Someone at Chevy greenlit a horribly exploitative new advertisement that tries to link a John Mellencamp song, Chevy trucks and two of our most recent and horrific national tragedies. This ad has no place on television now or at any other time after a tragedy.
Seth Stevenson of Slate also reflected on this advertisement with similar thoughts. Video link to the commercial is on the site as well.
One should note that this is the first and only advertisement to directly use the tragedies in an attempt to sell a product. One exception is the 2001 Superbowl commercial when the Anheuser-Busch Clydesdales bow facing the New York skyline. At the time, that was seen as a moderately controversial, but sensitive advertisement.
It would be lazy for me to say that this ad is possibly targeted to someone a bit more conservative than me, but I don’t think that is the case here. I think it was a horrible judgement by GM to use these images. I truly think that 9/11 and Katrina have zero reason to be used as lightning rods for patriotic vehicle purchases.
Instead of continuing a negative diatribe, I think it would be more constructive to offer concepts that would help the American auto industry:
1. Build reliable cars
2. Grasp the value of having hybrids in your fleet
3. Design cars that are aesthetically appealing
Until then, please don’t link national tragedies to vehicle purchases. It doesn’t make your company look good.
