Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Videos

Super Bowl commercials always generate buzz, and this year, Hyundai’s going to have company in the automotive sector. Bridgestone signed Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head for one of two commercials that will air during the big game, and a teaser video offers a tantalizing glimpse of what we’ll be seeing as we gulp down nachos and wings. The February 1st event will be the Potato Heads first outing in a Super Bowl ad. Out for a little bit of top-down motoring in their Pontiac Solstice, the starchy couple suddenly find themselves bearing down on a pack of sheep in the road. We’ll have to tune in to the halftime show to see if it ends with mashed potatoes, but for now, at least there are cool behind-the-scenes videos to watch (after the jump).

In a second commercial, a pair of astronauts tear around some other planet in a hot rod moon-buggy. Again, we’ll have to tune in for the answer to the question “Whats the hottest thing on four wheels?” While the Tater spot has the big-name talent, we’re more intrigued by what otherworldly treat might be in store for us when the answer to Bridgestone’s question is revealed. This is the second year Bridgestone has advertised during the Super Bowl, and the company is also sponsoring the halftime show with Bruce Springsteen. Looks like we’ll have to make that halftime break a quick one. Teaser spots and behind the scenes videos posted after the jump

[Source: Bridgestone]

Continue reading VIDEO: Bridgestone Super Bowl spot stars Mr. Potato Head

VIDEO: Bridgestone Super Bowl spot stars Mr. Potato Head originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 31 Jan 2009 09:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue...

Filed under: Trends, Minivans/MPVs, Euro, Plants/Manufacturing, Marketing/Advertising, Volkswagen, Celebrities

Evidently, early consumer feedback suggests that Fahrvergnügen is not spelled “R-o-u-t-a-n.” Volkswagen has reportedly asked Chrysler Canada to temporarily halt production for the month of February on its new ported-over minivan.

Initial Routan sales have been slow, with the Windsor Star reporting that around 29,000 units have been shipped to dealers, but only a few thousand have actually been sold. The production stoppage should help stem the supply overage somewhat, but all signs point to the Routan having a rough road ahead - and not just because of the increasingly dire economic climate. VW’s Brooke Shields “Routan Boom” ad campaign appears to have drawn more quizzical looks and outright scorn than potential buyers, and critics are questioning how well the vehicle lines up with VW’s brand image.

If nothing else, the Routan clearly has the finest interior of any model in the Chrysler minivan family and a quick spin by this author suggests that it’s the best driving, too. Still, those positive aspects don’t appear to be enough to guarantee homes for the 300 or so Routans leaving the plant each day.

[Windsor Star via Kicking Tires]

Routan Bust? VW asks Chrysler to stop building minivans for February originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Jan 2009 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue...

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Audi, Celebrities

Being that the economy is in the crapper, we’re not expecting this year’s Super Bowl to feature the greatest commercials of all time. Perhaps that’s why we’re fixated on Audi’s advertisement titled “Chase” and starring Jason Statham, seeing as the German automaker is promoting it like a mini feature film. We’ve already shown you a Making Of video and teaser trailer for the ad, both of which are actually longer than the 60-second spot itself. While still have to wait until Saturday evening EST to see the full commercial debut officially on the web, we can watch the 30-second version of “Chase” now thanks to YouTube. Follow the jump to watch this shorter version of “Chase” that you’ll no doubt see enough times after the Super Bowl to make you hurl cheese-covered nachos.

PS: “Chase” is actually an advertisement for Audi’s new supercharged A6, in case anyone cares.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading VIDEO: Short version of Audi Super Bowl commercial “Chase” leaked onto web

VIDEO: Short version of Audi Super Bowl commercial “Chase” leaked onto web originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Jan 2009 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue...

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Chrysler, LLC., Ford, GM

During this Sunday’s Super Bowl, the Big Three automotive advertisers will be Hyundai, Audi and Toyota, not Ford, GM and Chrysler. In fact, the Detroit Three will be completely absent from the proceedings for the first time since 2001. At a going rate of $2.8 million to $3 million per 30-second spot, we can’t say we blame them for sitting this one out. Granted, they’d get roughly 200 million eyeballs for their ads, but with every American citizen watching each and every personal — and governmental — expenditure, it would be hard to justify buying the spots.

