• Ad Age, Friday, October 2, 2009 10:49 AM

Jean Halliday takes a look at some of the ads that General Motors is running in October issues of Newsweek and BusinessWeek and concludes that the new GM is doing exactly what it said it wouldn't do by running nearly identical spreads for different brands -- the Buick LaCrosse, Chevrolet Malibu and/or new Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon.

The advertisements "homogenize all the brands again," observes industry consultant Maryann Keller, "GM is as dysfunctional as ever."

Responds GM vice chairman and ad czar Bob Lutz (who says he hasn't actually seen the spreads) in an email: "[The ads] would deliberately have somewhat of the same look, even though the illustrations and messages should be unique, except for the tagline," which is "May the Best Car Win." He also addresses some subtle distinctions over what constitutes corporate advertising, which GM has said it will do no more.

Betsy Lazar, GM's executive director-advertising and media operations, blames a "a miscommunication in traffic instructions" for the ads running consecutively and says that only one "May the Best Car Win" spread will run in issues that have not already printed.

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