Commonwealth/McCann Highlight Chevy’s Tech Cred

You’re almost certainly aware that General Motors is currently suffering through a scandal created by its lack of tech savvy. Yet, even as the terrible PR is somehow increasing sales numbers for the automaker, a new spot created by Commonwealth/McCann indicates that Chevrolet wants customers to know that it’s moving on. In fact, we might say that the brand has begun “a new journey.”

This spot is ostensibly all about the 4G Wi-Fi available in new models, but in a larger sense it’s about how Chevrolet is moving forward on all cylinders and bringing its customers along for the ride.

The July 4th debut was no accident, either: as Chevy’s VP of Marketing puts it, “What better time than the Fourth of July to celebrate the new independence that Chevrolet provides”…via working Wi-Fi.

In order to reinforce this point, the team at Commonwealth/McCann Detroit adroitly make the sort of “that was then, this is now” juxtapositions that one sees in many campaigns for products with tech components.

Credits after the jump.

(more…)

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Samuel L. Jackson Wants You to Get a Motherf***in’ Capital One Quicksilver Card

Last night, DDB Chicago launched a new Capital One campaign for the Quicksilver card, mercifully replacing the Jimmy Fallon Cash Card campaign with something that doesn’t make me want to throw things at my television. Not only that, but they replaced Fallon with the biggest badass on the planet. I speak, of course, of Samuel L. motherfuckin’ Jackson.

Gone is the Jimmy Fallon with a whiny baby approach, replaced by the “You’re going to get a Capital One card because Samuel L. Jackson told you to and when Samuel L. Jackson tells you to do something you don’t fuck around” approach. The spot, “You Can’t Beat It” (also the name of a Catholic anti-masturbation campaign) replaces the schticky formula from the Fallon campaign in favor of a relatively straightforward description of a card that has “no rotating categories,” “no quarterly sign-ups,” and “no games” and offers 1.5% cash back “on every purchase, every damn day.” In other words: no bullshit. Since Samuel L. Jackson is basically the spokesman for not putting up with bullshit, he’s the perfect fit for the new approach.

Does this mean Fallon is gone for good? We can only hope. You know what? Jackson should just go ahead and take over for him on Late Night, too. The world would be a better place. Credits after the jump. continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Arnold Worldwide Brands Volvos for ‘Real People’

Shots fired! According to this new car spot from Arnold Worldwide, Volvos are for real people, but Mercedes-Benzes are for snooty women of the 1% who preen at themselves in rearview mirrors. This is some good, clean class warfare, automobile-style, and luxury brands better watch out.

A few years ago, a Volvo was a boring car for people who needed affordable transportation. Now, the price hasn’t changed much, but the image has shifted slowly. It’s not that crazy to think that someone with enough money would pick a Volvo over a Benz. And the new spot tugs at the right cords of today’s economic realities to make the comparison seem not only feasible, but preferable. There are also a few campaign teasers on Facebook that flesh out the appeal of Volvo as “luxury for real people,” including: If your dog has a wardrobe, the Volvo s60 probably isn’t for you. Now they’re going after snobby women and people who dress up their dogs! More shots fired, Volvo. I’m in. Credits after the jump.

continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.