New Malibu Ad

[the_yellow_dart]

"An Accord is, by definition, a compromise"

[Drew Dowdell]

Zing!

[regfootball]

LMAO!

[ocnblu]

[caddycruiser]

Having followed the GM marketing peeps on Twitter, who talked a lot about the "new ads" today...I want to see them.

My gosh, if they finally focus on the car & $h! honestly on the competitor's...which I've dreamed of them doing forever...wow.

[Dsuupr]

That is a BEAUTIFUL tagline.

[!!!TED!!!]

I was out driving last night, when I came across this billboard....

PWNED

[siegen]

That ad doesn't make any sense. Is it supposed to be some sort of blow against the Honda Accord? Are they referring to the dictionary definition of accord?

–noun

5. proper relationship or proportion; harmony.

6. a harmonious union of sounds, colors, etc.

By definition, isn't any attempted insult levied against the Accord (or Camry) a direct insult on the Malibu as well? Seeing as how the current Malibu is an imitation of those cars?

GM's new standoffish marketing strategies are in bad taste, IMO. Instead of advertising the virtues of their new vehicles, they relentlessly bash the competition with anecdotes and skewed facts to support silly "Look at how awesome we are!" tag lines, such as this.

[Z-06]

That ad doesn't make any sense. Is it supposed to be some sort of blow against the Honda Accord? Are they referring to the dictionary definition of accord?

–noun

5. proper relationship or proportion; harmony.

6. a harmonious union of sounds, colors, etc.

By definition, isn't any attempted insult levied against the Accord (or Camry) a direct insult on the Malibu as well? Seeing as how the current Malibu is an imitation of those cars?

GM's new standoffish marketing strategies are in bad taste, IMO. Instead of advertising the virtues of their new vehicles, they relentlessly bash the competition with anecdotes and skewed facts to support silly "Look at how awesome we are!" tag lines, such as this.

If you want semantics.

Accord does mean compromise - for e.g. - an accord was signed by warring parties.

How can it be in bad taste when Lexus does marketing with its RX-300 and had so called German engineers inspecting it and the ad said too bad it is not German? How is it in bad taste when Audi zoomed in its Q5 in a plethora of RX350's? How can you say it is in bad taste when you have Turd ads saying their truck xxx and our truck Biga$$ xxxx - the First ever Toyota Turd?

[FAPTurbo]

GM's new standoffish marketing strategies are in bad taste, IMO. Instead of advertising the virtues of their new vehicles, they relentlessly bash the competition with anecdotes and skewed facts to support silly "Look at how awesome we are!" tag lines, such as this.

I'll see you, and raise you this, Mister Audi.

http://www.bmwblog.com/2009/04/13/billboar...ar-bmw-vs-audi/

[trinacriabob]

I'm not sure the negative campaign tactic is a good approach.

This is a little bit more pungent than what Fusion/Milan dish out against their competition, which is facts -- the reliability of those cars has been remarkable vis-a-vis their Japanese competition.

Flash back 10 years - the Intrigue commercials were very sexy, for lack of a better word. They made you aware that this was a different car within that genre, hence the tag line "a sophisticated twist on the sports sedan." If one went further, into print ads and into automotive reviews, they would see the inevitable comparison to CamCord.

It's worth a chuckle, but its credibility isn't the best. They need to sell this car on its merits.

Edited October 29, 2009 by trinacriabob

[Drew Dowdell]

I don't think Chevy is being maliciously negative... I think it's just a zinger meant to make you chuckle.

[SAmadei]

I don't think Chevy is being maliciously negative... I think it's just a zinger meant to make you chuckle.

I don't think its being that maliciously negative, either. I chuckled... but then thinking about the situation... the Accord is a compromise... just as most of the four door appliances are... a compromise between cost, space and flair. The Malibu is a compromise, as well. OTOH, a Camaro, a Suburban, a CTS-V are NOT compromises.

[Blake Noble]

People bitched when GM wasn't putting aggressive ads like this out there. Now people are bitching that GM has finally done it.

[siegen]

If you want semantics.

Accord does mean compromise - for e.g. - an accord was signed by warring parties.

GM is the one grasping for straws, not me.

How can it be in bad taste when Lexus does marketing with its RX-300 and had so called German engineers inspecting it and the ad said too bad it is not German? How is it in bad taste when Audi zoomed in its Q5 in a plethora of RX350's? How can you say it is in bad taste when you have Turd ads saying their truck xxx and our truck Biga$$ xxxx - the First ever Toyota Turd?

Firstly, it doesn't matter what Toyota does because they're immoral and wrong. End of story. Secondly, the rivalry between Audi and BMW (and Audi and Lexus for that matter) is not the same. You don't see Audi putting up billboards saying "Look at what I Bought My Wife". You see vehicle comparisons, usually with a good degree of cleverness or class. GM, on the other hand, attempts to belittle Honda by poking fun at its name or trying to imply they are lesser of a car company because they make lawn mowers. And that football guy annoys the sh!t out of me.

Honda hasn't falling for GM's provocations, and I hope they don't. It makes GM appear desperate. ;-]

I'll see you, and raise you this, Mister Audi.

http://www.bmwblog.com/2009/04/13/billboar...ar-bmw-vs-audi/

I've seen that one before, pretty good!