Although the bailout has created a circus-like atmosphere around the Detroit Three’s checkbooks, GM for one, had decided as far back as last September not to advertise during Sunday’s game, even though Cadillac is a presenter. Ford thought it unreasonable as well. So what will we see in place of Howie Long and Mike Rowe? How about Jason Statham pitching the new Audi A6, Transporter style. Hyundai will be pushing the North American Car of the Year award-winning Genesis, reminding people of the company’s buy-it-back program if they become unemployed. Sounds good, but we wish they wouldn’t have banned the Danica ad.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

Good Call: Detroit 3 opt out of Super Bowl ads originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Jan 2009 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue...

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Ford

Ford Motor Company founder Henry Ford may be dead and gone, but the father of modern industry is still stocking his beloved car company with his genetic footprint.

Great granddaughter Elena Ford has held four director-level positions at Henry’s car company, and her newest assignment may be the most important yet. Elena has been named the Blue Oval’s new global marketing director, reporting to marketing vice president Jim Farley. Ms. Ford’s new responsibilities center around unifying marketing campaigns for global products.

The first new vehicle to be marketed with a unified campaign will be the 2011 Ford Focus, which goes on sale in late 2010. the unified marketing message will save the company a lot of money by using single-source ad companies, production crews, and company staff. Elena’s previous position at the family business was executive vice president of global brand and marketing for Ford Motor Credit. Official press release after the jump.

Continue reading In the Family: Elena Ford to lead Blue Oval’s global marketing efforts

In the Family: Elena Ford to lead Blue Oval’s global marketing efforts originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue...

Filed under: Convertibles, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, MINI

The new for 2009 MINI Cooper Cabrio is fashionable, ecologically friendly, and ready for open-air fun. While the new MINI drop-top is many things to many people, its still not a good idea to head through a car wash with the top down. That is, unless you’re MINI and you’re trying to drive home the marketing pitch “Always Open” with a viral video. Hit the jump to view MINI’s a minute and a half clib of a brand new MINI Cabrio going through a car wash with the top down. The guys in the car seem to be having a good time, but we’re not so sure this looks like much fun. On the flip side, it does kind of satisfy that twelve-year-old urge we once had to go through the car wash in a convertible. Please don’t try this at home. Thanks for the tip, Andreas.

Continue reading VIDEO: How not to wash your new MINI convertible

VIDEO: How not to wash your new MINI convertible originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 10:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue...

Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising, GM, Celebrities

Howie Long has set blogger keyboards ablaze with invective. The former footballer’s starring role in Campbell-Ewald’s latest spots for General Motors has some in a froth. We think the spots are funny - calling out the Ford F-150’s “Man-Step,” picking on a heated steering wheel, and pointing out that Chevrolet’s new Traverse crossover holds a demonstration load that the Honda Pilot can’t accommodate. BrandFreak’s Kenneth Hein took particular exception with the Pilot spot, spouting off with a post about how his Pilot has tons of storage space. Yes, it does, Ken, but the Traverse has more (there’s something about an extra 14 inches in length that leads to that sort of thing). The best part is when one of the actors shows up in BrandFreak’s comments, telling it like it is. We expect this kind of fervor from Scion xB owners; but is it really necessary to call Howie Long an arrogant ass? Decide for yourself, spots posted after the jump.

[Source: BrandFreak]

Continue reading VIDEO: Chevrolet Traverse spots cause much ado about Howie

VIDEO: Chevrolet Traverse spots cause much ado about Howie originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 12:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue...

Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Chrysler, LLC., Celebrities

If a company is going to stay in business, there’s no question that it must continue to market itself. Yet Chrysler’s choice to pay to do so via this summer’s Terminator: Salvation is a head-scratcher. Some folks have made an issue — a valid one — of public funds being used to secure the sponsorship. Regardless of who’s paying, we don’t get this at all.

Chrysler’s director of media, Susan Thomson, said “We have a following with the Terminator movies and we are going to continue with that.” We have no idea what following she’s speaking of, unless she means the ancient Dodge police car or equally ancient Jeep from the first film, neither of which made us think, “Chrysler rocks!” A modern, beat-up Wrangler makes a cameo in the latest trailer, but again, it doesn’t leave us jonesing for a Jeep.

