Find Old Roads: GM's Advertising Cromagnons Strike Back

Bertel Schmitt
by Bertel Schmitt

When I was in the automotive propaganda business, one of the most horrifying experiences were changes on the top. CEOs could come and go without drama. Changing marketing managers meant serious trouble. It’s a bit like Indian widow-burning: He goes, you go up in flames. When Joel Ewanick came to GM, he had his old buddies Goodby, Silverstein in tow. When Joel left, the funeral pyre was assembled for Goodby.

Here come the matches.

Officially, General Motors Co’s Chevrolet brand “is consolidating its global advertising”, as Reuters reports. In actuality, the Goodby hotshop is out, and McCann, the agency that (along with Interpublic Group member Campbell-Ewald) did GM business since the days of the hand crank, is in sole control.

When Ewanick wanted to give the job to Goodby, Joel ran into a wall of passive-aggressiveness. A political compromise was reached. Interpublic Group’s McCann and Omnicom Group’s Goodby, Silverstein & Partners created a joint venture called Commonwealth.

Picture a joint venture between the Wahhabi Muslims and the Holy Rollers and you have a feeling for how long that joint venture would last after the spiritual leader’s departure.

With Goodby gone, Commonwealth officially continues as Chevrolet’s global advertising agency. De facto, it is a counter-coup by the old cronies.

With McCann back in the saddle, expect more of the same old from GM: Cars that look like you’ve seen them ages ago, launched with recycled commercials.

Bertel Schmitt
Bertel Schmitt

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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  • Domestic Hearse Domestic Hearse on Mar 15, 2013

    Just as soon as you, the agency incumbent, are broomed, the headcount painfully reduced, and you've gone back home to lick your wounds and scurry to find a new client, they call you. "Yeah, sorry about all that. How would you feel about coming back on. We've got a few projects that need your help." And you leap back in bed with the devil. To wit, Campbell-Ewald returning to the GM roster, not for Chevy, but for Cadillac. Will it last 100 years like the last run? Time will tell.

  • Marcelo de Vasconcellos Marcelo de Vasconcellos on Mar 15, 2013

    I love this kind of backstage expose from someone who really knows what's it's all about. As to GM marketing, suffice to say I can't remember a single print ad or tv spot.

  • APaGttH APaGttH on Mar 15, 2013

    I don't get the ire with "Find new roads." I don't see it as being any better or worse than, "Let's go places."

    • Lorenzo Lorenzo on Mar 16, 2013

      They could have tried, "Our cars will still be running, badly, long after that Beemer has stopped running at all."

  • PrincipalDan PrincipalDan on Mar 16, 2013

    Hello Peter, whats happening? Ummm, I'm gonna need you to go ahead come in tomorrow. So if you could be here around 9 that would be great, mmmk... oh oh! and I almost forgot ahh, I'm also gonna need you to go ahead and come in on Sunday too, kay. We ahh lost some people this week and ah, we sorta need to play catch up. (forgive me but this quote got stuck in my head reading the article)

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