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Jeep follows up Super Bowl spot with call to help the USO

Jeffrey N. Ross — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 09:28:00 EST

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Chrysler, Jeep, Military

Once again, Chrysler had one of the most talked about Super Bowl commercials with its two-minute Whole Again Jeep spot, which was used to highlight its Operation SAFE Return program for US military personnel returning home from active duty. As part of this campaign, Jeep announced today that it will be donating up to $300,000 to the United Services Organizations (USO), and you can help.

Simply tweet using the #joinOSR hashtag on Twitter, visit the Yahoo! homepage or go to the Jeep Operation SAFE Return website, and Jeep will donate $1 to a fund that provides returning troops things like employment assistance and incentives to buy new vehicles. Jeep is also donating to this charity to the tune of $250 for each Jeep Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited (including the Freedom Edition model) and Jeep Patriot Freedom Edition model sold.

Jeep follows up Super Bowl spot with call to help the USO originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Feb 2013 09:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ad Analysis: Which Super Bowl commercials won and lost last night? [w/video]

Seyth Miersma — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 19:15:00 EST

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Videos

From kickoff through the blackout and on to the Baltimore Ravens walking away victorious at Super Bowl XLVII, advertising analysts were tracking the impact of all those very expensive commercials. Automakers and their agencies were no exception here, which means there's been plenty of data logged in terms of which car spots actually succeeded or flopped.

Of course, as next-day results can't exactly be measured by counting up how many folks ran out and bought a new car, judging audience reaction can be a tricky business. As evidence, we've read through (and watched) some early analysis pieces from various sources, and none of them can agree on which commercial was the most powerful of the night. Not even close, in fact.

We've read through the early analysis from various sources, and none of them can agree on which commercial was the most powerful of the night. Not even close.

"Lift" is a common marketing term and basis for measuring the success of a particular piece of advertising; the term refers roughly to the improvement in audience response to a product after viewing the advertisement. Using data from Edmunds about the lift generated by auto commercials during the big game, The Truth About Cars reported that Mercedes-Benz was the night's big winner. TTAC maintained that the CLA Soul advertisement generated a whopping 3,067% of lift when it aired in the fourth quarter. The report also indicated that Volkswagen's Get Happy ad and Lincoln's Phoenix spot for the new MKZ were among the poorest performers on the night.

In an entirely separate study, car-number crunchers Autometrics had some dramatically different results (see the press release, below). In its report, Autometrics found the Lincoln MKZ spot to be the most successful of the evening, with an event-leading 42% "Share of Lift" and a massive 5,800% increase in "prospects."

Moving into anecdotal review of the commercials, we see some evidence that the tenderhearted ads from Ram and Jeep were winners on the evening. USA Today interviewed former General Motors and Hyundai marketing chief Joel Ewanick, who personally found Ram's Farmer commercial to be the most compelling. Ewanick reportedly considered Jeep's Whole Again tribute to American servicemen and servicewomen to be the "second-best" spot. Of course, if you ask media expert Frank Luntz of CBS to talk about his reaction data, he'll tell you that Farmer was one of the least successful ads of the game, while Kia's Space Babies commercial was the toast of the Super Bowl as far as car makers go. Oh, and Luntz also claims that the CLA spot that the Edmunds data loved was "not distinguishable." Go figure. Scroll down to watch the CBS breakdown video, below.

Who's ready for that test drive now?

Continue reading Ad Analysis: Which Super Bowl commercials won and lost last night? [w/video]

Ad Analysis: Which Super Bowl commercials won and lost last night? [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Feb 2013 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pick the best Super Bowl car commercial of 2013 [w/videos]

John Neff — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 14:58:00 EST

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Videos

It's finally over. As the Baltimore Ravens ran down the clock at the end of an extra-long Super Bowl XLVII, so, too, did the onslaught of Super Bowl advertising from automakers finish like a fire hose running out of water. We're now drenched in their marketing and it's time to dry off and move on by picking the best one.

Choose your favorite car commercial of this year's Super Bowl in the poll below. We've amassed them all further down the page, so click here to rewatch your favorites. If you're a glutton for Super Bowl spots, click here to see which car commercial you picked as MVP of last year's game.

View Poll

Continue reading Pick the best Super Bowl car commercial of 2013 [w/videos]

Pick the best Super Bowl car commercial of 2013 [w/videos] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Feb 2013 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Watch the video that inspired Ram's Farmer Super Bowl commercial

John Neff — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 12:45:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Marketing/Advertising, Ram

Chrysler may have the Super Bowl's most popular commercial for a third year in a row. Eminem and Eastwood helped it earn that distinction the last two years, and while Oprah did the voiceover for this year's Jeep ad, it's Chrysler's other spot that's in the running for Most Valuable Ad after the big game this year.

