I really like Volkswagen’s TV commercials. A lot. Their messaging is clear, simple and really fun to watch. VW’s memorable spots get people talking, sharing and – most importantly – buying their cars. In fact, their latest campaign was so popular the videos have been watched almost 53 million times (along with helping them sell umpteen new cars).
Now to the flip side.
On the other hand, there’s Chevrolet’s “Let’s Do This” campaign (with all the stunt-themed TV commercials). After watching several of their TV spots, I’m still not sure what “Let’s Do This” actually means. Maybe it has something to do with the user interaction. I dunno. But I do know that Chevy is trying way too hard to make this car into something it just isn’t: cool. Perhaps the slogan should be something like “Let’s Force This” or “Let’s Pretend This.”
Why Chevy’s flip side is just a flop.
At the end of the day, all Chevrolet’s really managed to do is produce some super- expensive cheap stunts. It’s not a message and it certainly isn’t branding.
Forking over millions of dollars on theatrics trying to prove this car will bring your inner Red Bull persona roaring back to life? B-A-D idea. And these commercials are boring! Now when I see the (awful) tagline “Chevy Runs Deep,” what comes to mind are their deep pockets…and shallow messaging.
How this relates to what YOU do.
Whether you’re in the auto industry or running a roofing company, you spend money as wisely as possible. And the same must apply to your advertising, branding and promotion dollars: it should be about solid, valuable ideas and not about flashy executions. Just because something is “cool” doesn’t mean it’s a good, effective (or strategically smart) idea.
Creating and executing clear, strategic and memorable messaging is a lot more difficult than shooting your product out of a flaming cannon. And that’s where TFG can help. Give our marketing, advertising and strategy experts a call and say, “Please don’t let me shoot my product out of a cannon!” We’ll take it from there.
