Commentary
Chevy's 'New Roads' Provides New Path For Campaign Development
- by Karl Greenberg , Staff Writer, January 26, 2014
NEW ORLEANS -- Tim Mahoney, global CMO of Chevrolet, spoke to Mediapost Saturday during NADA here about the unconventional way the automaker configured its
advertising for the first quarter.
Typically, agency work ramps up around a product launch or a tentpole media event like the forthcoming Super Bowl. Chevrolet did things differently this time, Mahoney tells Mediapost Live, outlining its "Find New Roads" brand umbrella.
Instead of developing its 2014 creative in stages, it was produced pretty much in one fell swoop.
The new work, via Detroit-based Commonwealth, with the Detroit office of Leo Burnett doing new work for General Motors' truck nameplates, starts with coverage of the Grammys Sunday night, then moves to the Super Bowl, the Sochi Winter Olympics and the Academy Awards, as well as conventional media buys. The work this year focuses on the brand's core models Silverado, Cruze, Equinox, Malibu and Traverse, which constitute 70% of U.S. Chevrolet sales.
"It's really the first time we have developed all the work at the same time across vehicles," says Mahoney. "The advantage of doing it all at once is tremendous flexibility. There's a saying that being wealthy is not about money, but choice. As you plan this market, having choices and a body of work you can amplify or tune down, is great. It's thinking about the overall brand first."
Karl Greenberg writes about automotive, consumer-packaged-goods, sports, and travel for “Marketing Daily.” Prior to this, he was the automotive editor at "Brandweek" magazine. He was also the Internet advertising technology writer for "Adweek," and petrochemical editor at "Chemical Market Reporter". You can reach Karl at karl@mediapost.com.
What the heck is this Find New Roads anyway? I have heard the explanation many times and it still doesn't resonate. Every ad is tagged whether it makes sense or not....time for a New Road - Chevy