College Student Chevy Ads Part Deux
Chevy's at it again. As their advertising agency is [still] seemingly unable to connect with the youth of America– nothing to do with the product of course– GM's running another DIY Gen Y ad contest. In all, 64 colleges and universities competed for the honor of devising a hip and happening national TV ad campaign. The General's narrowed it to five finalists. This morning's Connecticut Post is focusing on a local group that plans "to eliminate the stigma of Chevrolet being perceived as a gas guzzler." Students of popular (if that's the right word) culture will recall that Chevy's last Gen Y advertising foray resulted in a TV spot showing a group of half-naked men writhing and convulsing all over an HHR in the middle of the street– to show how badly men wanted one of the brand's retro chickmobiles. We've heard reports that one group has devised an ad featuring a conga line of endangered salamanders dancing across the hood of a Volt humming the Beatles' Revolution, but they remain unconfirmed.
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Why do companies insist on marketing to particular demographics... Instead of just promoting the product and letting those who like it, buy it? Apple advertising has it right. They purposely don't focus on the intended market... Only the product.
I guess I'm one of the few people who like the HHR for what it is - essentially a retro wagon. The panel version is even better (although to be pedantic, it's not a panel truck, it's more akin to a sedan delivery.) The biggest problem with the HHR IMO is that underneath the retro sheetmetal it's still a car and so its "utility" is limited. Lack of 4wd/AWD was a deal breaker for me, even though otherwise I liked the one I test drove. If it were a little bigger and a little more rugged I could see it as a nice beach cruiser or urban all-around mobile. Certainly it is as fit for that role as the much more popular Scion XB. It's also noticeably larger while getting close to the same MPG.
perceptions are amazing Martin, I am with you, I like the HHR. Also they have sold 100,000 per year for the last two years. I have never seen a rental so the fleet excuse won't work. the Scion XB sells about 50,000 per yr. and dropping fast. Plus doesn't the fleet thing apply to all? The last 6 or so times I've rented the cars include one Kia and 2 camrys so I guess Toyota sells to fleets. Anyone know how many?
When I was shopping for a used station wagon last month, the searches kept getting polluted with lots of listing for HHR's. Cars.com classifies the HHR as a wagon. The reason I mention it is because of how many I saw (and cheap too). Sometimes it seemed like 1/3 of the entries were HHR's. Made me wonder why so many people were selling them.