Comments on: Saturn Ditches All-American Image

By: eye for cars

eye for cars — Mon, 19 May 2008 04:11:38 +0000

why the fuck do they show an ‘07 Vue? Fucking idiots.

Also, best part of the ad is the Saturn salesman saying ‘fuck yeah’ at the end.

By: raast

raast — Sun, 18 May 2008 17:55:35 +0000

“If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck and looks like a duck…”

My reaction was “so what?”, is that what the creators intended / hoped for?

Nothing ground breaking there, it’s the year 2008 folks.

By: Robert Farago

Robert Farago — Sun, 18 May 2008 15:53:41 +0000

CarShark:

Why not dump the lot and try again?

Because you can’t.

The only thing more difficult than launching a new brand is redefining an old one. In the same way people still think of a VW quality-engineered German car– despite a whole load of evidence to the contrary– you can’t get people to “unthink” the old happy clappy Saturn horseshit.

Ask any martial artist: the best way to beat your opponent is to avoid or deflect their force. Head-on confrontation is the worst possible strategy. Especially if your opponent is you.

By: CarShark

CarShark — Sun, 18 May 2008 15:44:44 +0000

I think it’s stupid to ask whether this ad will play well in Peoria, because neither the ad nor the cars are for Peoria. It seems very obviously more towards the more edgy people on the coasts. The younger car buyer there doesn’t go for the whole Brady Bunch wholesome teamwork picnics with smiling plastic car builders singing Kumbaya shit Saturn was about in its early days. The brand didn’t resonate with the right people.

Why alienate their “core”? Because their core was small and their former image was either nonexistent at worst or hokey at best. Why not dump the lot and try again?

By: jerseydevil

jerseydevil — Sun, 18 May 2008 13:35:20 +0000

about fucking time

By: Jonny Lieberman

Jonny Lieberman — Sun, 18 May 2008 03:26:39 +0000

Hmmm…. Cute, but I think most people would watch the car go by and proclaim, “What the fuck is a Saturn?”

Or as the Saturn read at LeMons, “Better in my Saturn than your Uranus.”

Poop.

By: prndlol

prndlol — Sat, 17 May 2008 20:03:29 +0000

The “You shitting me, that’s a Saturn?” woman ruined it with her shit-ass crappy acting.

By: Dinu Uscatu

Dinu Uscatu — Sat, 17 May 2008 19:40:20 +0000

ppellico

They are bringing over “halo”-like heavy metal instead of focusing their energy on improving their models constantly. And I love it – even though those types of cars are not my thing.

Unfortunately, the G8s, Challengers, Camaros and the like are not what keeps a company afloat. The need their Malibus and 300s to not just benchmark the prev. gen. imports, but to beat them. And only after beating them year after year can they expect the perception gap to work in their favour.

By: rtz

rtz — Sat, 17 May 2008 19:10:10 +0000

Their comments and facial expressions don’t come off in a positive and enthusiactic way. It’s like “that’s a Saturn? What a piece of junk”. It’s like their disgusted by what they are seeing. Watch it again with that in mind. Especially that first kid on the bike and that motorcycle cop.

By: joeaverage

joeaverage — Sat, 17 May 2008 18:08:00 +0000

How about a little MORE bleep than just a single letter in the middle??? I can handle all the cussing they can throw at me but we’ve got kids – thanks…

I like the commercial otherwise. Put it on TV with a little more bleep.

GO SATURN! Bring over more Opels (and build them here to exactly Opel specs). No Americanized versions of Opels, thanks. In fact just put an Opel insignia and name on them too.

I’m buying an Astra next time. Used market of course…

By: shaker

shaker — Sat, 17 May 2008 12:45:58 +0000

“Dat shit’s tight!”

Cool.

So, I wonder if there’s a VW “F@$kingFarfegnugen” ad floating around somewhere…

By: Dynamic88

Dynamic88 — Sat, 17 May 2008 10:52:45 +0000

One problem with the ad, with or w/o the swearing, is that I don’t want to buy an image. I want a car. Saturn’s cars are inferior to the competition-game over.

Another problem is that rethinking Saturn implies that I’d been thinking about Saturn in the first place.

As long as the picnic thing has been mentioned, I have to say I never got that either. If I bought a Saturn, then I’d be invited to drive to TN to have a picnic lunch with others who bought the same brand of car? Why the hell would I do that? What’s next, a picnic for all of us wearing the same brand of jeans?

By: DearS

DearS — Sat, 17 May 2008 06:50:43 +0000

Swearing is important for expressing anger. Some people shame on it and think its just bad. It can be used inappropriately and is often. Its still an important ability.

By: Paul Niedermeyer

Paul Niedermeyer — Sat, 17 May 2008 05:59:17 +0000

Umm, is it clear to everyone that this is almost two years old, from 2006?

By: ppellico

ppellico — Sat, 17 May 2008 04:44:23 +0000

DearS

Really heavy stuff.
I think I got it…but for the swearing part.
You lost me, damn it!

By: ppellico

ppellico — Sat, 17 May 2008 04:41:51 +0000

davey49

Look, if you don’t want to haggle a price…EVERY dealer would love to have you visit.
Looking for the better deal isn’t a law…just what is.
People in business try to get the best prices for their product.
Your job as a consumer is to get the best deal for you.
But, if you don’t like the barter system…just walk into any dealer and ask how much.
Or better yet, its right there on the window.

