Archive for the ‘Advertising’ Category

The Smart ForTwo is impossible to ignore. It inspires adoration (because it's cute and convenient for city-dwellers) or antipathy (because it's ugly, cramped, expensive, and not nearly as green you'd think), but little in-between. That said, Smart's new print campaign designed by BBDO NY is awfully attractive -- possibly more attractive than the cars themselves. But we'll let y'all be the judge of that. [AnimalNewYork]

Not so long ago, brand loyalty played a major role in keeping the auto industry healthy. Many of our parents bought vehicles from one particular manufacturer, and they often inherited such preferences from their own parents. Here in the U.S., brand perception was frequently rooted in national pride: 40 years after VJ Day, my grandparents refused to so much as ride in a Japanese vehicle.

For manufacturers, that kind of brand loyalty made marketing easy and economical: why spend thousands of dollars trying to convince buyers that a particular car was right for them, when all they really needed to see was the Ford or Chevy or Chrysler badge on...

Speaking of advertising campaigns, Porsche might have found fodder for a new one, if it's looking to promote the safety its vehicles. In Los Angeles, a 15-year-old kid swiped his father's Porsche Boxster, grabbed a buddy, and set out for a joyride. The fun abruptly ended when the driver lost control of the vehicle, plowed through a chain-link fence, and plunged 70 feet over a cliff. Amazingly, the kids walked away from the wreck with scratches and bruises, but little else -- apart from a dire sense of foreboding about their upcoming punishments. [Carscoop]