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

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  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Lexus teaser for their super bowl ad:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZClbVqEqF1U&feature=player_embedded
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,525
    Silver is the new black, or beige.

    Lexus ad - GS? Looks like they are going to try to run with the hourglass alien look.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Little Vader was a tough act to follow:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ntDYjS0Y3w&feature=player_embedded

    I don't think auto-tuned barking dogs quite match last year. What could? :shades:
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    edited January 2012
    http://bcove.me/qztvn8y3

    I didn't like it at first, but as it kept going it got funnier and funnier. :D
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=z-axqvP20Ts

    Hard to get through it!
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,525
    Lifestyle brand for the crooked nouveau riche.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,525
    It's a funny premise for sure. Had I received a Camaro at graduation, I would have promptly sold it though :shades:
  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 18,389
    It's a funny premise for sure. Had I received a Camaro at graduation, I would have promptly sold it though

    If I had received one back in 1975 I would have traded it in a heartbeat(no pun intended) for a 2002 tii, a 3.0CS, or a 2000 GTV...

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
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  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,525
    1975...hmm...a 2002 would have been a pretty good choice. Not the golden age of the automobile.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I would have rocked a mullet and kept it. :D
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    I'm sure this guy would appreciate a '75 Camaro:

    image
  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 20,815
    Plenty of '75 Camaro's still around. Still time to live the dream! :)
    2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 267,554
    That's the year I graduated from high school.. easy to make fun of them now, but they were really the only game in town... we loved them (what, you lusted after a Mustang II?).

    Plus, at that time, we didn't really know what a BMW was... the only foreign models we were familiar with were British Leyland and Fiat/Alfa...

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  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    The bad old days? In a way...

    I was still a kid, but I remember my dad waiting in line for gas and asking him why he didn't own a smaller car.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=nOtWppRMzjQ

    Chevy seems to be on a roll, no?
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Another strange one. Go ahead, drive distracted:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWNYKXBx-K4&feature=player_embedded
  • xrunner2xrunner2 Member Posts: 3,062
    Saw during Sunday football game.

    Scene is house and driveway and new Camaro convertible parked at Street. Boy/man in late teens just graduated, parents are nearby with large gift box and boy sees Camaro parked at curb. He jumps up and down by car all excited with his buddies and girlfriend and girlfriend then says she will marry him. Then, neighbor takes golf clubs and drives away with the Camaro.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Yep, mentioned it here:

    http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.ee92e94/5248#MSG5248
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,525
    Like a spinoff of last year's "my car saved me from my own ineptitude" ads that MB ran. I see the "oldest" theme is really being embraced now too.

    I've seen the "now that's a Hyundai" ad several times lately. Dumb slogan.
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    Reminds me of the old "What's a Matador?" ads from AMC.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Haven't seen those.

    I keep seeing the Prius V ads with the music and colorful imaging. I think gas prices crept up a little and marketing jumped on the opportunity.

    This one:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BwZ6hd7Y6o&feature=pyv

    Not sure about the "space of a small SUV" claim. Haven't seen one in person but I may at the auto show.
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    Not sure about the "space of a small SUV" claim.

    I compared dimensions to the Tucson - a small SUV - and the Prius V is very close in size:

    Tucson vs Prius V
    Length: 172 vs 183
    Height: 65 vs 62
    Width: 71 vs 69
    Headroom: 39 on both
    Cargo Volume: 26 vs 34
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I guess it's bigger than it looks.

    The Tucson is small. I took my little brother to test drive one, even found a stick, and it was actually pretty entertaining to drive. Visibility was horrible and he complained about the cargo area being too small because he does a lot of airport runs.

    Kia's biggest sin is only offering the manual on stripped, base models, though.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqI_nxwyZa8&feature=player_embedded

    Why not?
  • texasestexases Member Posts: 11,136
    Seems like some TV shows are going whole-hog for product placement, with characters doing what amount to commercials INSIDE the show. Latest example was "The Middle", where the family used and abused their neighbor's new Passat while the neighbors were away, with lots of 'it's so great' comments mentioning the Passat by name. The there is "Bones" where she describes in some detail her Prius' features...

    Any others?
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 267,554
    On "Psych" they have a Yaris that they refer to as "the blueberry", and mention often...

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  • michaellnomichaellno Member Posts: 4,120
    Seems like some TV shows are going whole-hog for product placement,

    Lessee ..

    Hawaii Five-O - Chevrolet
    The Good Wife - Buick
    Burn Notice - Hyundai
    Modern Family - Toyota

    I'm sure there are others, just can't think of them right now....
  • texasestexases Member Posts: 11,136
    Do they actually 'sell' the car in the show? I know lots of shows have agreements to use particular brands. (remember Studebaker and Mr. Ed?) What's new to me is the characters talking specifically about how great the car is.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,525
    I can believe it, primetime/mainstream network TV is pretty much just a big commercial anyway. Corporations are people too, so they should be handled as such.

    Al Bundy didn't make the Dodge brand look so hot :shades:
  • michaellnomichaellno Member Posts: 4,120
    Do they actually 'sell' the car in the show? I know lots of shows have agreements to use particular brands. (remember Studebaker and Mr. Ed?) What's new to me is the characters talking specifically about how great the car is.