By: DearS

DearS — Sat, 17 May 2008 04:34:07 +0000

Both consumers and Industry give Image a status of being all important. That’s like deciding to buy a computer based on its wallpaper. The industry and consumers are addicted to that. Its easy, its denial, it distracts us from dealing with life. Our cars, homes, money, looks etc all contribute to the image we have of life. Its fake. Trying to photochop images till euphoria sets in. Swearing paints images also, its sometimes one the the triggers for the euphoria of many. Anti-swearing denial is euphoria for others. Its easy to swear in an unhealthy way, and easy to be unhealthy by not swearing when one needs to. Its complicated. Focusing on the image of a product is like trying to improve a computer by changing the wallpaper. Changes the PC alright. Their is a lot of BS and dumb things marketed in this world, by both sides. Image (in the GM sense) is an addiction pure and simple. Swearing ie. managing anger is progress in letting go of image clinging denial. Its also the untold reason many folks fear swearing IMO (I’m good with psychology and emotions). Reality is a scary deal, and swearing will not change that, neither will denial, nor images. BS, Anger, Manipulation, Fantasy, dumbness, confusion are here to stay. Its good to use these abundant opportunities to get healthier ie. dare to think, feel, and see what YOU think, feel and see. Image is about perspective, the one thing we can always change, sometime very important for healthy decisions. Image does not equal fact.

By: davey49

davey49 — Sat, 17 May 2008 04:25:22 +0000

RF- Saturn’s original customers were lost when they switched to metal bodies and cars that looked just like every other GM vehicle. The new cars are much nicer cars but they are not Saturns. Might as well just call them Opels.

By: davey49

davey49 — Sat, 17 May 2008 04:20:14 +0000

Seems awful dumb to me. I’d rather see ads with the executives explaining the cars and brand. Much like Iacocca did in the 80s. Make those videos showing off your car like the Subaru people do.
I think there are enough people who don’t want to haggle price to support a brand of cars (or several).
And Saturns were definitely “cool”. Just because they weren’t gonzo driver’s cars doesn’t mean they weren’t “cool”. There was and still is a lot of exclusivity in Saturn ownership.

By: DearS

DearS — Sat, 17 May 2008 04:10:08 +0000

The ad is a good slap against the denial that is to frown upon swearing. Its ok if its also juvenile or a little tasteless. Not being honest about anger and swearing is worse. Its progress whether one likes it or not I think. I feel fucking angry when I see folks pretend those parts of human nature are shameful or unimportant or wrong. That is dumb. That being said, I think swearing can be easily inappropriate, its relative.

By: Droid800

Droid800 — Sat, 17 May 2008 03:51:26 +0000

Robert-
No I do not work for Saturn. I’m a recent college graduate, that will be going nowhere near the auto industry. But I have seen the double-take happen.

By: ppellico

ppellico — Sat, 17 May 2008 03:50:03 +0000

Not really sure Saturn was ever really a “cool” imaged brand.

Mileage and plastic sides…that’s what I remember.

And something about not being able to go in and haggle a better price.

By: ppellico

ppellico — Sat, 17 May 2008 03:47:41 +0000

When I was copying and pasting from Word, I left out a sentence about GMs ZR1, Colbalt SS and the new 400 horsepower Camaro.
Was supposed to be before the Chrysler cars.
Sorry.

By: David Holzman

David Holzman — Sat, 17 May 2008 03:46:13 +0000

You know why it’s a good ad? Because the current image of Saturn isn’t what Robert is saying–with all due respect, and respect is certainly due, after all I spend far to much time on this site becuase I like it. The current image of saturn is of a warm, fuzzy, bland car, with nothing to distinguish it from the rest of the warm fuzzy bland cars, sky notwithstnding. Saturn hasn’t been cool since gen 1. Of course, I don’t think its particularly cool now, although I’m sure the Opels are better than the bland garbage they were making here.

This also would have been a great ad for the original, which was a cool car.

The ad is great. I love especially when the Policeman and the old guy swear. The kid is also–heck, all the actors did a good job.

By: ppellico

ppellico — Sat, 17 May 2008 03:41:09 +0000

Dino

Feels good, doesn’t it!?

I just don’t get this marketing.
Hopefully its a really really short intro and more detailed ads will follow.

But I dissagree about the G8.

Might be only me, but GM keeps bringing out more and more heavy metal.
Charger.
Challenger.
Living In The Past.(they’re really not alone. Hemi. SXT. Shelbys. etc)
The G8 might be a fine ass car, but really, is it going to make the consumer switch?
I mean, I would still get the BMW or Audi before this car.

Same with the Malibu.
Why would you take it over the Accord?
You can’t talk mileage.
You can’t talk dependability.
Why the hell did they NOT give the 6 speed with the 4 cyl until recently????
And if you want it, you ONLY can with the top LTZ model!
Helloooo…
Mileage…
Anybody know what is in demand today? Some of us LIKE sporty, inexpensive 4 cylinders and AND a good trans.
Whats up with GM and their 4 speeds?

Its almost as if they are 3 years or one model behind every time.