So where did the Ram brand's commercial about farmers come from? As it turns out, the ad appears to be inspired, shall we say, by a video produced by Farms.com that was uploaded to YouTube in June, 2011. Greg Mitchell of The Nation pointed out the similarities between the two in an article published this morning. The video uses the same speech given by famed radio broadcaster Paul Harvey played over a slideshow of farming images. It's the same concept as Ram's ad, though the truck brand did go out and commission its own images shot by very well-known photographers for its version.

Did Ram steal the idea? That does not appear to be the case. A message left on the Farms.com YouTube video says "Farms.com is pleased to be working with Ram Trucks and support the 'Farmer' Super Bowl commercial." When you play the video, a link even pops up to watch Ram's version.

We called the agency responsible for the ad, The Richards Group, for comment, and were referred to Chrysler. We have yet to hear back, but will update this post as soon as we do. You can watch the Farms.com video for yourself below, as well as the Ram ad, and we've mashed the two together in this doubled-up version you can watch here.

Continue reading Watch the video that inspired Ram's Farmer Super Bowl commercial

Watch the video that inspired Ram's Farmer Super Bowl commercial originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Feb 2013 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chrysler uses Super Bowl spots to honor troops, farmers

John Neff — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 23:25:00 EST

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Jeep, Ram

How do you follow up such revered and successful ads as Chrysler's last two Super Bowl commercials? Imported from Detroit and Halftime in America should be given credit for giving the automaker's public perception a complete overhaul after its rescue from the brink with taxpayer money. What next, then?

We just found out during Super Bowl XLVII. This year Chrysler went with two commercials, one for Jeep and the other Ram. The two-minute-long Jeep commercial, called Whole Again, is narrated by Oprah Winfrey and presented as an open letter to the service men and women of America, simply expressing admiration for what they do - poignant message coming from a company whose history is so entwined with that of the military's.

The Ram commercial, called Farmer, honors the agricultural backbone of this country. Its soundtrack is a speech entitled "So God Made a Farmer" given by the famous radio broadcaster Paul Harvey, which plays over a slideshow of original photography commissioned by Ram. The images, of course, focus on farming and the people who do it for a living, and there's a few Ram trucks in there, as well.

Do the ads work? Watercooler judges around America will answer that later today, but we think they're just the right sort of follow up to both of Chrysler's previous big ads. Check 'em out below for yourself.

Continue reading Chrysler uses Super Bowl spots to honor troops, farmers

Chrysler uses Super Bowl spots to honor troops, farmers originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 03 Feb 2013 23:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lincoln's second, more traditional, Super Bowl commercial

Jonathon Ramsey — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 19:03:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Lincoln, Luxury

For its second Super Bowl commercial, Lincoln Motor Company has stepped away from the Max Ernst-ian surrealism of the "Steer the Script" spot. No Germans, no turtles, no aliens nor alpacas this time, just a 30-second run through the ways in which Lincoln sees the 2013 MKZ as a rebirth of the brand and everything a luxury consumer would want.

The kind of traditional spot that could run any time of year, the only question we had after watching it was: "Wait - was that... Abraham Lincoln?" Along with the press release from Lincoln, you can view the spot below.

If you want a deeper look and criticism into Lincoln's "Steer The Script," ad, have a read of AOL Autos' column: Lincoln's Super Bowl Ad is a Flop, written by Pete Bigelow.

Continue reading Lincoln's second, more traditional, Super Bowl commercial

Lincoln's second, more traditional, Super Bowl commercial originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 02 Feb 2013 19:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kia's second Super Bowl commercial lets booth professionals have their revenge

John Neff — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 16:31:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, Sedan, Marketing/Advertising, Kia

This is more like it, Kia. After last year's highly successful Adriana Lima-infused Super Bowl commercial for the Optima, we weren't that impressed with this year's Super Bowl ad for the new Sorento called Space Babies that Kia showed us earlier in the week. Its second spot for this year's big game, however, gave us a chuckle.

Called Hotbots and starring Miss USA Alyssa Campanella as a futuristic robot, the ad plays out a fantasy that we know for certain has crossed the minds of many booth professionals. These are the attractive set of women and men who plant themselves next to new cars at auto shows. More than just eye candy, they're usually extremely well educated on the product's specs and features. Despite that fact, they have to put up with constant oogling and questions like, "Do you come with the car?" What this T-1000 won't put up with is fingerprints on her shiny new 2014 Kia Forte, and she does something about it. Watch for yourself below.

Continue reading Kia's second Super Bowl commercial lets booth professionals have their revenge

Kia's second Super Bowl commercial lets booth professionals have their revenge originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 01 Feb 2013 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Here it is, Hyundai's headlining Super Bowl commercial

John Neff — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 12:44:00 EST

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Crossover, Hyundai

Hyundai has ponied up for five commercials to play in, around and after the Super Bowl on Sunday, and it's slowly been releasing them one by one this week to attract as much attention as possible to these expensive ads. You've stuck with us through the first four, and we've got one last ad from Hyundai, its headliner, to show you.

