TV ad for Chevy Volt: environmentalists, let dogs lick you instead of bathing
Ladies and gentleman, GM has a competitor for the worst ad is the history of ads (I've embedded it below the fold). First, some background, the video background in the ad is apparently taken from a web video someone took of a dog licking a bare foot (also below the fold). You think that would be bad enough but it just gets worse. The following text appears over the dog's actions:
If you care about the environment, you could save water and let your dog give you a bath. Chevy cares about the environment. That's why we're working on an extended range electric car expected to go up to 40 miles without a drop of gas. The Chevy Volt concept.
Okay, I think I can almost see what they were trying to achieve. The ad recently aired on Adult Swim's Robot Chicken, which is aimed at a young, hip, ironic, etc. demographic. But this is probably a text book example of how not to sell a car. There were criticisms that GM's advertising for the EV1 was designed to prevent sales. Is GM doing the same thing for the Volt? Or is GM just horrible at advertising? The ad has been airing since November.
[Source: Chevy, tipster Roger]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
marc.romanoff 7:33PM (2/08/2008)
Agreed, horrible ad - certainly seems like the EV1 marketing people are still on GM's payroll.
Reply
stevejust 7:49PM (2/08/2008)
GM does a good job selling Hummers. They aren't even very nice quality-wise, and they barely hold many more groceries in their actual "trunk" space than a Tesla Roadster. Somehow the ads are able to gloss over all of that nicely.
So it's hard not to suspect there's something more insidious at foot with their stupid ads for eco-friendly cars.
Reply
Dad 8:38PM (2/08/2008)
"There were criticisms that GM's advertising for the EV1 was designed to prevent sales. Is GM doing the same thing for the Volt?"
Boy, this qualifies as an "idiot" question. Nothing much to write about?
Reply
Lascelles Linton 10:35PM (2/08/2008)
Dad, It's either a conspiracy or a very bad ad :D For GM's sake, I hope it's a conspiracy because if that's what they consider advertising, they are in real trouble :D The quality of the web video is actually higher than the TV video. They intentionally lowered the quality of the video. Think about how many people that had to clear. It's probably a national ad because I don't think there is a local Chevy Volt dealership out there to blame this time.
Reply
Lascelles Linton 10:37PM (2/08/2008)
O, I thought it was fake too but it's real. I saw it, GM confirmed it. It's real!
Reply
Silver 11:29PM (2/08/2008)
Why oh WHY does GM have to pull this crap again? They made shitty commercials for the EV1, now they're making shitty ones for the Volt. Are they self-sabotaging on purpose so people won't take plug-in vehicles seriously? This is quite pathetic.
Reply
Wise Golden 12:02AM (2/09/2008)
Awesome ad. It's funny and it has a dog. You guys are bound and determined to hate the evil GM -- because you're a bunch of filthy hippies that don't take baths.
Seriously, that's the only reason that you would not like this ad -- is if the funny stereotype hits too close to home.
Reply
meme 12:09AM (2/09/2008)
Have you all never watched Adult Swim? This sort of stuff is kind of standard on there; it fits in with the kind of humor you get on, say, Sealab or Aqua Teen. And it's a lot more sophisticated than, say, Perfect Hair Forever and Twelve Ounce Mouse. Remember, Adult Swim is the programming that has bumps in which voiceless text debates the merits of sharks with jetpacks. Don't expect to see this commercial on mainstream programming, but on Adult Swim, it's quite the fit.
And, I have to ask, concerning the conspiracy theories, can you give it up already? What sort of company spends hundreds of millions of dollars on a product and the deliberately spends more money to sabotage it in order to deliberately hurt their reputation (rather than just not make or advertise it at all)? The conspiracy theories around here get dumber and dumber every day.