When all anyone wants from Chrysler is good looking, ably performing cars, we don’t know what kind of mojo they expect to garner by showing up in the post-apocalypse. However, we also don’t know what Chrysler’s sponsorship entails. It could merely be a “Brought to you by” tag. Or maybe Chrysler just likes the word “Salvation.” Or there could be a shiny red-eyed Terminator sub-frame hauling ass in a 2009 Dodge Ram with lasers and miniguns. Now that would rock. Hat tip to RDS

[Source: Reuters via World Car Fans]

Chrysler sponsors Terminator: Salvation, we see hope, irony originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 24 Jan 2009 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue...

Filed under: Car Buying, Maintenance, Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Lifestyle

Motor Trend is lending its name and brand to a certified used car program at Planet Honda in Union, New Jersey. The program is actually “powered by” EasyCare, a company that provides a suite of contract services like maintenance and repair warranties and GAP insurance to new owners. (EasyCare was a Motor Trend “Best Buy” last year.) Formerly called APCO, EasyCare was until last year a Ford subsidiary. As a private company, it still oversees the certified used car programs for Land Rover, Volvo, Mazda and Jaguar, and works with 3,000 dealerships in the U.S.

Planet Honda - a three-time Honda Excellence Award winner - has been named a Motor Trend Certified Advantage Dealership. That means it has a vehicle certification program approved by MT and provides “a noticeably better buying and ownership experience.” Now, not only does Planet Honda guarantee the quality of the vehicle, but buyers will also get other EasyCare services like paintless dent removal and 24/7 concierge service with the car.

There are three MT Certified Advantage dealerships as of now, and probably more on the way. Sounds like a fine idea; after all, if you have the brand equity, no reason not to cash in on use it. If this does well for them, we just hope they don’t pull a Ferrari and keep squeezing the licensing teat until every possible appliance has been sprayed with the Motor Trend logo. You can read the press release on the program after the jump.

Continue reading Motor Trend getting into the used car business?

Motor Trend getting into the used car business? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 24 Jan 2009 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue...

TVNZCox asks federal court to block tougher Calif. curbs on auto emissionsDetNews.com, MI - 44 minutes ago"The auto industry is working hard to reform and retool. Allowing state-by-state fuel efficiency standards would be devastating to …

Continue...

Monsters and Critics.com'Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and the Damned' Gang Profiles Malc …G4 TV, CA - 2 hours agoRockstar introduces two of the members of the biker gang you'll be jumping into in Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost a…

Continue...

MTV.comGrand Theft Auto 4: Lost and Damned, First Expansion DetailsRevenge of the Podcast Blog - 1 hour agoBy Ali Shah Way before Grand Theft Auto 4 was even out, details about 2 expansions exclusively for Xbox 360 were already buzzing around the …

Continue...

TruckTrend MagazineZAP to Introduce Electric Van and Truck at Nation's Largest Auto …MSNBC - 5 hours agoSANTA ROSA, CA - To help automotive fleets reduce emissions and operating expenses, electric car pioneer ZAP (OTCBB: ZAAP) will debut a f…

Continue...

TVNZCox asks federal court to block tougher California auto emissions …DetNews.com, MI - 6 hours ago"The auto industry is working hard to reform and retool. Allowing state-by-state fuel efficiency standards would be devastating to the …

Continue...

Mich. lawmakers ask Obama to back new auto loansReuters - 8 hours agoWASHINGTON, Jan 23 (Reuters) - The staunchest US auto industry supporters in Congress on Friday asked President Barack Obama to support another $25 billion …Obama's Auto Pl…

Continue...

Dealers Optimistic At Auto ShowMSNBC - 9 hours agoDespite going through one of the worst years in recent memory for car sales, Omaha dealers said they were optimistic that the Midlands International Auto …Wheels & deals Worcester TelegramAut…

Continue...

Michigan lawmakers ask Obama to back new auto loansReuters - 38 minutes agoWASHINGTON (Reuters) - The staunchest US auto industry supporters in Congress on Friday asked President Barack Obama to support another $25 billion in …

Continue...

