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

ateixeira

To me it looks too CGI, of course that's because it is CGI...

kyfdx

Ignition key and accelerator pedal for the computer... love that one..

ab348

The first few times I saw it, only half-paying attention, I thought it was an ad for the Volt.

Nissan ads are just obnoxious - they all rub me the wrong way.

It deserves a retaliatory ad from Chevy - some poor sap in a Leaf getting stranded when his battery dies, while the Volt zips past.

We're getting a Leaf at work to use as a pool car for urban trips so I will get to try it

ateixeira

It deserves a retaliatory ad from Chevy - some poor sap in a Leaf getting stranded when his battery dies, while the Volt zips past.

Better yet, have the Leaf towed away by a GM-based tow car.

GM did respond, just not in an ad form.

fintail

Week old bread sells better than the Phaeton. Even the Germans think it is boring, and VW has a rep here which certainly scared many away from something so scarily complex.

By the time that Equus is out of its lease or financing, the ipad will be a doorstop anyway - if some kid doesn't snag it away from his parents and ruin it first. I think the market just wasn't impressed. $65K car with a $600 "freebie", whoop de do.

ateixeira

I doubt Hyundai expected many sales. This was a re-tread of an existing car, so they just federalized it and offered it for sale, I'm sure it didn't cost them 2% of what VW spent on that Phaeton factory.

fintail

However, Phaeton actually sold (still sells) in other markets other than a small home market, the glass walled plant was more for show than for practicality, not really applies to oranges. I don't see the point of the Equus here at all, although if we still have cars in 40 years it might make an interesting entrant in a local vintage car show.

fezo

While not technically car commercials can I say that Geico has finally run out of ideas for amusing commercials? Between the day care center run by robots and the recycled cavemen it's getting painful.

ab348

Just saw another loathesome ad - one for the Jeep "Modern Warfare 3" edition, whatever that is, based on the videogame. I find the ads for the game (and the game itself) unsettling and troubling, so having a Jeep ad where it is navigating around a city under attack, with buildings blowing up, bystanders taking shrapnel hits while having dinner, etc., is just over-the-top horrid.

TV networks need to beef up their standards and practices depts with ads like these being far too common. There is a dark side to the current generation that is very disturbing.

lemko

...and it wasn't too memorable. It appeared to be two Leafs going through a fast food restaurant drive-thru. Forget what the announcer said.

ateixeira

Haven't looked at home market Equus sales, but I think it's their Town Car, so they probably amortized costs for that model long ago.

I seriously doubt Phaeton made money for VW. It was Piech's ego trip, thinking he could take on Mercedes head-to-head with a VW badge. I read that he was retaliating for Benz' foray in VW price segments (A-class).

I think what doomed it in the USA was the dealer network. Those customers expect pampering and VW is sort of known for the opposite.

ateixeira

Not yet on Google Video, must be very new.

fintail

It's about as stylish as a Town Car, too. You'd have to be special (or a dealer) to buy one. KDM styling panache will be hard to adapt for people with loads of money.

Ego trip from an overpaid suit? That can't be true. The factory is pretty cool though. VW makes enough profit that it can afford a money pit here and there.

MB and BMW dealers don't really pamper...sales haven't been slumping, and on a global level still absolutely annihilate similar market swoopy L sales.

stever

BMW isn't slumping for sure - more like on a roll.

BMW Tracking For Record Global Sales (AutoObserver)

lemko

I think what doomed it in the USA was the dealer network. Those customers expect pampering and VW is sort of known for the opposite.

Yo, wot's dat? You expect a latte an' a danish while we fix yer P.O.S. Phaeton? Fuhgeddaboutit!

ateixeira

True but much of that volume are lesser models or engines than the ones we get here, plus all those middle eastern taxis.

ateixeira

More like, "your window regulators will be in next month, just drive with it open all the time. And no we don't have a loaner for you."

ateixeira

Your advice could be used here

http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.ee9c851/41813#MSG41813

fintail

But at the same time, in world cities outside of NA, you can go for days without seeing a current model LS, while you can't throw a cat without hitting a late model S or 7er. It's not just the taxis that make up the volume.

ateixeira

True, but they had a ~90 or so year head start.

fintail

VW service is revenge for 1945 :shades:

I still remember going with an old co-worker to pick up his Jetta TDi from yet another warranty claim (seat got stuck and stereo died within days of each other). He got a loaner, an older worn Jetta, and upon picking his car up the radio had been replaced, but half the dash panels were still on the floor. That'll teach you. He replaced it with a Subaru.

fintail

And they make a line of products that frankly are seen as more dynamic and appealing by most.

ateixeira

Yeah, Subaru dealers aren't exactly known for service but at least they don't treat you badly, and you seldom have to pay a visit.

Exception: 99-02 head gaskets.

ateixeira

And the image you have to earn over time. A long time.

fintail

Image comes from product and placement. 20 years of beige won't get things going much other than in places where beige is sought.

ateixeira

Works for Buick in China...

fintail

Chinese like beige too, and Buick has a long history there (I am surprised the pseudo-reds in control there allow the old sympathies)

anythngbutgm

I'm only at 75k on my 07' Impreza but so far it's been brakes, tires and OC. It was my first Subie after having only Hondas for years and so far I am pleased with it and with my wife's Outback which is only a couple of thousand miles behind and outside of a tranny reflash to fix a minor lurching it has been nothing but maintainence. Heck, both of our cars still have the original batteries!

