing. The LED running light trend will end up being recorded like tailfins.

Speaking of annoying people, it seems the new trend for "[non-permissible content removed]" cars is moving away from BMW and towards Audi and turbo Subarus.

ateixeira

That's funny.

We used to have a very niche-like, tight community, but Subaru expanded a lot when the WRX came out and now they've gone pretty mainstream with the bigger Forester and Outback.

Success from a sales standpoint, but it's not quite the tight-knit community it used to be.

And Subaru, once the wagon expert of the world - no longer sells a single true station wagon here.

The OB is a crossover now, Forester is basically a small SUV, and there is no more Legacy wagon, plus the WRX is a 5 door hatch.

No more wagons.

fezo

Every time I see that Ram ad ("My name is Ram. My tank is full.") all I can think is "good t hing the tank is full or you might not make it out of the driveway."....