DETROIT — Chevrolet's extensive TV advertising presence during the Summer Olympics will focus on its upcoming Traverse crossover, its just-introduced Malibu Hybrid, on fuel-economy stories including the much-anticipated Volt plug-in hybrid — and even a bit on its Silverado pickup truck.
The brand will dominate General Motors' major sponsorship of the Beijing games beginning today and over the next 16 days, when an estimated 60 percent of Americans will watch some portion on TV. Chevrolet will occupy about two-thirds of GM's advertising minutes, Kim Kosak, Chevy's general director of advertising and sales promotion, told reporters on Thursday. GM corporate spots will take up most of the rest of the ad time.
"Our goal is to close the gap between consumers' perceptions of Chevy...and the reality of our cars and trucks," Kosak said. The Beijing event represents the end of the brand's 10-year sponsorship agreement with the Olympics.
Olympic ads will commence the pre-launch phase for Traverse, the Lambda-platform crossover that debuts in September. Using the slogan, "Everything You've Ever Wished For...and Then Some," one Traverse spot depicts a hunk of a man ironing clothes and cleaning the toilet for his wife or girlfriend.
For today, Chevy also plans a "home-page takeover" similar to its domination of Web advertising one day last October when it launched the new Malibu. "We're taking Toyota Highlander and Honda Pilot head-on in the digital space...to convince consumers to wait for Traverse," Kosak said.
Online ads will tout the Traverse's edge in seating over the Highlander, for instance, and in cargo space over the Pilot; when consumers click on a banner ad making a comparison, they'll arrive at the new Traverse microsite.
Kosak said that, over the past several months, Chevy already has garnered more than 900,000 consumer visits to the Traverse site and more than 30,000 hand-raisers.
TV ads for the Malibu Hybrid during the Olympics will include a spot that depicts the car driving through a forest and promotes it as "the most affordable midsize hybrid in America."
Chevy also will run a stream of ads designed "to change consumers' perceptions" about the fuel efficiency of its vehicles, Kosak said. One such spot ends rather incongruously with a long look at the Volt concept vehicle and its planned 2010 introduction date.
"We wanted Volt to be an important punctuation to the spot," Kosak explained. "It's the first [ad] where we've brought [Volt] to the market this clearly."
Perhaps surprisingly as Americans continue to turn from pickup trucks in droves, Chevy also is using considerable Olympics air time and at least three new ads to promote the Silverado, including one that features real long-time owners in their various lines of work.
"There are still many buyers who need [the features] of a full-size truck," Kosak said. "They want reassurance that [it] can perform for them in today's economic climate and will cost less to operate, get the best fuel economy, that it is high quality and that it will last.
"Some of our competitors have relied on dramatic product demonstrations" of their trucks, she said. "But our research is finding that this approach isn't driving more consideration or showroom traffic. [Chevy] beats the competition by making an emotional connection with real-world truck drivers."
What this means to you: Chevrolet's Olympic marketing will put on full display how one important auto brand is re-tailoring its appeals to consumers based on practicality above all things. — Dale Buss, Correspondent
The brand will dominate General Motors' major sponsorship of the Beijing games beginning today and over the next 16 days, when an estimated 60 percent of Americans will watch some portion on TV. Chevrolet will occupy about two-thirds of GM's advertising minutes, Kim Kosak, Chevy's general director of advertising and sales promotion, told reporters on Thursday. GM corporate spots will take up most of the rest of the ad time.
"Our goal is to close the gap between consumers' perceptions of Chevy...and the reality of our cars and trucks," Kosak said. The Beijing event represents the end of the brand's 10-year sponsorship agreement with the Olympics.
Olympic ads will commence the pre-launch phase for Traverse, the Lambda-platform crossover that debuts in September. Using the slogan, "Everything You've Ever Wished For...and Then Some," one Traverse spot depicts a hunk of a man ironing clothes and cleaning the toilet for his wife or girlfriend.
For today, Chevy also plans a "home-page takeover" similar to its domination of Web advertising one day last October when it launched the new Malibu. "We're taking Toyota Highlander and Honda Pilot head-on in the digital space...to convince consumers to wait for Traverse," Kosak said.
Online ads will tout the Traverse's edge in seating over the Highlander, for instance, and in cargo space over the Pilot; when consumers click on a banner ad making a comparison, they'll arrive at the new Traverse microsite.
Kosak said that, over the past several months, Chevy already has garnered more than 900,000 consumer visits to the Traverse site and more than 30,000 hand-raisers.
TV ads for the Malibu Hybrid during the Olympics will include a spot that depicts the car driving through a forest and promotes it as "the most affordable midsize hybrid in America."
Chevy also will run a stream of ads designed "to change consumers' perceptions" about the fuel efficiency of its vehicles, Kosak said. One such spot ends rather incongruously with a long look at the Volt concept vehicle and its planned 2010 introduction date.
"We wanted Volt to be an important punctuation to the spot," Kosak explained. "It's the first [ad] where we've brought [Volt] to the market this clearly."
Perhaps surprisingly as Americans continue to turn from pickup trucks in droves, Chevy also is using considerable Olympics air time and at least three new ads to promote the Silverado, including one that features real long-time owners in their various lines of work.
"There are still many buyers who need [the features] of a full-size truck," Kosak said. "They want reassurance that [it] can perform for them in today's economic climate and will cost less to operate, get the best fuel economy, that it is high quality and that it will last.
"Some of our competitors have relied on dramatic product demonstrations" of their trucks, she said. "But our research is finding that this approach isn't driving more consideration or showroom traffic. [Chevy] beats the competition by making an emotional connection with real-world truck drivers."
What this means to you: Chevrolet's Olympic marketing will put on full display how one important auto brand is re-tailoring its appeals to consumers based on practicality above all things. — Dale Buss, Correspondent
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