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

tallman1 · July 2006

My first car was a '71 Dodge Charger so I have always had a soft spot in my heart for all things Mopar. However, those new commercials rub me the wrong way. Lee Iacocca exuded confidence, the Dr. Z spots don't.... at least for me. And I enjoy the funny side of things in life!

I agree that the American vs. German issue may bother some people as well. However, I'm sure the Chrysler folks considered all this with market research, right????

ateixeira · July 2006

I'll admit, VW surprised me, the under $15k starting price for the Rabbit is lower than I thought. So a Polo would have to cost, what, $13k? With a decent amount of equipment, too, else it could hurt VW's image.

I doubt they can sell it here profitably.

Bring the Golf Plus and sell it as a crossover. People are willing to pay more for those.

-juice

anythngbutgm · July 2006

The Dr.Z ads are funny, they are on quite often so it'll probably get old quickly, but they are still well executed IMO.

Also I really like the one for the Eclipse Spyder. The row of cars speeding up/slowing down to emulate a graphic EQ. Clever ad.

ateixeira · July 2006

That's a mostly female demographic, and I guess they like to dance, so it fits.

-juice

Kirstie_H · July 2006

A reporter aims to talk to some empowered consumers who pay no attention to ads and instead seek out their own information through community forums before making purchases.
Please respond to jfallon@edmunds.com by Monday, July 10, 2006 and be sure to provide your daytime contact information and a few words about your experience.

fintail · July 2006

Spotted in a local used car rag - a 99 Civic with "only" 132K miles...whoa! It's barely been driven!

i_luv_toyota · July 2006

I guess there is no song sacred enough anymore now that "Magic Bus" is being used to peddle, of all things, a MINIVAN!

I'm not sure why Nissan chose to use this song, especially considering the connotation with the era it's from (drugs, hippies, etc).

Is the Quest the new hippymobile? No, it's just a (ugly) minivan, nothing more, nothing less.

fintail · July 2006

Judging by the looks of it, the Quest was designed by someone who was on the real "Magic Bus" a few too many times back in the day...

i_luv_toyota · July 2006

LOL, so true...

odie6l · July 2006

I got to see a commercial that wasn't so much a car commercial, but a wireless commercial.
The new cingular commercial where the 2 golfers find the phone out on the links, then as they are looking at it, Burton comes racing up in a powerful golf cart. I laughed at the commercial, but I want the Golf Cart.

Odie
Odie's Carspace

stickguy · July 2006

I think it is Chrysler that is heavily touting their new 30 day return policy. SOunds like a nice idea to make sure you like the car, right?

Well, they have classic fast-talking low pitch disclaimers at the end, but if you listen carefully you can make out the catch: a 5% restocking fee!

Now, 5% if I take back a $1,000 TV isn't that big a deal, but if you buy a 30K car, that's $1,500! Far from a "free" return policy. BUt, I guess if you absolutely detested the car, it might be cheaper than taking the depreciation hit.

Kirstie_H · July 2006

Plus there's some horrifically inflated per-mile charge. Can't recall what it is, but I think it was in the neighborhood of $0.50/mile.

ateixeira · July 2006

Holy Cow, it's like they're in the rental car business all of the sudden, making profits off that idea! :mad:

-juice

imidazol97 · July 2006

IOW if you're going to end up disliking the car, don't drive it much before you decide.

This certainly isn't Oldsmobiles 30 day returnable policy.

albert6 · July 2006

What's with the idea that people should risk their lives to get a GM vehicle?

That's the first impression I got watching a TV ad showing women jumping from an overpass onto a fast moving car carrier.

Then it showed people quitting their jobs by rappeling from their job site onto the truck.

Where's Joe Isuzu? At least he was honest.

albert6 · July 2006

He goes from what would fighten most people - an involuntary crash barrier test; tearing the suspension from under a new car, leaving the owner gasping and the car undriveable; ignoring a woman while 'discovering' an award in a minivan, all the while fiddling with features she's not expressing interest in.

ateixeira · July 2006

That's one way to look at it.

I think they try to make him seem like an engineering geek to emphasize the German engineering angle.

