When Was The Last Time You Saw A New Corvette Ad?

by Edward Niedermeyer

July 14th, 2010 11:31 AM

Automotive News [sub] says it’s been five years since GM ran a Corvette ad… and if the last ‘vette ad is the one I’m thinking of, Chevy had to pull it after safety advocates protested. Is it a coincidence that this new ad has GM comparing itself to that other federally-funded money pit, NASA? With both the automaker and the space agency fighting for their futures, the cross-branding works well, and it allows The General to indulge in some trademark nostalgia without digging too deep into its own past. All in all, it’s a quite effective ad… provided you don’t think about it too hard.

#Advertising #Enthusiasm

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6 of 32 comments

Mtymsi on Jul 14, 2010

That commercial is so completely politically incorrect from so many different perspectives any true car enthusiast has just gotta love it. Probably will sell few if any more Vettes but if ya got it flaunt it and a ZR1 has definitely got it.

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Daga on Jul 14, 2010

Wasn't there a 'flying corvette through the city' ad less than five years ago?

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Csf on Jul 15, 2010

I love Corvettes - and after driving several I have trouble understanding how anyone who loves cars doesn't like the Vette. Sure its seems to be a different, less refined approach to the sports car then a Porsche or a Ferrari - but its a great car, great fun, and a great value. You can put 75,000 miles on a Vette with a few services at the local Chevy dealer or put 7500 miles on a Ferrari and need a $5000 valve job and tune up. As for Mr. Niedermeyer's NASA comment, I hope nobody in his family ever needs a heart pacemaker - but if they do he should know they were invented using NASA technology. Or an insulin pump for diabetes - NASA technology. Or an implantable heart defibrillator - NASA technology again. Or a ride in an ambulance with telemetry or a battery powered wheelchair. Perhaps he should remember every time he watches a weather report its NASA satellites providing the data. And of course, NASA technology is used throughout the automotive industry. The list of what NASA technology provides, directly and indirectly is endless. Perhaps the shuttle and the space station seem expensive and outdated, but if every government agency gave as much return on the dollar to our country as NASA has, It would still be China and Japan chasing us.

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- Edward Niedermeyer on Jul 15, 2010
  
  As for Mr. Niedermeyer’s NASA comment, I hope nobody in his family ever needs a heart pacemaker – but if they do he should know they were invented using NASA technology.
  
  Yes, and GM makes the Cadillac CTS-V, which I'm also quite fond of. The term "money pit" doesn't imply that nothing of value emerges from NASA and GM, rather that lots and lots of (public) money goes in. And with deficits reaching a point where they can no longer be ignored, both are coming under increasing scrutiny... especially since neither justifies its ruinous expense as well as they used to.
  
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- Csf on Jul 15, 2010
  
  Have to disagree that "lots and lots of public money goes in" to NASA. Perhaps you are not really familiar with the details of the federal budget. NASA is only about $19 billion out of an almost $3 trillion dollar budget. Thats just over 1/2 of a penny of each tax dollar. That is a very small agency. For comparison, one B-2 fighter is over $2 billion dollars. The Iraq war was costing $11 million PER HOUR. Now they are asking for $33 billion more for Afghanistan. And we also spend over 100 times the NASA budget on social programs each year. I agree the deficits are out of control and we need to look at every dollar the government spends. And I'm sure there is some waste in NASA. But even if they shut NASA down completely, that would change almost nothing as far as our economy or deficits . . . . in my opinion there is far more waste in other places.
  
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Bridge2farr on Jul 15, 2010

Awesome commercial

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