• Detroit Free Press, Friday, June 11, 2010 10:43 AM

Chevy marketers yesterday put the kibosh on idle speculation that their memo banning the use of Chevy was a clever ploy to generate free media coverage, as they demonstrably did with the gift of a Corvette to a nearly perfect Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga. They also gave their blessing to hoi polloi using the nickname, so we have.

But GM spokesman Klaus-Peter Martin says that while "consumers and fans [and re-reporters]" are certainly free to use Chevy to their nostalgic content, it will continue to switch to Chevrolet in promotional materials in an effort to have consistent global communications, Sarah A. Webster and Zlati Meyer report.

"Ultimately, all use of Chevy will be changed to Chevrolet," Martin says. It's particularly important to avoid confusion in markets the brand is entering elsewhere on the planet. The Chevy nickname "is very U.S.- based," points out Alan Batey, U.S. vp for Chevrolet sales, but GM does business in 130 countries.

Controversy over the decision erupted in the blogosphere and on the airwaves yesterday after the New York Times' Richard S. Chang got his hands on an internal memo that included lines such as, "We put a plastic 'Chevy' can down the hall that will accept a quarter every time someone uses 'Chevy' rather than Chevrolet! We'll use the money for a team-building activity."

There's a tongue-in-cheek poll about the flap at the end of the Free Press story asking, "Should GM stop referring to its Chevrolet brand by its Chevy nickname?" The overwhelming vote-getter this morning -- 3,946 votes or 72% of the total cast -- is "No, but let's rename whoever came up with this idea to Unemployed." Bit harsh, wouldn't you say? I'd just make him or her listen to "American Pie" yet one more time.

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