Update: GM, Oprah NOT Giving Away Traverse Crossovers

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Update: GM, Oprah NOT Giving Away Traverse Crossovers
GM turns to Oprah to launch new Traverse marketing campaign.
www.gminsidenews.com
September 12, 2010
By: Nick Saporito

Story Update: According to those that have seen The Oprah Winfrey Show episode for today, she and GM are NOT giving away Traverse's. Instead the Traverses our sources were familiar with--provided by General Motors--were used for hard core Oprah enthusiasts to drive to the premier episode of her final season. An all-new marketing campaign for the Chevrolet Traverse is still slated to launch in the coming weeks.
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Few people have probably forgotten the near $7 Million giveaway General Motors and Oprah Winfrey did back in 2004, when the talk show host gave a Pontiac G6 to every member of her audience. According to GMI sources a similar giveaway event is in store from GM and Oprah this week involving the Chevrolet Traverse.

Starting Monday Oprah will launch her 25th and final season of The Oprah Winfrey show. The farewell season has been widely speculated upon, even by Winfrey herself for being very extravagant. Reports out earlier today suggest that Winfrey will launch tomorrow’s show with John Travolta and other big surprises.

Sources state that this week GM and Winfrey will be giving away Chevrolet Traverse crossovers to her studio audience . It is not clear how many of the vehicles will be involved. Supposedly the event could air as soon as tomorrow. Promotional sweeps of Monday's episode show multiple Traverse's being driven onto the show's stage. The sweeps can be viewed on ABC network.

The promotion is said to launch an all-new marketing campaign for the Traverse, which has been on the market since 2008. Sources state that new GM marketing czar Joel Ewanick has been behind the new campaign for the Traverse, trying to get the campaign going in time for battle with the launch of the new Ford Explorer.

Ewanick is also planning an all-new marketing campaign for the Chevrolet Silverado line of pickup trucks.

[lio45]

I hope this time GM will make sure everyone knows THEY are giving/paying for the cars, not Oprah.

[Mr. Burns]

I wonder if it's possible to get tickets for the show...

[jgill16]

Hey! how do I get on her show to win one. LOL

[FenwickHockey65]

As much as I can't stand watching her show (and others like it), I'd totally go for the chance to get a Traverse.

[ne_one]

Apparently Ewanick is planning a similar campaign for GMI site members, substituting your choice of a CTS-V coupe, sedan or wagon.

[Hunid Racks]

Look at how well this worked for Pontiac.

Huge mistake.

[steve333]

Did this work for the G6? No.
In fact I seem to remember the stunt getting panned in the press.

[ZvetteGuy]

Only in the world of Oprah...

Hope those who accept one know what they're getting themselves into... (aside from getting themselves into a Traverse)...

[FanOfDurant]

Apparently Ewanick is planning a similar campaign for GMI site members, substituting your choice of a CTS-V coupe, sedan or wagon

Oh man.. How cool would That be!

I'd have to put him above Mark Reuss as my Nu-GM hero... FanOfEwanick??

Seriously though, I'm glad the marketing guy get's it. GM needs to back him up with fresh product though... It will be hard to push the Traverse and older Silverado against a new Explorer a much more 'fresh' F-150. A marketing guy can only do so much.

[marinerbc]

Look at how well this worked for Pontiac.

Huge mistake.

Did this work for the G6? No.
In fact I seem to remember the stunt getting panned in the press.

What they said. Huge mistake.

Oprah gets the credit, GM gets the shaft. Lose/lose.

[FenwickHockey65]

Apparently Ewanick is planning a similar campaign for GMI site members, substituting your choice of a CTS-V coupe, sedan or wagon.

I will literally kiss the ground the guy walks on.

[AndrewGS]

It worked out great for Pontiac!

[paul8488]

It didn't work for Pontiac because they had the giveaway before the car was in dealerships. This is a vehicle that is in production, it's good publicity, I don't see a problem. I mean aside from the obvious one... that it's another reason for everyone to complain about everything,

[Lou_313]

Wasn't the main thing that went wrong with the Oprah/Pontiac G6 giveaway that the taxes on the cars weren't included? It seems like if that's taken care of this time that it might be pretty cool. I could think of alot of cars that would be more "aspirational" to people than a Traverse though... What about Regals or Terrains?