My only complaint is the service dept. are not up to the standards set by the local Honda and Toyota dealers with the drive- thru bays on those cold rainy mornings or the thorough updates of our cars (Honda dealers used to give us in depth updates on current tire pressures, oil life, transmission fluid life, battery charge, etc...) but as juice mentioned, they do get the job done and so far I am expecting a Honda/Toyota like longevity out of each of them.

I do appreciate the environmentalist messages that used to come across the airwaves and I don't mind the "Subaru Love" campaign either. They really do connect with us even if we are mid thirties "D.I.N.K.'s".

ateixeira

That ad campaign has resonated well with Subaru buyers. I think the best one is the father/daughter where they show a 5 year old, then a 16 year old. Neat fact - they're actually related. The ad team felt the chemistry was so good they let them ad-lib, too.

The ad with the Acadia Green Metallic Forester ("You never forget your first Subaru") really hits home because I owned one in that color, and yes we have a current model Forester too.

I think that sort of ad works better than, say, the Ford Fusion Hybrid gas station ads where someone jumps out and yells it has 10mpg city better than the Camry Hybrid which is no longer made.

What horrible timing. First time I saw it, the new Camry was already in dealers.

Do those idiots realize the Fusion gets 41/36 and the new Camry gets 43/39? Hello? McFly!?

They put an emphasis on a criteria where they're now behind.

fushigi

There's a minor consistency error in the 5YO/16YO commercial. When it finally cuts to the 16 year old, the color of the stripes in her shirt changes. For me that breaks the thought train we're supposed to have which is the father still envisioning his little girl as his teenage daughter is about to drive off. Otherwise it is a decent commercial. Doesn't shout at you and gives the message about trusting the brand in a way people can relate.

That said, the commercial where the guy misplaces his sunglasses & they wind up in his sweatshirt's hood is one I could easily never watch again. It just makes him look dumb and doesn't advance the brand at all.

ateixeira

She can't change shirts in 11 years?

I wouldn't even have expected her to be dressed the same way.

robr2

I do like the Hockey Mom ad for Subaru - reminds me of my family lacrosse Mom and lacrosse Dad.

ateixeira

Here's "Baby Driver":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qf8OGLqE1s

I dunno, the little girl is wearing a T-shirt, the 16 year old has a baggy hippie blouse and a thousand bracelets, I don't think they were even trying to keep the clothes looking the same.

Hockey mom:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2sV8PRK9hs&NR=1

I like it, but I guess I'd relate more if it were a dad and the sport were football. To be fair, Subaru knows their customers - and indeed hockey is VERY common among Subaru Crew members here.

They seemed to write this "Reunion" commercial for ME, about ME:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5UwvFbi5PE&NR=1

I had a Forester in that color, took that blonde to prom in high school, but married the brunette. They had me at hello. :shades:

fushigi

The point is that he's looking in the car at his teenage daughter but in his mind's eye he's still seeing her as the 5 year old. So no, she's not allowed to change shirts.

Different outfits would be OK if the production was done differently, like if it was a memory of different times when she playfully sat behind the wheel pretending to drive or other times in/around the car when she was younger.

Continuity gaps don't often bother me but for some reason this one does. Probably because the commercial itself is otherwise very good.

fushigi

Hockey Mom is OK; people will easily substitute baseball, football, soccer, etc. And it's friendly for airing in Canada as well as the US. The big problem I see is that it does nothing to distinguish the car's features from any other wagon/SUV/minivan on the road.

Reunion I just don't get. Both the man & woman have moved on in their lives are are now with others. In that respect it implies while you might start with a Subaru & keep fond memories of it, when you grow up you'll move on. :confuse:

ateixeira

The hockey one is my least favorite.

There was a minivan ad that executed the same idea much better. A dad takes over for mom for a day, and drive the kids around in a (I think?) Kia Sedona. By the end of the day he's beat and the mom says, "THAT is what I do all day". Much more clever, and they show the seating configurations throughout the commercial. Funnier and more effective.

Reunion - you trade the old one for whatever reason but you still have fond memories, and the person you marry may not be so different (he got another Subaru).

For what it's worth, this ad campaign drove (pardon the pun) Subaru to 2 consecutive records years. It would be 3 if they had enough Foresters to sell. Outback and Legacy both had record months in October, so the brand is red-hot, with only supply issues getting in the way.

My brother had to order his Forester and wait a month or so.

fintail

But then one can ask, would these things not still be hot without the ads?

ateixeira

Tough to say, we can't really separate the two.

Personally, I liked the 2005-2010 Legacy much better than the current model, but the new one is bigger and has sold extremely well.

