Behind the man finishing his follow through (he didn't keep his head down) is a glimpse of the new BMW 7-Series front end. Freed from the matte black paint on the mules and with the right bit of studio lighting, the car has the kind of bada** mien that we should expect from the top dog BMW. And we finally see what the tape has been covering over the headlights: chrome eyelids that are straight off the CS concept. Also taking cues from the CS are that wider, Joker-grin grille and the angel eyes composed of individual LEDs. The full monty is supposed to be revealed on July 7, so stay tuned. But so far, we likey. Thanks for the tip, Josh!
Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2009 Lincoln MKS.
The all-new MKS is a very big deal for Lincoln, and with 10,000 pre-orders already in the books, the Blue Oval's domestic luxury arm just may have a hit on its hands. To keep a steady flow of information to potential customers, Lincoln is planning a multimedia onslaught for print, web, and TV, and it has even put together a three-minute mini movie to help generate interest. The spot, "Mad, Crazy Love," has been created to draw interest from African American customers between the ages of 30-45. Lincoln has also created 15 and 30 second teasers for the spot, and it plans to run the ads during the Black Entertainment Television Awards pre-show. Once the ads begin to air on the networks, Lincoln will also have the spot on Lincoln.com so interested parties can see more.
While we're very interested to see the spot for ourselves, the ultra-long infomersials tend to be painful to watch more than once, and the acting usually isn't all that great, either. Lets hope Ford doesn't jam this one down our collective throats, even if it actually is pretty good.
While GM and Toyota are ramping up their marketing efforts, the folks in Dearborn and Auburn Hills are spending less this year. Ford pulled back ad spending in the first quarter by 31% to $291 million, while Chrysler took a deeper cut of 42%, to $186 million. Part of the reason for this decreased spending is the ugly reality of the new car market coupled with lean funds to pay for promotion, but the two automakers also don't have many new products to tout. During that same period GM was the number two advertiser in the U.S., with $535 million being shelled out for new products like the Cadillac CTS and Chevy Malibu. Toyota also spent big on the new Corolla and Matrix, as well as additional advertising for the Tundra. Ford will likely open up the purse strings in the next couple months for advertising for the Lincoln MKS, Ford Flex and the all new F-150. Chrysler will also have to spend on the all-new Dodge Ram and Dodge Challenger, while also continuing to push the Dodge Journey.
While it makes sense to cut back on spending in anticipation of spending more money when new products arrive, it still doesn't look good that both the Blue Oval and Pentastar cut back so dramatically. When times get tough and car sales become harder to come by, it only makes more sense to up the marketing dollars to help dealers who need to move these vehicles of their showroom floor. And, you know, we could always use a few more ads, too.
General Motors is apparently serious about it's green push and will be launching a new commercial later this month to show off its environmental intentions. The spot, created by McCann-Erickson, is GM's televised Dear John letter to Big Oil that begins by saying, "We've had this great relationship for many years. We think we will both be a lot happier and healthier if we see less of each other."
That spot will be bolstered by a Chevrolet green campaign and sponsorship during the Olympics that highlights GM's coming enviro-friendly tech. While the commercial is more than a little cheeky and unrealistic, when a major automaker even pretends to say goodbye to Big Oil, on national television no less, you know that things could truly be moving on.
Gas prices suck and the job market is almost as bad, but a little uglification of your car or truck can net you some big bucks. Alternative marketing companies that want to plaster your car with "tasteful" advertisements are paying hundreds of dollars to the right people, but chances are you aren't one of them. There is a reason you don't see many of these driving billboards, because the companies with the money are looking for people who travel a lot and park their car in interesting places. More scrupulous types know that people are willing to do just about anything to get relief from the rising cost of transportation, so there are a lot of scams out there, too. If anyone asks for, say, a deposit or a car for keeps, that's probably not going to really happen. Most arrangements only last a few months, and pay can fluctuate wildly.
If you've actually worked as a rolling billboard, let us know in the comments. Be sure to add the company you worked for, how your experience went, and whether you'd do it again.
Not surprisingly, young car buyers want their new cars filled with as much technology as possible. Specifically, navigation systems and in-car telematics like Ford's SYNC and General Motors' OnStar are highly desirable among 16-24 year-old car buyers. As it turns out, though, it is that same demographic that is least willing to pay for these features. So, what's the solution? Advertising. As we've noted before, the chances seem good that at some point in the not-too-distant future, our navigation screens will show us local spots with preference given to those establishments that have paid for placement.
