Chevy Tries a Write-Your-Own Ad Approach, With Predictable Results

[YankeyMCC]

(snip)

At first glance, the video looks like a typical 30-second car commercial: a shiny sport utility vehicle careers down a country road lined with sunflower fields, jaunty music playing in the background.


Then, white lettering appears on the screen: "$70 to fill up the tank, which will last less than 400 miles. Chevy Tahoe."

The commercial is the product of one of the advertising industry's latest trends: user-generated advertising. On March 13, Chevrolet introduced a Web site allowing visitors to take existing video clips and music, insert their own words and create a customized 30-second commercial for the 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe.

(snip)

(snip)
Another commercial asked: "Like this snowy wilderness? Better get your fill of it now. Then say hello to global warming."
(snip)


http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/04/business/media/04adco.html

[leftchick]

1. Heh!

<snip>

Many companies remain hesitant to put creative power in the hands of consumers. At a panel on March 20 during the opening session of the 52nd annual Advertising Research Foundation conference, Dawn E. Hudson, president and chief executive of Pepsi-Cola North America, said, "One of the reasons we're being cautious is there's a blurring between advertising and content." After the Chevrolet Tahoe ads began widely circulating on Friday, some bloggers were jubilant at successfully mocking the efforts of a large corporation.

A blogger called Polyester Bride posted an item yesterday titled, "I am so totally the next Chevy marketing exec!" next to a link to her version of the Chevrolet ad. But the industry blog Adrants wrote on Sunday that Chevrolet may have been expecting that very reaction.

"We think there are some voices inside G.M. that understand social media very well and knew this would happen," the post said.

Mr. Neisser of Renegade said Chevrolet could have anticipated the way the Web site was manipulated. "Were they really expecting the consumer to make nice and create very pleasant movies?" he asked. "If they were, they haven't looked at anything on YouTube."

:rofl:

[sweetheart]

4. They knew to block the world out

I can't get my commerical email from them... they are not
letting people not resident in north america participate.
I sent it in with my US postal address, but to naught.
My commercial:

Sun aware know me, - desert sand backdrop
Poetic copy, man’s creation, - Just the logo of the car closeup
Pure earth, divine unity, - The scene of snowy mountain tops
hot hell’s mystic revelation. - The car behind a desert death valley looking monolith

Pile it higher, corporate supersitition, - The car on top of a huge desert monoligh
Scars of filth cut across the land, - The car driving by with the road close-frame
incessant rolling ambition, - the car rolling along at speed
Mother’s hair, glittering pure hand. - the big waterfall

Dessicated empire covered in sand, - desert sand
Iraq ain’t like on television, - The front of the car with the parking light
Born this instant, life’s decision. - The car in the snow in front of a huge rock mountain

sound track 8

The "iraq ain't like on television" comes out great, as the word "iraq"
stays invisible in the car's light until late in the frame, delivering
more of a punch.

[apnu]

2. Stupid is as stupid does

I think user generated marketing is not only stupid, but its cheap and sleazy IMO. These companies are so greedy that they get their own consumers (already over paying for cars) to do the ad work for them for what... one grand-prize trip to Tahitti and 5 iPods? And people fall for this? Stupid indeed.

[B3Nut]

3. Yeah, but DUers sure had fun with it! n/t

[Robb]

5. Plus, we're talking about it

Any of us going to buy a Tahoe? Probably not. But if you get tens of thousands talking about a product, at next to no advertising cost, you're going to see results.

Dumb like a fox. To mix metaphors. :D

[central scrutinizer]

6. nice collection here:

http://news.com.com/1606-2_3-6056633.html?tag=cnetfd.sd

[Ian David]

7. Here are my Chevy Tahoe commercials

Chevy Tahoe: Stop laughing at my penis.
http://www.chevyapprentice.com/view.php?country=us&uniqueid=e37b4996-13bb-1029-98eb-0013724ff5a7


I am become Death, destroyer of worlds.
http://www.chevyapprentice.com/view.php?country=us&uniqueid=3bd44406-1337-1029-98eb-0013724ff5a7



Chevy Tahoe: For Great Justice!
http://www.chevyapprentice.com/view.php?country=us&uniqueid=6ca16314-13b6-1029-98eb-0013724ff5a7



Chevy Tahoe: I am the wealthiest 1%
http://www.chevyapprentice.com/view.php?country=us&uniqueid=ee43adc8-13c0-1029-98eb-0013724ff5a7



And finally, harkening back to MoveOn.org's "Bush in 30 Seconds" campaign:
http://www.thememoryhole.org/pol/bush-hitler-ads.htm

The Donald says: "Bush, you're Hitler and you're fired"
Donald Trump and Chevrolet compare Bush to Hitler
http://www.chevyapprentice.com/view.php?country=us&uniqueid=cbb7591c-14a6-1029-98eb-0013724ff5a7




More commercials by DUers:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x812060

[mumon]

8. This wasn't as dumb an idea as it might sound...

if Chevy folks were thinking "what's the worst our critics will say about us?" I would hope they would, but then again they may be too dense.

[NoSunWithoutShadow]

9. These were done by fellow DU'ers.

They are Excellent. I apologize for not keeping their names with their ads. Yoga and Austin Powers themes and more. You guys are so creative!

(The Tahoe web site seems to have removed several others I e-mailed to friends. I suspect it's because they used words or themes that the FCC would not approve of.) I love these:


http://www.chevyapprentice.com/view.php?country=us&uniqueid=80d1e136-1192-1029-98eb-0013724ff5a7

http://www.chevyapprentice.com/view.php?country=us&uniqueid=d39a6132-11b9-1029-98eb-0013724ff5a7

http://www.chevyapprentice.com/view.php?country=us&uniqueid=e131cdaa-1176-1029-98eb-0013724ff5a7

http://www.chevyapprentice.com/view.php?country=us&uniqueid=5123e4c8-1199-1029-98eb-0013724ff5a7

http://www.chevyapprentice.com/view.php?country=us&uniqueid=5eed57b2-11ce-1029-98eb-0013724ff5a7

http://www.chevyapprentice.com/view.php?country=us&uniqueid=380a143c-10b6-1029-98eb-0013724ff5a7

http://www.chevyapprentice.com/view.php?country=us&uniqueid=a7cb014a-10b7-1029-98eb-0013724ff5a7

http://www.chevyapprentice.com/view.php?country=us&uniqueid=25961dbc-10b8-1029-98eb-0013724ff5a7

http://www.chevyapprentice.com/view.php?country=us&uniqueid=ffb3e0d4-10fd-1029-98eb-0013724ff5a7

http://www.chevyapprentice.com/view.php?country=us&uniqueid=99ea8176-10f4-1029-98eb-0013724ff5a7

http://www.chevyapprentice.com/view.php?country=us&uniqueid=e628972a-114f-1029-98eb-0013724ff5a7

(And I especially love this last one:)

http://www.chevyapprentice.com/view.php?country=us&uniqueid=66067bb4-1160-1029-98eb-0013724ff5a7

[NoSunWithoutShadow]

10. The Chevy Tahoe site goes down next Monday April 10.

I didn't make an ad but I'm so impressed with the DU'ers that did. So here's a :kick:

Edit: Clarity for which site goes down on 4/10/06.

[Whoa_Nelly]

11. Here's mine--Thanks Kaloogian for the GREAT Idea! BWAHAHAHAHA

http://tinyurl.com/j5kpf