[Drew Dowdell]

GM is the one grasping for straws, not me.

When I hear the word Accord. The first non-Honda thing I think of is "peace accord" like the Camp David Accords...... truces/agreements/compromises.

[CARBIZ]

That ad doesn't make any sense. Is it supposed to be some sort of blow against the Honda Accord? Are they referring to the dictionary definition of accord?

–noun

5. proper relationship or proportion; harmony.

6. a harmonious union of sounds, colors, etc.

By definition, isn't any attempted insult levied against the Accord (or Camry) a direct insult on the Malibu as well? Seeing as how the current Malibu is an imitation of those cars?

GM's new standoffish marketing strategies are in bad taste, IMO. Instead of advertising the virtues of their new vehicles, they relentlessly bash the competition with anecdotes and skewed facts to support silly "Look at how awesome we are!" tag lines, such as this.

Well, apparently it is working, it put your knickers in a knot!

GM needs to be more aggressive, plain and simple. Some of it will work, some of it won't - that's the nature of advertising. I, for one, laughed my ass off when I saw this ad. These ads need to get noticed. If I see one more 'Zoom, Zoom,' Mazda commercial, I will puke - but it worked.

Compared to the Malibu, the Accord is definitely a 'compromise.' When I was still in sales, we spent the day at a seminar comparing the Accord to the Malibu, and from the crappy rear suspension struts intruding into the trunk to the noisy engine (we could clearly hear the Accord 4 cylinder engine running when it was at idle, 30 feet farther away then the also running 4 cylinder Malibu!), the Malibu was superior in virtually every aspect. Sadly, as evidenced by the numerous deals I lost at the time, even customers who drove the Accord and preferred the Malibu were too nervous to buy the Malibu due to the negative press about GM's possible demise! (I'd wager the pre-bankruptcy media frenzy cost GM more sales then the recession!)

And anyone who doesn't think the modern useage of 'Accord,' as in Camp David (like the Israelis and each thought they got a great deal!), means anything other than 'compromise' is too dependent on dictionaries - or, more likely Wikipedia! for facts.)

[siegen]

Well, apparently it is working, it put your knickers in a knot!

GM needs to be more aggressive, plain and simple. Some of it will work, some of it won't - that's the nature of advertising. I, for one, laughed my ass off when I saw this ad. These ads need to get noticed. If I see one more 'Zoom, Zoom,' Mazda commercial, I will puke - but it worked.

Compared to the Malibu, the Accord is definitely a 'compromise.' When I was still in sales, we spent the day at a seminar comparing the Accord to the Malibu, and from the crappy rear suspension struts intruding into the trunk to the noisy engine (we could clearly hear the Accord 4 cylinder engine running when it was at idle, 30 feet farther away then the also running 4 cylinder Malibu!), the Malibu was superior in virtually every aspect. Sadly, as evidenced by the numerous deals I lost at the time, even customers who drove the Accord and preferred the Malibu were too nervous to buy the Malibu due to the negative press about GM's possible demise! (I'd wager the pre-bankruptcy media frenzy cost GM more sales then the recession!)

And anyone who doesn't think the modern useage of 'Accord,' as in Camp David (like the Israelis and each thought they got a great deal!), means anything other than 'compromise' is too dependent on dictionaries - or, more likely Wikipedia! for facts.)

Curious, was that seminar manufacturer-sponsored?

It doesn't change the fact that if the Accord is a "compromise" then so is the Malibu. Slight differences in engine noise or materials doesn't change that.

GM was the one using the phrase "By definition", and not "By modern understanding of the word".

[daves87rs]

People bitched when GM wasn't putting aggressive ads like this out there. Now people are bitching that GM has finally done it.

I noticed.

It's about time.

GM needs to grow some ballls or get out of the market all together....

GM needs not to worry about other's feelings anyways....

[CARBIZ]

Curious, was that seminar manufacturer-sponsored?

It doesn't change the fact that if the Accord is a "compromise" then so is the Malibu. Slight differences in engine noise or materials doesn't change that.

GM was the one using the phrase "By definition", and not "By modern understanding of the word".

Well, the dictionaries are always evolving. New words are added, deleted and altered every year. Seriously, you are nitpicking: by your definition, poetry and dramatic license should not exist. So much for Hollywood and literature - be gone!

As to my remarks about our GM-sponsored seminars (back in the day): first off, they were fairly balanced, even pointing out where we missed the mark or where the competition did one better. Secondly, what I love about armchair critics is when they base their opinion on renting a car for the weekend or a test drive at the dealership. What I miss about working at a dealership (and probably the ONLY thing!) is that I would often change cars every week. I would love scamming used (as in current model year) competitor's offerings. (One of my last temporary drives when I was at the dealership was an American-destined Ford Crown Victoria - I've always had a weakness for those old, RWD boats!) I would keep some cars for a few months, but then change them up again. (I even had a Mazda Protege for a few weeks because we couldn't sell the 5 spd stick sedan!) So, my opinions (and they are just that) are based on driving hundreds of vehicles from '97 to early '09. I'd say that covers it. Oh, and add to my resume EVERY car made in North America in the early '80s when I worked at the Plaza II Hotel as a car jockey.