Not everyone is likely to be happy about this trend. Besides the irritation of a constant barrage of advertisements, there is also a danger in letting your car know too much about you. If your vehicle were to track your movements, or even purchases made from inside your vehicle, that information could be made available to other organizations. Those concerned that "Big Brother" is watching them may not want features like this keeping their eyes on our driving habits. On the flip side, this knowledge could make for advertisements in which we're truly interested. And, would it be so bad if your car alerted you to an upcoming speed trap? Just so long as it's not installed in a certain Plymouth Fury from '58...
When Jaguar's "Gorgeous" campaign TV ads came out a few years back with the XK, some ad critics questioned the none-too-subtle message they contained: older, distinguished gentleman gets to frolic with beautiful young women when he drives this car. Whether or not that's the case -- concerning the ad or in real life -- a new Lamborghini commercial with Sam Hubinette takes that same riff and, being Lamborghini, pushes it even further.
Hubinette and some wet, downtown LA roads show what the car can do, and the spot also shows what the car has. Boasting "features like no other," the first one of which is a Phone Number Collecting Set that appears to specialize in tall brunettes, the car also has an Anti-Boredom Assistant (that engine, a Talk of the Town Guarantee, and a Gets Into All Clubs function0. And that's all before you order it in Giallo Halys (that's Lamborghini-speak for "yellow.") Follow the jump to check out the video and the powerslides. Thanks for the tip, Eric!
This past February, just when it appeared that Kia had found its advertising footing, marketing VP Ian Beavis cleaned out his desk and followed Kia Motors America CEO Len Hunt out the door. Post-exodus, Beavis has landed at Carat, an advertising concern that's part of the Aegis Group. The 54-year-old Beavis will fill the role of Executive Vice President for global client direction for Carat, and his past experience inside automakers such as Toyota, Ford, and Mitsubishi as well as time spent in high-powered agencies such as Foote, Cone & Belding, and Saatchi & Saatchi have led to glowing statements from higher-ups at the new digs. Carat does have some automotive clients among its customer ranks, and as marketing efforts continue to evolve, the firm's grasp of media's push beyond the traditional means of messaging should stand it in good stead. We hear Kia could use a witty campaign that gets people talking...
As we learned at the New York Auto Show, the fanciest or funniest videos don't always take home the trophies. Hyundai's recent "Big Duh" ads won the IAG Research ad award by being the one ad the really stuck in the skull of folks at home from Nov 1, 2007 through Jan 26, 2008 . The "Big Duh" year end sales event spots were recognized as the most effective car ads because it's apparently hard to forget a choir singing the word "Duh" to "O Christmas Tree" while a Hyundai Azera rotates on screen.
Hyundai's ads were also effective because the "Big Duh" theme was used over a period of several months, which helped viewers better associate the 30-second spots with the Korean automaker. A few of the "Duh" themes carried out over the past few months are "Pink Panther" and "2001 Space Odyssey", and the obvious point of the commercials is that getting a great deal on a Hyundai is a no-brainer. With improving ads and some hot new products on the way, it seems Hyundai has a lot to celebrate of late. We added a few of the "Big Duh" commercials after the jump so you can see why they're so memorable.
The ads that get your lasting attention are the ones that make you respond. And we have no doubt that's exactly what you'd do if while cruising down the boulevard you happened upon what looked like an impact crater. When Pioneer Suspension wanted to show off the extraordinary smoothness of its ride, it placed images of holes on the road, which prompted folks to slow down and then... they didn't feel them. A few yards up the road they found out why: because that's what a Pioneer Suspension feels like. Clever, if not a giant potential lawsuit waiting to happen. And we can't help thinking that if Pioneer did this in the U.S., someone with a Pioneer suspension would try driving through a sinkhole and then wonder how they ended up at the center of the Earth.
As 
GM shrinks Volt's gas tank, range drops from 600 to 360 miles
MINI dealers to sell Alfa Romeos in the U.S.
Honda to reveal OSM open-top concept in London
With crisis looming, GM may unveil Volt for 100th anniversary
Next BMW M5 will nix V10 in favor of twin-turbo V8
In the Autoblog Garage: 2009 Lincoln MKS
Track Test: 2008 Roush 427R Trak Pak Mustang
In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Porsche Cayman S
First Drive: 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Mazda MX-5 Miata Retractable Hard Top
