http://www.freep.com/article/20100903/BUSINESS0103/100903056/1210/Business01/Chevrolet-picks-Michigans-Tim-Allen-as-its-new-voiceBy Chrissie Thompson
FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER
Chevrolet has tapped comedian Tim Allen as the voice of the brand, after more than a year of searching for a new marketing theme.
Michigan native Allen’s voice, most recently famous as that of Buzz Lightyear in Pixar’s “Toy Story” movies, will debut in Chevrolet Cruze commercials that launch Tuesday, General Motors said today in a statement. GM touted Allen as a car guy whose car collection includes two vehicles he helped personalize: a 1996 Chevrolet LT5 Impala SS and a 2000 Cadillac DeVille DTSi.
GM intends to use the Cruze, which goes on sale in mid-September, to convince customers who have flocked to Toyota and Honda that it can make a high-quality compact sedan.
The Cruze marketing campaign, titled “Accolades,” will include comparisons with competing vehicles like the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla and will quote car reviewers’ praise of Chevrolet’s newest offering. Cruze will also have its own marketing tag line, Chevrolet small-car marketer Margaret Brooks said this week, although she declined to reveal the slogan.
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