• Brandweek, Friday, October 12, 2007 11 AM

General Motors is positioning its new Chevy Malibu as the "car you can't ignore" in an attempt to capture some of the 700,000 folks who buy Toyota Camrys and Honda Accords each year. "We are the underdogs," says Kim Kosak, general director of Chevy advertising. "This is not a silver bullet car, and this won't be a silver bullet launch. But we have scrutinized the landscape, and we are after a different target, one that is highly skeptical of domestic car brands."

The hope is also to lure buyers of cars like the Kia Sonata and Nissan Altima, while working up toward top sedans in the mid-sized segment. Chevy is targeting various demographics, including upper-class couples or singles with household incomes of $150K, suburban families with similar dough, and younger buyers in the $45K range.

The first ads will roll out next week, and begin with a day of Web page takeovers that is projected to reach 80% of Internet users. The same day, the Malibu will be on every page of USA Today, and 15-second broadcast spots will start to appear. Early next month, there will be more Web takeovers, along with additional broadcast and print featuring third-party endorsements. Starting in the first quarter of 2008, a more traditional campaign arrives, with extensive broadcast and print buys.

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