New GM Billboards: GMpr strikes back

[sigma]

We've all seen the Toyota ads where we get to see the supplier in Indiana, the humble factory in Kentucky, the peaceful offices in California all in Toyota's effort to demonstrate that they are single handedly moving America to a better place.

This Toyota is wonderful for and is American as baseball, apple pie and tax evasion is nauseating, self congratulating, and straight up annoying. However it is rather effective, and someone in Detroit finally decided that Toyota's free PR ride at the expense of GM and American industry needed some fact checking.

They provided it in these new rather funny, and ballsy billboards which have been seen in multiple locations around the country.

The pics come courtesy of someone (who will remain nameless) at a Chevrolet dealer in the South. I thank him alot for providing me with the files.

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[sigma]

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[sigma]

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[sigma]

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[sigma]

Click on the images to enlarge. I would have jpg'ed them, but because its vector art instead of an actual image file, Photoshop was having a heck of time trying to convert them.

If you want the PDF's, pm me.

[guitarlix]

I've seen those ads before on another forum. But I'm not sure which forum.

[sigma]

Some of them where put up in Cheers and Gears... and not all of them where...

Plus these are larger versions from source files

[ChevroletRevived]

Cool, thanks for the pics, Sigma. I think this is a great PR move. GM should be doing this everywhere. GM is definitley getting the message out with stuff like this and the ''Get the Facts'' ads.

[GM_Fanatic]

Those are AMAZING! Good show GM!

[rmodys]

Haha, those are awesome. Glad to see some aggressive advertising.

[ifcar]

I don't see how useful they will be. To understand them, you have to get the unmentioned reference to Toyota while driving past. Sure, they'll be good at impressing the educated GM-ites and irritating the educated Toyota-ites, but what does that accomplish?

[WannabeRich]

Looks like some advertising agency had a great idea.

[Ming]

Of course I like it even if it is a simple back & forth. And no matter what you think of it, GM can't just sit back and let Toyota, Honda, Hyundai or whoever run flag-waving "We're saving the U.S. Economy single-handedly" type ads without some kind of response, or that's the only impression that will be left in the minds of the fleeting Starbucks sipping types who will hear that pitch and run down to their Toyohonda dealers with big caffiene and advertising-inspired smiles on their faces.

We assume that people know and understand the contribution that GM makes to the U.S. jobs market. Fact is, most people know only what they're told. And if Toyota's the only one doing the telling and the U.S. flag waving? Then GM's image fades into the background and is forgotten by every day Joes and Janes.

[SobeSVT]

Not to be controversial but of those 54 plants how many will remain open in 5 to 10 years? (same thing for Ford).

Although daring and instantly gratifiying, this is a dangerous PR game to play at this moment. Toyota could say that while they are opening plants GM, Ford and Chrysler are shutting down or idling theirs. I would definetly not stirr that puddle of mud right now.

[Ming]

Originally Posted by SobeSVT

Not to be controversial but of those 54 plants how many will remain open in 5 to 10 years? (same thing for Ford).

Although daring and instantly gratifiying, this is a dangerous PR game to play at this moment. Toyota could say that while they are opening plants GM, Ford and Chrysler are shutting down or idling theirs. I would definetly not stirr that puddle of mud right now.

That's partially a circular effect/argument if people are influenced by the Toyota (and Honda, etc.) ads, go buy Toyotas and not GM cars, and GM keeps losing share to Toyota, no?

GM wouldn't need to shutter as many plants if its position was strong and it was not losing sales to the Imports who wave the flag in their ads, luring some buyers who might have been on the fence.

You can argue (like many have) that its GM product that's losing them share, but don't downplay the effects of nearly constant advertising by Toyota. I can't go a day without seeing some Toyota advertising somewhere on TV, radio or driving around. Heck, they're even in MMORPGs (on-line games) now.

Advertising works. And GM needs to use it to fight back.