Continue reading Ford Bold Moves: the video game

Ford Bold Moves: the video game originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Sep 2006 10:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The show must go on: GM cancels advertising on Survivor originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Aug 2006 18:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Pontiac G5 Coupe advertising online only originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Aug 2006 18:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Like always, like never before."

Sibling site Adjab reports that Saturn will be taking a different tactic in marketing its new vehicles: the Aura, Outlook, and Sky. According to the linked article Brandweek, the marketing campaign will be promoting all the vehicles as a unit with the "Like...." tagline instead of, just the Sky roadster, for example. The advertising company that developed the campaign feels it better reflects Saturn's 'togetherness' philosophy.

Will it work? Certainly the division's products are becoming more compelling, but Saturn has clearly moved away from its brandspace as the egalitarian small car company 'with a heart of gold' into a world of 8-passenger crossovers and such. Critics argue that the brand's identity is becoming very muddy in its quest to enter other segments and find profitability, and that the "Like..." campaign is a tad disingenous. Who's right? Have your say in comments.

[Sources: Adjab, Brandweek]

"Like always," Saturn unveils new advertising campaign originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 15 Apr 2006 15:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

SNEAK PEAK: Cadillac's Super Bowl commercial originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 03 Feb 2006 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Kia Optima and Sedona are finally receiving a desperately-needed refresh, and the company plans to relaunch the two vehicles with some creative fanfare. Commercials touting features rather than the products themselves will be a key element. In one spot, a kid is saved from crashing into gym equipment by a perfectly timed airbag. In another, a woman saddled by grocery bags easily enters her house after her front door opens for her automatically. Another commercial features a man who can adjust the park bench suited to his tastes perfectly.

More aspects of the vehicles' marketing plans are yet to be announced, but vehicles need all the creative advertising they can get these days to differentiate themselves from the competitive pack, and it sounds like Kia's will at least have us laughing.

Kia relaunching Optima and Sedona with new ads originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Jan 2006 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ford Motor Company is targeting the "young, hip group" to sell some Fusions via viral marketing courtesey of Norwegian pop group Hurra Torpedo. If you're surprised you've never heard of them, don't be -- the group is way far off the radar. It is an interesting idea, though, particularly since the group's appeal is the fact that their music is played on kitchen appliances, zippers, concrete, and other Stomp-ish instruments.

The HurraTorpedo.com site offers readers the chance to win a Fusion, as well as view "rockumentaries" (read: mockumentaries invented by J. Walter Thompson and Kurt Gunn and Associates)  featuring the trials and tribulations of Egil, Aslag and Kristopher on their U.S. tour... plus ample opportunities to watch the guys hammering apart crappy American kitchen appliances.

It's slightly more inventive than The Mudds, I must say, and I think that while it's a little confusing exactly what they're going for, it's a good effort that does a great job of using internet media (streaming video, blogs, a contest, etc.) in creative ways. They even go so far as to create a Flickr account in the ficticious film student's name.

Ford tries yet another tactic to sell some Fusions originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Dec 2005 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If you've been to the North American International Auto Show, you've seen it. It's a HUGE rock wall with a big opening in the middle, where jets of water rain down in graphics and words, transfixing bystanders for minutes. Chrysler got an interview with George P. Johnson's John Tulloch, and he answered our burning question:

We use a computerized system that is a technology that was developed by a water professor, of all things, at the University of Wisconsin. He's done several applications with a water fixturing company in Wisconsin. We have known of him for many years and we've now worked with him for seven years in different waterfall applications all over the world. The system itself is several thousand water jets, similar to an inkjet printer. We come up with computer programs, put it into that system, then according to what that image is it's scanned and water droplets or jets and valves are turned on and off to make that figure.

For more info on work by GJP, check out Joel's post here.

How do they do that water thing at the Jeep NAIAS display, anyway? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Dec 2005 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.