-juice

fintail · July 2006

Honda's "Mr Opportunity" is back...thankfully remotes have a mute function

fintail · July 2006

There's a local Toyota lot that runs ads showing its facilities...one of these shots is so old that it features a lineup of new Tercels. Do normal people not notice this kind of thing?

british_rover · July 2006

No, they do not.

john_324 · July 2006

You know, in this vein, I always liked the VW ad with the woman and the salesguy going for a testdrive, and the salesguy explains why torque is important.

I thought it was kinda cool that a car company would actually at least try in ads to explain something automotive about which the general public has no idea...

british_rover · July 2006

Yeah most people don't have a clue about torque.

Like when showing someone our CPO Discoveries a lot of times they ask how much horsepower they have. When I tell them about 220 depending on the year they just kind of go quiet.

Common comments from people.

"Thats it?"

"How does it move that thing?"

"That is not nearly enough power for a SUV."

Etc.

Trying to explain to them that most discos have over 300 ft-lbs of torque with most of it avaliable at very low RPMs is about impossible.

lemko · July 2006

Wasn't he one of the Monkees?

kyfdx · July 2006

LOL..

fintail · July 2006

I saw the Hummer "Restore Your Manhood" ad last night, featuring the H3. I can say without hyperbole that it was the lamest car ad I've ever seen. I mean, the H3....IMO that thing is as effeminate as a pink VW Cabrio, it's almost purpose built for soccer moms. Same goes for the H2. If more proof was ever needed that these things play on peoples compensation issues, this is it, being broadcast loud and clear. Freud would have a field day. I'm still shocked at the badness of this idea. This should really increase Hummer mocking. Maybe one day GM will find a competent ad agency.

john_324 · July 2006

Hummers always remind me of a classic gen-x toy I had growing up: Stompers.

Little, AA-battery powered toy trucks with huge knobby tires. As a toy, the over-the-top look was okay, but as a real vehicle... :surprise:

As for the feminization of SUVs, Simpsons did a great take-off on this with the "Canyonero" SUV with an "F-edition" for women.

"Gee Homer...I thought you were one of those hot-to-trot soccer moms!"

andre1969 · July 2006

for the Nissan Maxima with a CVT, where the male driver is accelerating while his wife/girlfriend/callgirl/whatever is putting on lipstick. I know they're trying to go for the angle of how the CVT is supposed to be ultra-smooth, but c'mon...they're doing like 20 mph? Why the hell is the thing revving at like 4000 rpm?! :confuse:

And the only time I've ever had a transmission shift roughly enough to mess with my wife/girlfriend/callgirl/whatever putting on her lipstick would be if I held the gears manually for whatever reason. When you accelerate as slowly as they were in that commercial, you might hear a clunk as the transmission shifts, but it's not going to lurch enough to make her paint all over her face!

Or maybe I'm just psychoanalyzing it too much. :P

toomanyfumes · July 2006

,I drove an H3 on the GM test track promotion in Las Vegas. Surprisingly capable on the off-road portion of the track, but almost dangerously slow on the paved portion. BTW, for anyone who's in Vegas on vacation or whatever, the test track was a good deal. Two laps in a new Corvette and a truck or Hummer on a small track and off-road course for 10 bucks. I was in downtown Milwaukee the other night and parked in a crowded lot with only compact spaces left. I had barely squeezed my car in a spot when a guy in a H2 came in trying to find a spot. It was pretty funny watching him, I think he finally left.

odie6l · July 2006

I said the same thing about the CVT. Even if you won't Feel the shift, you should still hear it. I'm thinking there was a problem with the CVT and he needs to take it back for a Recall.

Odie
Odie's Carspace

ateixeira · July 2006

Yeah, I mean, I've owned a CVT and I found the message wasn't clear.

They have to show a before and after. Show a similar couple in another car with the jolty shifts. Thing is, nowadays, they can't find one!

-juice

john_324 · July 2006

Ford has a new ad in its "Bold Moves" series that's kinda strange.

It's a Freestyle ad, feature a seemingly happy family going to the beach. It's all the usual stuff one would expect (they love their Freestyle) except at the end, the Dad gets out of the car, and says to the Mom "thanks for inviting me along" and to the kids "see you next weekend..."

The ending has this sorta depressing feel to it.

It's definitely a bold ad, but I can't decide if it's good (a commercial actually dealing with reality) or bad (a reality we really don't need our products to remind us of...)