ABC News• History of trans-Atlantic auto tie-ups not on side of Chrysler …MLive.com, MI - 3 hours agoAP UPDATES by Sven Gustafson | Oakland Business Review The proposed tie-up between Chrysler LLC and Fiat SpA appears to help both compani…

Continue...

CTV.ca• History of trans-Atlantic auto tie-ups not on side of Chrysler …MLive.com, MI - 7 hours agoAP UPDATES by Sven Gustafson | Oakland Business Review The proposed tie-up between Chrysler LLC and Fiat SpA appears to help both companies…

Continue...

The Plain Dealer - cleveland.comGM Ending Shift At Ohio Small-Car Factory; More Cuts To ComeCNNMoney.com - 10 hours ago(GM) will eliminate a shift at a once-booming small-car factory in Lordstown, Ohio , this spring, a local union leader said Frid…

Continue...

Streetsblog Los AngelesFree Ride Ending For LA Employees With Auto PerksMSNBC - 10 hours agoLOS ANGELES — At a time when the city of Los Angeles is facing a multimillion-dollar deficit, as much as $10 million a year could be saved by cutting back…

Continue...

Filed under: Economy, Hybrids/Alternative, Green, Marketing/Advertising, UK

Gordon Murray, the man primarily known for bringing us the McLaren F1 is current working on his 25th clean-sheet design, internally dubbed the T.25. While that’s a perfectly acceptable codename for a project, it lacks the kind of catchy cache necessary when the city car hits dealers. So, it’s with interest that we read about Murray’s trademark requests for the names iStream, iFrame and iCentre in the automotive sector. It’s purely speculation, but there’s a good chance these monikers may be used on Murray’s new microcar. GreenMotor thinks that the car will be called the iStream and that service centers could be iCentres. Sounds plausible enough to us, and we wonder if the innovative flat-packable chassis itself could be the iFrame. Regardless, we’re a bit weary of all the iNamed products already on the market — and Apple’s proclivity towards trademark lawsuits — but we’ll happily overlook that fact if the machine turns out to be as innovative as it sounds.

[Source: GreenMotor]

Will Gordon Murray’s microcar be named iStream? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 23 Jan 2009 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue...

Possible Toyota job cuts as auto crisis roilsReuters - 9 hours agoBy Gilles Castonguay MILAN (Reuters) - A warning of unprecedented staff cuts at Toyota, the world's biggest auto maker, and word of a possible first quarter …

Continue...

Possible Toyota job cuts as auto crisis roilsReuters - 38 minutes agoBy Gilles Castonguay MILAN (Reuters) - A warning of unprecedented staff cuts at Toyota, the world's biggest auto maker, and word of a possible first quarter …

Continue...

NJ sues 4 Sansone auto dealersNewsday, NY - 11 hours agoTRENTON, NJ - Four car dealerships in the Sansone Auto Network in Monmouth and Middlesex counties are accused of violating state consumer fraud laws. …State sues 4 Sansone auto dealers…

Continue...

Auto Dealers Put On Flashy Display At Qwest CenterMSNBC - 10 hours agoIt's no secret that the economy has created a rough road for the auto industry, but that might be hard to determine by the look of the Midlands …

Continue...

NASCAR's Kurt Busch appearing at auto show todayDetroit Free Press, United States - 19 hours agoHe'll be at Cobo Center today for Racing Day at the North American International Auto Show and will sign autographs. Busch, who drives the…

Continue...

MLive.comHow the Detroit auto show almost lost the GermansDetroit Free Press, United States - 20 hours ago11, just as the news media preview for the North American International Auto Show began. They decided to keep Detroit as their main venu…

Continue...

DestructoidHype begins for new Grand Theft Auto gameguardian.co.uk, UK - 21 hours agoIt allegedly cost Microsoft around 50million USD for Xbox 360 exclusivity rights but the upcoming downloadable content for Grand Theft Auto IV sounds …Pri…

Continue...

Firms Keep Lobbying as They Get TARP CashWall Street Journal - 11 hours agoBy ELIZABETH WILLIAMSON and BRODY MULLINS WASHINGTON — Troubled financial institutions and the Detroit auto makers continue to spend heavily on lobbying …Embattled auto …

Continue...