Super Bowl sparks GM, Ford ad fight
Post date: Feb 06, 2012 11:39:3 PM
The Super Bowl ads were the co-stars of the show, with car companies as the lead players and a lot of drama that continues well after the big game.
USA-SUPER BOWL AD REACTION - That's General Motors taking a shot at rival Ford in this Super Bowl ad for the Chevy Silverado pickup truck.
It shows an end-of-the-world scene in which the Silverado owners survive but their Ford-driving friend does not.
Horizon Media's Brad Adgate:
BRAD ADGATE, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF RESEARCH, HORIZON MEDIA SAYING:
"Ford asked GM hey could you - that's not necessarily true you know could you just change the ad. And General Motors refused and over 100 million viewers saw the results."
REPORTER BRIDGE: BOBBI REBELL, REUTERS REPORTER SAYING:
"Ford says that according to insurance industry data, it is Ford not GM that has the safer pickup truck."
But now that the ads have aired, Adgate expects Ford to come back with an ad of its own.
BRAD ADGATE, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF RESEARCH, HORIZON MEDIA SAYING:
"It's a first strike and you know typically it's like warfare there is going to be a retaliatory strike somewhere down the road and see how well GM can handle it. "
Rivalry ads are not unusual- especially at the high stakes Super Bowl.
BRAD ADGATE, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF RESEARCH, HORIZON MEDIA SAYING:
"Coke and Pepsi have been doing it for years. You know we have the beer wars and there's been other product categories where they go at each other it's just not typically done with cars, but things are getting competitive."
In fact the auto industry dominated the Super Bowl ads- this one from Chrysler ran two whole minutes during half-time- a sort of pep talk for America starring Clint Eastwood.
And as Detroit gets back into gear, global rivals including Honda and Volkswagen made sure to get in the game- hoping to score a touchdown with Americans once again looking to buy new cars.
Bobbi Rebell, Reuters.