Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, GM
GM Style Event nixed from 2009 NAIAS activities
Click above for high-res gallery of 2008 GM Style Event
After two years of combining celebrities, fashion and music with the best of its vehicle lineup, General Motors has decided that the 2009 GM Style Event just isn't worth the expense. The cancellation of GM Style is part of the General's goal to free up $15 billion in cuts and asset sales by 2009. Considering the automaker pays B- and C-list celebrities and sports figures to attend, there's some money on the table here. The event has actually been a big hit the past two years with attendees like Kid Rock and Jay-Z, Carmen Electra, Jeff Gordon and the some well known fashion designers from around the world. GM also used the bright lights and catwalk to show the Camaro Convertible Concept and Corvette ZR1 for the first time.
The death of GM Style comes right after the automaker decided to pull its advertising at the Emmy Awards and next year's Academy Awards broadcast. GM has been the largest advertiser of the Academy Awards over the past 10 years, with $97.1 million spent on the awards show since 1998. GM will still advertise at the Golden Globes, Grammys, and Country Music Awards in 2009.
Gallery: Detroit 2008: GM Style 2008
[Source: Detroit News]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Rally Man 4:10PM (8/19/2008)
Screw the cars, I want more pictures of the chicks!
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2007RC46SP2 4:17PM (8/19/2008)
oh god, what's next....
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Todd 5:26PM (8/19/2008)
Hopefully even more common sense decisions like this one. Maybe even a return to making cars people want - GASP! - like the Volt.
Dear GM: Less celebrities, $90,000 corvettes, and dancing hawt chicks. More cars that are safe, get good millage and sell in high volumes to raise your penny stock back to something that isn't going to get de-listed. KTHXBAI.
Torrent 4:19PM (8/19/2008)
That's too bad. I was looking forward to it.
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The Other Bob 4:21PM (8/19/2008)
Good, it was always lame to see interviews of the celebrities after the event who didn't know squat about cars.
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Ligor 4:27PM (8/19/2008)
well, it's understandable with all the cash bleeding tha's been taking place lately.
why should they get rid of another $2-3million when they can put that toward some research at these hurting times
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PJ 4:34PM (8/19/2008)
Good. It's insulting to customers when an automaker says it can't afford to make vital improvements to its product portfolio, but *can* find the money to parade paid mouthpieces and one-off concepts around under a glittery light show.
"Pay no attention to the car behind the curtain!"
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Robert K. 4:38PM (8/19/2008)
I'm sorry, but no matter how they try to spin this event, the fashion industry and the automotive industry do NOT go together. Design in terms of engineering and style is totally different from clothing. I don't want some fruity designer telling me that his model is wearing a dress, excuse me, "ensemble," that was inspired by the Saturn Astra. How is a dress inspired by a car? Ohhhh, the car is blue, so he made the dress blue. Woah, that's deep, buddy.
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Christian 4:52PM (8/19/2008)
No clown show this year?
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reddy 6:07PM (8/19/2008)
+1
why not the LS2LS7? 5:49PM (8/19/2008)
I don't know how the press received this even in the past, but autoblog commenters have been rather negative. I don't think this will hurt GM much to drop this, and they'll save a lot of dough.
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AMcA 7:00PM (8/19/2008)
I've been thinking GM needs to simply dial down its public image for a while. Wait 'til they can strut about with the Volt (and the Cruze).
They're not accomplishing much saying "ain't we hip" against a world saying "you ain't hip", at least not until such time as they have some actual product -- the Volt (and the Cruze) to back 'em up. It's money down the drain at this point.
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Phydeaux 7:32PM (8/19/2008)
GM Vehicles = good
GM Marketing = bad
I've driven tha Malibu, Accord and Camry 4 cyl and was surprised how the Malibu & Accord were about even while the Camry is a joke in this comparison.
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oby 8:26PM (8/19/2008)
GM Vehicles = bad
GM Marketing = worse
I've driven the Malibu, Accord and Camry 4 cyl and was surprised how the Camry & Accord were about even while the Malibu is a joke in this comparison.
There, fixed it for ya! I guess this explains why the Camry outsells the Malibooboo!
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Torrent 2:02AM (8/20/2008)
No, he meant what he said. Comments like yours are annoying. GM cars in YOUR opinion are bad. Just because someone sold you a lemon GM car doesn't sum up all of the GM cars ever made. Get over it and learn to accept that Detriot is growing and can compete with the foreign competition, and perhaps beat them- like the Malibu already has.