Buick Shifts from 'Dream' to 'Precision'

[Cananopie]

I know we've covered the new move on advertising Buick has started in a couple other posts, but this article is very in depth and gives a very clear look on what Buick is planning on doing so I started another topic:

Buick Shifts From 'Dream' to 'Precision'

By STUART ELLIOTT
Published: November 18, 2005

THE struggling Buick division of General Motors is changing campaigns for the second time in little more than a year.

Advertising that since fall 2004 had carried the theme "Dream up," featuring the Aerosmith song "Dream On" - up, on, who can keep track? - is being discarded in favor of a campaign proclaiming that Buick offers cars built of a quality so exacting it is "Beyond precision."

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/18/business/media/18adco.html

[buyacargetacheck]

I'll hold off judging McCann's new effort until I've seen the commercials, but I'm skeptical. Buick has a great quality reputation and they should not hide that advantage. But "precision" is the price of entry in this world of meticulously screwed together $15000 Corollas. Has McCann, Buick, GM forgotten what sells??? Buick is about understated flash (sex) wrapped around quiet comfort. These people should remember the line "Wouldn't You Really Rather Have a Buick" and work backwards from there.

[CARBIZ]

Every division of GM is suffering this fate, proving that once you've lost consumer confidence it is very tough to get back. There is an entire generation of car buyers who grew up in the '80s when Detroit suffered through numerous problems (many that were not their own fault, I might add!). These buyers will not consider an American car, plain and simple. Coaxing them back is going to be a Hurculean task. Winning over the media is the first task, IMO. Even if it doesn't make a lot of sense, build cars that CR and MT will like, so at least GM can get their blessing. Even Hyundai is getting audacious, selling at $30,000 luxury car! GM is getting hit from above and below, with Kia and Hyundai chipping away at Chevrolet while Lexus and Infiniti chip away at Buick and Cadillac.

[Stoopsbuick]

The thing that irratates me is how the press is so anti-American...It seems like everytime there's a problem with a GM car they love to just expose it and blow it out of porportion but if the Japanesse have a problem (i.e. the Toyota sluge or "gel" buildup problem) ask anyone in the general public and they've never heard about it. But if there's a recall over a bad sunvisor screw on a GM car it seems the whole world knows. I'm just tired of hearing about how "superior" and "reliable" those cars are when GM's products are just as good if not better.

[wildcat]

Thanks, Cananopie, for posting this.
Here's a similar, but shorter story, from Brandweek magazine.