We don't usually crib from The Car Connection (TCC), thanks to an ancient feud involving TTAC's call for automotive websites to publicly declare their junketeering and press fleetage in their posts (a call that Edmunds kinda sorta answered). But credit where credit's due: the guys have stumbled upon a true jewel of a YouTube clip. This ad is more than just "I can't turn away from the weight challenged guy" fascinating. It represents a tacit admission from a car dealer that la règle du jeu have changed. Of course, we don't know if the Clay family dealerships put their fine words into practice, but they are the right words. And the ad doesn't scream or try to sell on price. We applaud Clay for their, uh, courage and [once again] ask TCC to tell their readers when they're sucking on the manufacturers' tit– although this is probably not the best time to use that metaphor.
17 Comments on “Clay Family Dealerships: A Star Is Born...”
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I must applaud that man. He’s shown us everything.
quasimondo :
I must applaud that man. He’s shown us everything.
Thankfully, not everything.
Damn I got beat to the “Well, thankfully not EVERYTHING” but it is worth a second post
It gets worse:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Pgs2T0TYlE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzQYXSLlgXM
Makes me want to go to Boston to buy my next car.
It’s entertaining. He ain’t no Jill Wagner, but he seems to know that.
I do wonder whether it will help to sell cars. As much as I may loathe car dealers, I know that they use the intimidation tactics because they work on most customers. Customers may say that they want car dealers to be nice, but in practice, they may not respect niceness enough to lay down their cash for it.
Not that I pity the car dealer. If they are going to claim that there are seven ways to cheat customers, then I’m sure that they’ve got an 8th, 9th, and 10th card to play and a few extra cards in the deck.
If that guy’s a dealer, he’s also a darn good amateur actor.
How old are these ads? In the first one chuckgoolsbee lists, there’s a Subaru Tribeca with the old “flying v” front end. They redid that for the ‘07 model year so the commercial must be at least two years old.
Not that I pity the car dealer. If they are going to claim that there are seven ways to cheat customers, then I’m sure that they’ve got an 8th, 9th, and 10th card to play and a few extra cards in the deck.
You’re right. He doesn’t say a single word about the nonsense that goes on when you’re offered the dealer financing.
He doesn’t say a single word about the nonsense that goes on when you’re offered the dealer financing.
He also implied that “invoice” price and dealer’s net cost are the same. They aren’t.
The ad would be more effective if the spokesperson was Jill Wagner. Mercury, don’t be timid about plagiarizing the concept!
Jill could sell ice to Eskimos.
I don’t think that showing how crappy your competitors are makes you any better. Btw the old French film The Rules of the Game is a great watch, it shows how the rules of life have never changed.
Jill could sell ice to Eskimos.
I guess that’s easier to do than selling Mercuries.
radimus:
Zing!
Where’s the “King of Cars” when you need him?
This is an old ad, and it’s of some interest that the campaign to which this ad refers is not longer visible on the web site.
That being said, I recently asked Clay via email about renting a Nissan for an extended test drive because my wife is disabled and as such is not readily available. While they did not offer rentals, the Internet sales manager did provide me with the opportunity to take it home overnight, which was greatly appreciated. However, after discussing this with the wife we decided not to consider the Nissan for cost reasons, and I notified the Internet sales manager of this. Rather than apply any sort of pressure this sales manager wished me well. If my wife changes her mind on the Nissan, we will certainly go to Clay for the purchase based on this.