So much more than reading R&T or haunting dealer lots on the weekends, no?

[Camino LS6]

"By definition" is correct.

And the ad did its job - the only metric useful in judging such things.

[siegen]

Well, the dictionaries are always evolving. New words are added, deleted and altered every year. Seriously, you are nitpicking: by your definition, poetry and dramatic license should not exist. So much for Hollywood and literature - be gone!

As to my remarks about our GM-sponsored seminars (back in the day): first off, they were fairly balanced, even pointing out where we missed the mark or where the competition did one better. Secondly, what I love about armchair critics is when they base their opinion on renting a car for the weekend or a test drive at the dealership. What I miss about working at a dealership (and probably the ONLY thing!) is that I would often change cars every week. I would love scamming used (as in current model year) competitor's offerings. (One of my last temporary drives when I was at the dealership was an American-destined Ford Crown Victoria - I've always had a weakness for those old, RWD boats!) I would keep some cars for a few months, but then change them up again. (I even had a Mazda Protege for a few weeks because we couldn't sell the 5 spd stick sedan!) So, my opinions (and they are just that) are based on driving hundreds of vehicles from '97 to early '09. I'd say that covers it. Oh, and add to my resume EVERY car made in North America in the early '80s when I worked at the Plaza II Hotel as a car jockey.

So much more than reading R&T or haunting dealer lots on the weekends, no?

I think you're blowing things a bit out of proportion. I'm not putting your credentials under scrutiny, nor am I attempting an arm chair critique of the Malibu or Accord. That is all irrelevant to my point.

Who's nitpicking? I gave the current dictionary definition of the word accord, which doesn't contain "compromise". Compromise isn't listed in a list of synonyms for accord either. I used Oxford, Websters, and dictionary.com.

"By definition" is correct.

You bring up an interesting point (although not purposely). Who's to say what dictionary GM has to use? While Oxford, Webster's, and dictionary.com don't list compromise, it turns out that thefreedictionary.com does. GM need only find a dictionary that lists the definition they want. But that simply leads to the second point: if the Accord is a compromise, what does that make the Malibu?

[Camino LS6]

It doesn't matter.

The tagline is defensible, witty, and memorable.

Exactly what a tagline should be.

[Camino LS6]

How about this example of the usage: " Today GM and the UAW reached an tentative accord after marathon negotiations..."

Even using "agreement" in the definition implies "compromise"

It's valid.

[CARBIZ]

Siegen, you do realize that entire courses are taught in colleges all over the world that spend years discussing examples of symbolism, allegory, ironical statment, etc, etc, etc in the media, advertising, literature, poetry... hell, pornos!!!

Geez, sit in any court room or political arena for an hour and you'll see dicitonaries being bent, twisted and lobotomized......

It's just an ad...

[regfootball]

what i find great is it finally suggests to all those accord driving zombies that what they have been lauding as Jesus on a stick instead is actually just something a little better than the mendoza line.

the accord doesn't cure cancer. the accord doesn't pay for your child's college. it doesn't get you laid by the hot 20 something secretary at work, and it doesn't make your kid crack the starting lineup on the soccer team.

what the underlying tone of the tag line is, is, so apparently its the best, but what has it done for you? Something so excellently perfect? Then why is it so soulless? Has there EVER been a Honda car that stirred the emotion?

Chevy is basically saying, you only bought the accord because of its reputation as an appliance, and we are here to tell you you are missing something. The Malibu just might be PERFECTLY EXCELLENT.

Toyota is a little bit smart. They knew that Camry nation would wane, so they reincarnated the Camry as a Venza to steal those who are sick of UJS appliances and decided to latch on to crossovers. Honda is in a way quite f@#ked because not only did they botch the latest Accord in terms of design, they really screwed the pooch with the Crostour. Miserably. So while Toyota can lose a Camry sale and be fairly confident they can make it up with a Venza sale, Honda has to worry about how they have basically effed up almost every product launch the last couple years by replacing a current model with one that is harder to sell. So now if even Chevy can start to pile on the Honda pile.........and Chevy can because even though the Malibu is not head and shoulders above mid pack, it has at least some emotion to it. I think they are picking on the Accord and Honda because quite honestly Honda has done plenty to deserve getting picked on.

[FAPTurbo]

Siegen, you do realize that entire courses are taught in colleges all over the world that spend years discussing examples of symbolism, allegory, ironical statment, etc, etc, etc in the media, advertising, literature, poetry... hell, pornos!!!

Geez, sit in any court room or political arena for an hour and you'll see dicitonaries being bent, twisted and lobotomized......

Is that a course offered out East? I can't seem to find that one in BC. =[

[Intrepidation]

Funny, I remember Honda taking a swing at the Domestics during the bankruptcy stuff in at least one of their ads. Something along the lines of "You do what you're doing, we'll keep building cars"

Of course I'm sure siegen will find a way to spin it.

As for GM's ad. I thought it was clever. I got a chuckle out of it and I'll remember it. That's what matters in adverting.