Reply
jj 3:09AM (2/09/2008)
@wise golden
Can you explain why GM won't use Mary J. Blige for the Volt advertising? They put in more ad money for the Malibu that isn't any more advanced than a camry. While the Volt IS more advanced than the vehicles out now. And when GM confirmed that they didn't really push for hybrids even though they had them adds to their laundry list of anti-greenness. So actually you're the one that seems to be hooked on some weird belief that they're good when they haven't proven anything. When do you get motivated to buy a product of which the ad doesn't even show it?
I don't see any dog advertisements for the Hummer: they could have dogs pissing on hummers because they've mistaken it for a building. If they have ads like that then I'll accept this Volt ad as a legit effort to sell them.
And please, the name calling is just low and proves that you're not clearly looking at what's happened or is happening.
Reply
Domenick 4:45AM (2/09/2008)
The depth of insight of GM's advertising gurus continues to amaze. How did they come to the realization that the Robot Chicken audience will, in three years time, also be their prime Volt buying consumer?
They must all be sleeping at a Holiday Inn Express.
Reply
rgseidl 8:47AM (2/09/2008)
So will the dog have to wash the Volt as well? Make sure he avoids the socket or the PETA girls will come to your house and take their clothes off or something.
Reply
rar 9:56AM (2/09/2008)
The funny part is, you are all talking about it. That means that the add worked. The add does not have to be good in ones eyes to work. It just has to get people to talk about or remember the add. If there is a blog about an add, the add agency knows it did its job.
Reply
why not the LS2/LS7? 11:38AM (2/09/2008)
Lighten up folks.
Watch a couple Robot Chicken episodes and then get back to me.
Airing this commerical in the middle of Adult Swim is a smart thing. It's not nearly as weird as the other stuff watchers are already seeing on there. It's also extremely low-rent, which also makes it fit in with a certain class of commercials aired during Adult Swim, including the hippest ones. You can see this in how it does most of its selling with onscreen text, like the Adult Swim bumpers do.
As to the idea that GM is trying to spike the Volt, it's absurd. GM has already selected a plant to make the Volt in, and it's not a small plant designed for small production runs (like the Lansing design center used for the EV1), it's a large plant with lots of capacity. They're not going to use a huge plant to build it and then create advertising designed to ensure none are sold!
Technically this is an image ad BTW. It's mostly pushing how Chevy cares about the environment, not a specific model. Which makes sense the Volt isn't here yet and won't be here soon.
I like the ad. Dogs are cute and this one is doing cutesy stuff.
Reply
Joseph 8:29PM (2/09/2008)
My first response was that I thought the commercial was stupid, but....this is actually an excellent ad.
Considering the demographics, this ad is perfect. I personally liked it. However, I think this ad has its place. This ad is for the young people help define what's "hip." Further, when your watching Robot Chicken, I think you look at everything with a different light.
So, this ad is actually pretty good. I'm impressed. But it only serves its purpose on a channel like Adult Swim; putting it on prime time would be a disaster.
Reply
Wise Golden 3:59PM (2/10/2008)
9. @wise golden
Can you explain why GM won't use Mary J. Blige for the Volt advertising?
Wise reply,
Yes, I think I can. It's because the Volt is not a vehicle yet. It's not for sale. It doesn't yet exist. It wont for 2 more years. Maybe when it gets time to become serious about marketing the Volt, you'll see something a little more impressive -- in the meantime, be amaized that it's the first car in the history of cars to be advertised two years before its introduction.
Have you considered that? It's being advertised two years prior to its introduction. Now do you believe that GM is serious about the Volt? They are trying to build buzz and hype, and they did it well. For every filthy hippy they pissed off, 10 new filthy hippys became aware that an electric car will be introduced in 2 years that will cost about $30k -$35k and now they have a larger following.
Reply
tankd0g 1:06AM (2/11/2008)
Please, I watch adult swim and even I found this ad insulting.
Reply
maverick9465 9:22AM (2/11/2008)
Man, I work for GM and I'm even ashamed of this commercial. Sheesh.
Reply