• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, June 1, 2012

“Our partners.” That’s how network executives consistently refer to their advertising clients and vice versa.

Never mind that the two sides might be clashing right now on whether a prime-time ad should carry a 6.25% or 6.5% price bump next fall. Once the upfront market is done, bet on marketers – yes, the ones who spent heavily – saying something like: “Our partners helped us craft a campaign with social media and Super Bowl spots that drove phenomenal results.”

Unless it’s Joel Ewanick. The General Motors CMO might get a cool reception from one side of the room if the annual “Buyer-Seller Dance” were held today at Michael's in Manhattan.

Days before the Facebook IPO, GM told the Wall Street Journal it would be pulling about $10 million worth of paid ads from the social networking giant. It seemed crude (still does). About 72 hours later, Ewanick was announcing GM would be out of the Super Bowl since the game had become too expensive.       

He was sounding like a car dealer. There are no partnerships when negotiating whether the seat warmers should be thrown in with the new Chevy.  

Now, though, for anyone questioning what Ewanick was up to, it appears he was asserting some muscle, seeking some leverage. He was sending a message that even the most ballyhooed advertising platforms could be done without. There would be plenty of ways to market Tahoes and Malibus.

"There are no sacred lines in the budget … Everything's got to prove to have value,” he told Reuters Thursday.

He made his comments when announcing that Chevy and the U.K.'s Manchester United would be … partners.

"You can't say 'Yes' to everything," Ewanick added. "It's something we need to do from time to time to let people know the bar is not open."

Guess it’s last call for some more media platforms.

Of course, there are several dynamics allowing Ewanick to engage in some public negotiations that might have been tougher just a few years ago. If Facebook isn’t so effective, there’s YouTube and endless other online options. If the Super Bowl offers a poor cost-benefit outcome, take 5% of that money and buy an exclusive sponsorship on the History channel for a month.

(GM will have to maintain a major presence on national TV, but money talks and it has plenty. Ewanick did tell Reuters that GM will continue to be a large NFL advertiser.)

There’s also globalization. While North America will be the most important market for GM for the foreseeable future, the middle class is growing in many emerging markets. Like many businesses, GM envisions major growth abroad. That takes marketing and leaves the prospect that dollars may increasingly shift from domestic outlets to international ones.

What better way to make a splash globally than link with Manchester United, considered by many to be the most visible sports franchise in the world. GM announced Thursday it has a five-year deal, where Chevy will become the official automotive partner of the soccer team. The brand will gain all sorts of signage at United's famed Old Trafford stadium and sponsor matches in China this summer.

Manchester United’s popularity, however, doesn’t start at the water’s edge. Soccer is gaining an increasingly following stateside. No, this is not one of those “give it 10 years and the NFL better watch out” riffs.

But, the Manchester United link could give Chevy advertising some pop in the U.S. during future men’s and women’s World Cups. Also key: a chance to gain more traction in the growing Hispanic market. Soccer isn’t just popular in the community, but Manchester United star Javier Hernandez is a hero his native Mexico.

Wonder if his agent called Ewanick Thursday? By the same token, did Univision and Telemundo call Ewanick offering to become even closer “partners"?

Another question: has Ewanick received any calls recently from the Association of National Advertisers, the trade group for marketers? As the emerging pied piper of media accountability, he would seem to have gained a lot of admirers there in recent weeks. It’s hard to imagine the group waiting too much longer before sending him a gold-plated invitation to join its board and start keynoting events.

In the meantime, will any CMOs be as outspoken as Ewanick? Will they echo his “bar is not open” posturing? Not likely. There are partners to consider.