What's next...an ad where someone gets fired from their job, and has to trade in the Mercedes for a Focus? :confuse:

fintail · July 2006

I've seen that one too....kind of a bittersweet ad, and not something I would really want my product associated with....there's a heartache element to it.

Then again, this whole Bold Moves thing isn't really going to go down in marketing annals as genius. Just another stupid domestic ad campaign...Ford's "American Revolution".

kyfdx · July 2006

Bold Moves = Goofy..

What about the guy that moves the tree with his pickup... then the girl tells her date that it is her ex-boyfriend..

What does that mean? And what does it have to do with "Bold Moves"..

I get the one with the girl paying for the dry-cleaning, and leaving the guy her card (serial killer in a Mustang), but moving the log? I don't get that one...

carlisimo · July 2006

It's about chivalrous even to a woman that's left you. I thought it was a good one.

holy_cowboy · July 2006

I have been trying to figure out what Vehicle the ad with all the stuffed animals and the small one at the end says "It Scares the **** out of me" is from. Does anyone Know?

british_rover · July 2006

Could also be a metaphor for forgiving people of past transgressions.

They had a bad break up but over time the guy has forgiven the girl and their are no hard feelings so he helps her out.

Just like people should forgive ford for all of the crappy vehicles they have made in the past.

If you want to read into it that deeply anyway.

john_324 · July 2006

Only one I like is the one with the Dad+Son in the Mustang GT, doing burnouts in a parking lot late at night..."It's not a toy. Wanna do it again?"

odie6l · July 2006

The best Bold-Moves commercial has to be the one with the son buying the old Ford pick-up and restoring it for his father. I know it's only showing how much the F-150 can tow, but having done the same thing for my late father, I know how good it feels to do something like that.

Odie
Odie's Carspace

ateixeira · July 2006

Dodge Caliber.

-juice

fintail · August 2006

There's a print ad out for the Jeep Compass that has these weird big-headed figures with dumb statements...annoying. I don't care for the car either.

british_rover · August 2006

I just saw that ad and also agree that it is junky.

luvsxyswtxo · August 2006

Hey,
I really need to find the commercial from I believe some kind of truck, in it there driving next to the woods, and theres people humming in the back ground "who ha who ha na na na na na na who ha who ha na na na na na" I really need to see it thanks

email me!!

i_luv_toyota · August 2006

Honda's "Mr Opportunity" is back...thankfully remotes have a mute function

You can say that again, although I do get a laugh when he mentions Honda "trucks."

Just doesn't sound right, as the Ridgeline is about as much (or maybe even less) of a "truck" as a Subaru Baja!

BTW, if Honda's "Mr. Opportunity" was "knocking" at my door, I surely would not answer...

i_luv_toyota · August 2006

There's a local Toyota lot that runs ads showing its facilities...one of these shots is so old that it features a lineup of new Tercels. Do normal people not notice this kind of thing?

A Toyota dealer around here does that, too.

They also misrepresent model years for their lease/finance offers. For example, they say they have a deal on the 2006 4Runner, and they show action shots of a 2005 or older 4Runner. The older models have a much different front end/grille area than the 2006 models.

That's a VERY glaring oversight in my book.

fintail · August 2006

I wonder what that's all about. Laziness I guess, as stock footage isn't exactly expensive.

i_luv_toyota · August 2006

I don't know, but I'm willing bet on laziness (or ignorance) as well.

Needless to say, I'll never shop there.

ateixeira · August 2006

I just had a phone interview with this web site, and they're running a story tomorrow about the Dr. Z ads. it's pretty likely that I'll be quoted in the story, let's see!

-juice

astegman · August 2006

My husband was also interviewed yesterday (Tuesday) about the Dr.Z commercials. I went to www.detnews.com, but can't find the article anywhere. Has anyone been able to find it? Thanks!

ateixeira · August 2006

Not yet, the reporter did tell me it was supposed to be published today. I searched for Dr. Z and only found one article, from way back in July. I'll check again tomorrow.

-juice

astegman · August 2006

Thanks, I'll keep checking as well. I think my husband mentioned the vague promise of a free t-shirt as well! He's a sucker for stuff like that!

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

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