• by Karl Greenberg , July 7, 2014

General Motors has been planning its first-mover play in the connected-car realm for a long time now, and the partnership with AT&T that brings 4G connectivity to Chevrolet cars and trucks is finally rolling out.  

The company is touting its in-vehicle 4G LTE with a new campaign that begins this week with elements directed to radio, digital, cinema, and GoGo in-flight WiFi. The campaign -- which the company kicked off in Philly during the city's 4th of July fireworks and outdoor concert -- is intended to reach places where consumers are likely to be found around this time of year: traveling, air-conditioned movies, and probably listening to the radio somewhere that doesn't involve work. GM says the GoGo aspect of the campaign allows people to get online through unlimited Facebook access during flights.

At Philadelphia’s fireworks display on Benjamin Franklin Boulevard, Chevrolet had vehicle displays at which it promoted the feature and offered free Internet. The company says it will also tout its in-car 4G feature at the Manchester United versus Real Madrid Guinness International Champions Cup match Aug. 2 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. 

There is also a traditional TV component to the campaign, via Commonwealth//McCann, Casanova Pendrill and Spike Lee's Spike DDB unit. The campaign addresses general, Hispanic and African American demos starting in July and running through September. 

The ads carry a “New Independence” theme, and focus on people using the connectivity afforded by the contract-based AT&T service to fire up devices. One of the spots features an African-American couple in a Chevrolet sedan. The guy -- who is trying to impress the woman -- pulls out a new “phablet,” explaining that she shouldn’t feel bad because he’s an early adopter. He’s about to explain all the cool things it does when he discovers, to his chagrin, that he has a WiFi link. The Hispanic spot, which is bilingual, has a mom checking up on her daughter’s date via tablet in her car.