    If you haven't watched the show "Burn Notice", the protagonist often does a voice over to explain some techniques about espionage. Once, a voice over was done to extol the virtues of RWD (Genesis Coupe) when chasing bad guys or some such.

    So, yeah.

    The other shows I referenced? Perhaps not so much. More "promotional consideration" than anything.
  • texasestexases Member Posts: 11,136
    "Once, a voice over was done to extol the virtues of RWD (Genesis Coupe) when chasing bad guys or some such."

    Yep, now I remember that episode. Same kind of thing.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Nowadays they would sue for libel.

    Desperate Housewives always featured cars prominently, I thought.

    What about Kia in the NBA, remember Blake Griffin in the dunk contest, jumping over an Optima?

    Product placement is front and center nowadays.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,525
    edited January 2012
    I don't think we were that much less litigious in the 90s as today...maybe the Al Bundy Dodge was seen as no publicity is bad publicity. And their neighbors always mentioned their BMWs and MBs in very typical period yuppie ways, too.

    Surprised every car in Housewives wasn't an RX.

    I have as much interest in the NBA as I do stabbing myself in the eye with rusty pruning shears, so sadly, I didn't catch that :shades:

    There's a difference between product placement and characters openly supporting a product during a show.
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    Heck, maybe Al Bundy's Dodge wasn't bad publicity. It was still running after 18 years, at least according to one episode. Actually, Al's Dodge wasn't a Dodge but a Plymouth Gold Duster.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,525
    edited January 2012
    And he loved the "Dodge", if anything, it was positive. Remember it had a million miles on it in an episode too :shades:

    In early episodes, Peg had a Pinto.
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    edited January 2012
    I remember the episode where Al wanted to buy a new car. He wanted to buy a Mustang convertible, but found out Peg spent most of the down payment he saved in a box buried in the back yard.

    He first ended up with an AMC Hornet he had to push into his garage. Then ended up with a Gremlin and said, "This one's so light, I can practically pull it!"
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,525
    That was a classic episode - also the one where he got the second "Dodge", supposedly a little old lady car that even had his radio presets.

    image

    I think the first car he pushed home was a Pacer. There was also a red Fox body Mustang he supposedly won, but it soon vanished.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Surprised every car in Housewives wasn't an RX

    No, but I think there is a Lexus LS in there.

    Seem to have mostly Ford/Volvo products.

    That red head drives an RX in real life, though.
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    What about Kia in the NBA, remember Blake Griffin in the dunk contest, jumping over an Optima?

    Kia is the official automotive partner of the NBA. Lots of teams and leagues have marketing tie ins with auto companies. For instance the Red Sox have Volvo as their official vehicle. Heck Chrysler is the official car of the NFL but only in the UK.

    TV shows have always had product placement deals with auto companies. I always remember reading the credits at the end of many shows looking for the "Vehicles Courtesy of ...". IIRC, the Brady Bunch used Chryslers, Family Affair used Pontiacs and Archie Bunker used generic beer.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Yeah, soccer is perhaps the biggest place to advertise. The DC United Jersey features a huge VW logo.
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    Current Shows:

    Desperate Housewives: I've seen Maximas, Maseratis, Titans, Grand Cherokees used.

    Modern Family: Phil has a CTS, Claire has a Sienna, Gloria has had a Cayenne and a RR, Jay an A8 IIRC and Cam/Mitchell have an S60. I don't recall them ever being blatant about the vehicles. The new Sienna was featured in an episode but never mentioned by name until the end.

    CSI: They always drove Yukon Denalis.

    Even This Old House has GMC as an official vehicle supplier. I know one of the hosts and he drives a GMC now.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Fast Hybrid:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0TDYrTGyRfw#!

    They usually target Lexus, this time it was Porsche.
  • anythngbutgmanythngbutgm Member Posts: 4,277
    Volt - Hamtrack

    Wrap your self in the American flag, Get yourself a new Volt, complete with Korean batteries, an Austrian built engine and Electric Motors from Mexico... :sick:

    Maybe there's a "Made in America" label on the back of the cupholders or something...
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    You sure about the Korea/Mexico/Austria sourcing? Source?

    I'm mostly curious...
  • anythngbutgmanythngbutgm Member Posts: 4,277
    edited January 2012
    GM Chooses LG Chem to Supply Chevy Volt’s Lithium-ion Batteries and Will Build the Packs Themselves

    Volt Window sticker

    I forgot the tranny comes from Japan...

    Q. Is the Volt made in America?

    A. Chevrolet will assemble the Volt at its Detroit-Hamtramck plant in Michigan. Like all modern vehicles, its components come from many sources. As production begins, the battery cells will come from South Korea. The electric motors (there are two) are made in Mexico. The gas engine is from Austria.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Wow, a truly global car. I actually think that's kinda neat.

    Does make that commercial seem like random flag waving, though.
  • anythngbutgmanythngbutgm Member Posts: 4,277
    Wow, a truly global car. I actually think that's kinda neat.

    I do too, but to me the Volt is as much, if not more of an "import" than an actual import :D
  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 53,546
    DH also features a Volvo XC60 and a Benz E class.

    2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.

  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,525
    Hmm sounds like they might have a contract with the Hertz Prestige fleet. Lots of Volvos and MB in that, and of course Fords in the normals.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I love how even commercials now have teasers.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C21OsfANMWk&feature=player_embedded
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