There were no significant improvements to the engines. Base models did get a CVT, but that hasn't helped other manufacturers much. I find the increase a big tough to explain, and I'm a Subaru guy, so the marketing has to be working.

fintail

I think the AWD is selling it too. Making it bigger didn't hurt either, even if car people frown upon it - most car drivers aren't car people.

The ads don't impact me one way or the other, although I would like to see the two local Subie groups in it - those who put ski racks on their cars even though they don't ski, just to look sporty, and the boy racer crowd. They already have the 30-something guy on a 4 inch leash granted by wifey who keeps a perpetual 5 o'clock shadow as his one last grasp at freedom though :shades:

ateixeira

Marketing to boy racers back-fired on them, big time. The Radar Love ad were very controversial. Young guy driving fast in the wet. They apologized and pulled the ad.

Found it on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6d4UvA9Y7s

Another bomb was the bunny ad, where the little girl set the bunny free in the wild. SPCA got all over them (apparently that breed cuold not survive in the wild), protesters took the web servers down with a storm of complaints, LOL.

I can't even find that one, I'm sure SoA banned it here!

So they've avoided that kind of marketing and have gone all touchy feely. It works for Subaru owners, which aren't exactly mainstream.

anythngbutgm

I've never seen the Radar Love commercial before, I liked it alot! Thanks for sharing! I seriously see nothing wrong with that ad, it's not like they were in a busy highway or downtown... :sick:

ateixeira

And heaven forbid you should actually pay attention to the driving.

I think it's that he sped up when the road was wet, and also the driver was fairly young.

When Dodge launched the Neon SRT-4 they actually had videos where it went street racing with the WRX, and they got away with it, mostly by keeping it underground, web-based.

I guess the aggressive driving didn't sit well with the Apple computer using dog owning college professors who eat granola and wear Birkenstocks.

fintail

The same ones who will passive-aggressively hypermile their Prius on an on-ramp.

Apologizing for an ad which would offend no logical person...weak.

ateixeira

Nah, Prius drivers live in need-no-stinkin-heat SoCal, the wealthy geeks who shop at Whole Foods and wear those tennis shoes that look like dress shoes on the outside.

They're not even in the same region of the country.

The Subie guy lives in New England (or Colorado or Alaska) and plants his own organic vegetables. Part-time ski/snowboard instructor in winter, summer job either at a kayak place or with a mountain climbing supply co. They can't even afford to pay $80 bucks for 6 things at Whole Foods.

I think the one biggest difference is the Prius guy lives indoors, the Subaru guy lives outdoors.

Not a commercial, but still funny, here's the rap video about the Prius in the Whole Foods parking lot:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UFc1pr2yUU

fintail

I see more than a few apple loving granola types in hybrids in my area. As well, probably only a quarter of the local Whole Foods is Prius, the rest belong to the hardworking X5/RX/ML/RR etc crowd. The couple has 2 cars, Prius and Outback or Forester, and they switch at random :shades:

Subaru has a very unique demographic anyway, that's for sure.

ateixeira

That's because only X5/RX/ML/RR can really afford to fill up that little shopping cart.

I guess I'm having trouble seeing that connection - Subaru's achilles heel is gas mileage, and that's really the only reason you'd want a Prius.

WRX and Prius are polar opposites, they just want to beat each other up on sight without provocation.

At least they can agree on granola.

fintail

I don't know how many buy a Prius for mileage over image. Subaru has a "unique" image too, and in this day of the hipster, that can be valuable.

Boring Toyota and boring Subaru aren't so different though, esp if the former is AWD.

ateixeira

Au contraire mon frere...

You always say Toyotas are bland, beige appliances. They understeer and have uber-numb steering, offering instead quiet isolation.

Subarus have plenty of character. The boxer engines' growl alone would annoy an isolation-loving Toyota fanboy.

Steering feel is generally excellent, since the front tires are not burdened with 100% of the power at any point in time (even AWD Toyotas are FWD first).

Lift the throttle and you'll get the tail to wag, Ain't Gonna Happen in a Toyota. Consumer Reports complained about that, but a Subaru owner wouldn't mind.

Until recently Subarus didn't even have window frames, to give you an idea how much NVH control was a priority.

Toyota styling is an oxymoron. More like a lack of it. They're designed to blend in.

Name one Subaru that blends in. Tribeca was WAY out there, too much so. The new Legacy is more Infiniti-ish with the stacked headlights, the Outback is bold, the Impreza is blocky with shoulders. The Forester is about as conservative as they get.

So similar, except how they sound, feel, drive, steer, and look.

The only thing they have in common is 4 wheels.

robr2

Marketing to boy racers got Chevy in trouble a few years ago with this Super Bowl (TM No Fun League) ad:

Jumpin Jack Flash Corvette

fintail

I don't know if I could call odd styling (what's with the droopy grille bar?) and coarse engines "character". The difference in 2011 is the AWD and not a lot else. IMO all of the current models are invisible in design, save for the weird Tribeca that pretty much nobody buys. Impreza - meh. Legacy - fat like a Camcord. Outback - maybe their Venza. Forester - shoebox.

It's a Toyota for those who don't want a Toyota. Reliable, bigger now, boring looking now, enough hits for me anyway.