Nissan Disses Ford. Brazilian Rip Off Rap Yanked
There is was a new ad out in Brazil. 1 minute 39 seconds long (at least in its director’s cut Youtube version). For 1 minute and 26 seconds, it shows the Ford Focus. Only a short 13 seconds long it shows the Nissan Tiida (better known as the Versa in the U.S.). The full length of the ad is paid by Nissan. Nearly one and a half minutes of free advertising for Ford. And is Ford happy? No, they are hip-hopping mad.
“Unamused Ford executives filed for a court injunction against Nissan to get the ad off the air, citing ‘improper brand use,’” reports Brandchannel. “The ad indeed disappeared from the national airwaves a few weeks ago.” Now it’s viral.
In a riff on the VeeDub pimp my ride spots, the ad has dressed-in-white rapping Ford engineers, accompanied by chunky bikini-beauties that will delight BBW aficionados. As Marcelo de Vasconcellos will (hopefully) attest, the rapping engineers brag how they amass bling by ripping Ford customers off with their overpriced Focus.
The payoff: The Tiida costs $1,806 less than the Brazilian Ford Focus. Oh well. But if you are a fancier of full bodied women …
Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.
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It is not an advertisement for Nissan, but an ad slandering Ford with ridiculous and improbable claims. It is an irresponsible ad. Whether or not it is told with humor doesn't make it any less irresponsible. Nissan should be slapped hard over this and if they are using an agency in Rio to create this slander, then that agency should be fired, along with the Nissan executives who approved it for air time. Imagine if Chrysler claimed that Honda engineers took the monetary difference between a 200 and an Accord, and spent it pimping with Geisha girls in Ginza while bragging how stupid Accord buyers are for giving them the extra cash. Instead of funny hip-hop, we see the Japanese actors singing Pink Lady disco music. Hilarious? Nah - just freaking embarrassing. It isn't an ad. It isn't funny. It is slander. Heads should roll.
The truth about Nissan's commercials dissing other brands? You'll have to ask Nissan execs... Saying that, I'd venture to say that Nissan is desperate for some mind space. These commercials are meant to point out that you'll pay much more for a competing model that may or may not have all the qualities of a Nissan. I'd venture to say there are desperate for mind space. If the typical Brazilian consumer thinks of buying one of these cars he'll think first VW Golf and Fiat Bravo. Then he'll remember Focus. After that he'll recollect that Chevy offers Astra and Vectra GT. He might even look into what Kia and Hyundai have to offer. Nissan will probably not cross his mind. So this is a bid by Nissan to get their name discussed. Having said that, I'd also venture that what they want is to beat the drums for the coming compact March. That car is mission critical. As renault has failed with Clio, if March sells, then naturally Tiida and Sentra enter consumer's mind. You rarely see a Nissan on streets. As Bertel surely knows, the more a car is seen on the streets, the more it sells. So all of this is due to getting brand recognized and shopped and making noise for March. Now, what's the point of making expensive commercials if they get pulled after few days? I don't know. Maybe it would work if they had a "tamer" version to follow-up, but they just get more aggressive. Let's see if it works for them. BTW if you click on my name, you'll find links to another two posts of mine talking about Nissan's commercials.
Funny that THERE IS a brand exactly doing what this ad is all about...using the huge amount of money you have to pay extra for one of their cars spending it on Brazilian prostitutes... (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/prostitution/news/article.cfm?c_id=612&objectid=10486639) VeeDub is in da house!
Brazil has the European focus right? If so it's laughable that Nissan would even consider the Versa a deal at 1,806 less.