Hasta La Creative!

German automaker Opel isn’t a household name in the U.S., but in Europe it is synonymous with “extremely boring car,” “kinda lame” and “crap car.” These are words straight from the mouths of the consumers in the ad below, not ours.

To prove that preconceived notions about brands can unduly sway opinion, Opel hired a hypnotist to wipe people’s minds clean of any associations they had with the General Motors-owned brand in this Danish campaign from UncleGrey. Once they were hypnotized, the subjects were asked to drive one of the cars and honestly report their experiences. Alas, no one seemed to be concerned that they were operating a vehicle UNDER HYPNOSIS.

The people seem to enjoy their time driving an Opel, as long as they didn’t know it was an Opel. It’s kind of a neat idea, though creepy in a way—and the takeaway for the viewer is a bit muddled. Do they really like the car, or was that psychological trickery as well?

Click the CC button on the YouTube video for English subtitles.

While it's true HBO is not an ad-supported network, Last Week Tonight's John Oliver made an exception Sunday, uttering the words rarely heard on the premium cable network: "We'll be right back."

Of course what followed wasn't a real commercial, but instead a GM ad parody created to punctuate Oliver's hilarious (and disturbing) dissection of internal practices at GM, where a long list of defects in cars over the past decade led to an even longer list of no-go words and phrases compiled in a memo, which blacklisted phrases like "deathtrap," "defective," "catastrophically flawed," "Hindenburg"—you get the idea.

Obviously the point of the memo was to make sure none of those words ended up associated with the cars once they got to the market—a sensible notion, from a branding perspective, but probably not a directive that was terribly wise to put on paper. So after a lengthy segment eviscerating GM (remember, this is the guy who stretched potshots at quetionably healthy drink Pom Wonderful over two episodes), Oliver cut away to a fake GM ad containing almost all those words the car company didn't want associated with its brand.

Just to tie a bow on the whole takedown, HBO is even running Oliver's GM bit as a lengthy pre-roll ad on YouTube this week. From a comedy perspective, the segment is gold. From a marketing perspective, it's like watching a Hellraiser movie.

Après le Segway, voici un projet du constructeur américain General Motors : le EN-V concept. Une forme de fauteuils bi-places, fonctionnant entièrement à l’électricité avec des design imaginés par le trio de designers Jiao Brillant, Miao Magique et Xiao Amusant. A découvrir dans la suite.

Ce concept est doté d’une autonomie de 40 km grâce à une batterie Li-ion, et sera présenté dans le cadre de l’exposition universelle 2010 de Shangai en octobre prochain.

Previously on Fubiz

• Opel Flextreme GT/E
• Google Maps Animation
• Alfa Romeo Pandion

Apparently, companies that have screwed up across the U.S are. They think all you have to do is change your name and you’ve rebranded. The following companies have recently “rebranded” or changed their name to disconnect themselves from previous stigma. Yup, pretty much just a name change no internal changes at all. 

I can’t help but to wonder, if it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, but calls itself a rhinoceros–is it still a duck? Hmmm…

Recent Name Change Bandits:

 – GMAC Bank, the auto financing company connected with Chrysler and General Motors renamed its online bank, Ally Bank.

Do I here a quack? I think I do.

– AIG was renamed AIU Holdings, but The New York Times reveals execs rethought name change and are working on a new one.

Good call guys, maybe you can change the company beneath the name while you’re at it…thinkin’ I see some webbed feet still sticking out.

– CompUSA and Circuit City were both bought and had name changeroos by online electronics retailer TigerDirect.com. 

Will these duckies bring consumers relevance this time around or continue to waddle their way back into the stale electronic age?

What do you think?

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Jinean Robinson is a CCIO (Chief Creative Infections Officer) who has been in the communications industry for over 8 years, specializing in creative strategy and implementation, 360 branding communications, and brand development. Join her at http://twitter.com/germllc or her firm’s website at http://germonline.com/

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past couple of days, you’re well aware of GM’s bankruptcy protection filing. To assuage the buying public, GM has unveiled a commercial explaining “the new GM,” guaranteeing a leaner, greener company that makes better cars than ever before.

I’m all for corporate transparency, but I have to wonder if the “Reinvention” spot is enough to save the troubled automaker. I think it’s safe to say that public distrust in the automotive industry as a whole is high – especially when auto officials are arriving in private jets to beg the federal government for bailout money.

How does this spot bode for the future of automotive advertising? Is it enough to entice consumers to buy American again?

I think it’s a step in the right direction, but I also think that it signals a change in the way automakers and dealerships place their ad buys. Existing on a campaign of print and broadcast is not enough anymore. If companies want to win the automotive war, they need to regain credibility with the public by actively engaging them. After all, you have to at least shake someone’s hand before you reach for their wallet.

Sara Barton is a copywriter, social media strategist, and avid blogger who is in search of her next opportunity. Contact her via twitter, LinkedIn, or her blog.

Hearken back to the days of yore, when America was Built Ford Tough and Chevy had launched what was the start of An American Revolution, became The Heartbeat of America, and grew strong, Like a Rock. At the same time, Buick offered consumers The Spirit of American Style. The cars and the ads were  inspiring…making us want to love America more than we already did. Yep, the good ‘ol days, how we miss ‘em. Thus, it’s fantastic news to hear that GM is gonna bring ‘em back!

Will they be able to pull it off? GM would like us to think so, counting on their new “Total Confidence Plan (TCP),”  announced by several new TV spots meant to inspire America. The TCP provides payment protection if you get laid off ($500/month for up to 9 months), guarantees trade-in value for your vehicle, and also provides a 100,000 mile drive train warranty. The premise behind the spots is that GM is rebuilding from the “ground-up;” but, based on the ouster of former GM CEO Rick Waggoner, it looks like they’ll be using the famous ”top-down” strategy instead.

The spot anouncer starts with: “You know what America needs right now? America needs a comeback…”

No, what America needs right now is for GM to pull their own weight. There are two primary goals in business: 1) Make a profit, and 2) Stay in Business. Very simple. The third thing most pick up along the way: Keep the Government out of your business. Although GM’s restructuring efforts don’t seem to address a single one these items as of yet, it is only fair to give them more time…

(This Announcement was paid for by the Automotive Bailout Package, with funding and support from taxpayers like you.)

General Motors has pulled out and this makes the promotional opportunities to capture a larger target market better for car companies that have stuck it out as far as the NFL advertising tactics are concerned. Hyundai for one has been serious about it all and will be officially unveiling its Hyundai Genesis Coupe at the upcoming Super Bowl.

The title of both commercials is “The Epic Lap.” Shot at Road Atlanta, the racetrack didn’t do much damage to the car. The company says the Genesis only needed a new set of tires after three days of filming.

So while GM is trying to recover from its tracks, other companies like Hyundai are on the offensive. Will their investment pay dividends?

(Source) Kicking Tires