Called Epic PlayDate, the ad's big hook is alt-rock band The Flaming Lips, who not only appear in the ad, but also wrote a new track called Sun Blows Up Today just for the spot. The track is available on iTunes as a single today, and will be a bonus track on their new album called Terror, which comes out in April.

The commercial is meant to sell something, and that something is the new three-row Santa Fe crossover. It follows a day in the life of a family with kids who do all sorts of crazy things, and we're told by Hyundai that the activities in which they partake pay homage to "signature band references" of The Flaming Lips.

We'll let you judge the ad's efficacy for yourself, but not being a die-hard fan of the band, whatever references there were to them flew right over my head. Hyundai is likely just trying to target '80s-era kids who have kids of their own now, and perhaps The Flaming Lips have a few extra hungry mouths to feed as well. Regardless, the tune is catchy and narration is once again provided by The Dude.

Continue reading Here it is, Hyundai's headlining Super Bowl commercial

Here it is, Hyundai's headlining Super Bowl commercial originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 01 Feb 2013 12:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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YouTube's Super Bowl commercial buzz list dominated by automakers [w/videos]

John Neff — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 15:44:00 EST

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Volkswagen

After Sunday's big game, YouTube will be the place to watch every commercial that you missed when you left your seat for an emergency guac refill or, as we say in Cleveland, took the Browns to the Super Bowl. That makes YouTube the nation's water cooler on Monday, and it's got some preliminary stats to share in the lead up to kickoff.

As you know, Super Bowl advertisers, particularly automakers, like to endlessly tease their big budget commercials in the weeks before the game, many times revealing them outright days in advance. Because of this, YouTube can tell us which commercials have been viewed the most so far, and their top five list is all automakers.

Kaley Cuoco appears to have been a good investment for Toyota, as her ad for the RAV4 has garnered the most YouTube views - six million and counting - among Super Bowl commercials so far. Second place goes to Mercedes-Benz, though not its actual Super Bowl commercial, but rather the teaser for it. You know, the one with Kate Upton and the car washing, which is up to 5.6 million views. Third place is Audi's Prom commercial (3.3M views), fourth goes to Volkswagen's slightly controversial Get In, Get Happy ad (3.3M views), and the fifth and final spot is bookended by the teaser video for Kaley Cuoco's commercial (3.2M views). You can watch all five in order below.

The data above is current and official as of 10:00 AM EST today, though things are changing quickly. For instance, while preparing this post, we noticed that VW's ad has already passed Audi's in overall views.

This order will almost certainly be upended on game day anyway when the full onslaught of Super Bowl advertising hits our retinas in real time. After all, we haven't heard a peep from Chrysler, which for the past two years has caught the nation's collective attention with its prideful and patriotic commercials.

Continue reading YouTube's Super Bowl commercial buzz list dominated by automakers [w/videos]

YouTube's Super Bowl commercial buzz list dominated by automakers [w/videos] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 31 Jan 2013 15:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Poll: Which car commercial won the Super Bowl?

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 19:57:00 EST

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising

Congratulations, Packers fans, your team just won Super Bowl XLV. And fret not, Steelers fans, your team mounted a thrilling comeback and turned the game from a would-be snooze-fest into a down-to-the-wire fourth-quarter nail-biter. Nicely done all around.

That out of the way, our notoriously short attention spans turn to the commercials. Our own David Kiley shared his well-informed opinions on what his favorites were and weren't, and you can read more about his picks here. As a refresher, here are some of the choices from Chevrolet, Chrysler, BMW, Mini, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Audi, Hyundai, Kia, Suzuki and Bridgestone.

We're curious... Who do you think had the best automotive ad from the Big Game? Was it Volkswagen, for either its impossibly cute 'The Force' ad or its imaginative 'Black Beetle' ad? Or did Chrysler steal the show with its two-minute-long plug introducing the Imported From Detroit tagline? Neither?

Take part in our completely unscientific poll below and let your voice be heard.

View Poll

[Source Image: Ronald Martinez/Getty]

Poll: Which car commercial won the Super Bowl? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 Feb 2011 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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All the Super Bowl car commercials you missed while in the bathroom

John Neff — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 11:58:00 EST

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising

We were having more fun watching the commercials than the actual game up until the last quarter of last night's Super Bowl XLIII. It seemed all the big, extravagant car commercials were shown around kickoff and the first quarter, but we caught a few good ones throughout the game that shouldn't be missed. Like you, however, we had to break for the bathroom and turn away for more Turducken at times, and so inevitably missed a few car-related Super Bowl commercials. After the break we've assembled every car-related commercial shown during the game last night, so click through and make sure you've ingested them all along with whatever deep fried nonsense you ate. If you want to see ALL of the commercials that were broadcast during the game, visit Fanhouse for its 2009 Super Bowl Commercials page that hosts them all in order and organized by quarter.

Continue reading All the Super Bowl car commercials you missed while in the bathroom

All the Super Bowl car commercials you missed while in the bathroom originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 Feb 2009 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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