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Filed under: Marketing/Advertising , GM Click above for high-res gallery of 2008 GM Style Event After two years of combining celebrities, fashion and music with the best of its vehicle lineup, General Motors has decided that the 2009 GM Style Event just isn't worth the expense. The cancellation of GM Style is part of the General's goal to free up $15 billion in cuts and asset sales by 2009. Considering the automaker pays B- and C-list celebrities and sports figures to attend, there's some money on the table here. The event has actually been a big hit the past two years with attendees like Kid Rock and Jay-Z, Carmen Electra, Jeff Gordon and the some well known fashion designers from around the world. GM also used the bright lights and catwalk to show the Camaro Convertible Concept and Corvette ZR1 for the first time. The death of GM Style comes right after the automaker decided to pull its advertising at the Emmy Awards and next year's Academy Awards broadcast. GM has been...
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Filed under: Car Buying , Marketing/Advertising , Buick , Cadillac , Chevrolet , GM , GMC , HUMMER , Saab , Saturn It is no secret that the automotive industry is hurting for sales to close out 2008. Over the past few months incentives have been thrown out left and right to draw in more buyers. The deals have not done enough to bring folks into the showroom, though. With all the media talk of bleeding Detroit, consumers know that the domestic manufacturers have been holding out on their best offers. Perhaps the memory of 2005's employee pricing incentives has kept many waiting on the fence. With 2009 models heading to dealerships as we speak, General Motors is hoping to end the stalemate. It will be testing the waters of employee pricing yet again beginning Wednesday, August 20th and running through September 2nd. The employee discount program will apply across all 8 GM brands. Buick, Pontiac and GMC dealers will mark down 91 percent of their inventory on all 2008 models, along with...
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Filed under: Trucks/Pickups , Marketing/Advertising , Chevrolet , GM var so = new FlashObject ("http://natalie.feedroom.com/gm/natoneclip/Player.swf", "Player", "320", "240", "8", "#000000");so.addVariable("skin", "natoneclip");so.addVariable("site", "gm");so.addVariable("fr_story", "de82f59acf15bc7a9a45f0632a8b0bb7ce5a2457");so.addVariable("hostURL","document.location.href");so.addParam("menu", "false");so.addParam("quality","high");so.addParam("allowFullScreen","true");so.addParam("allowScriptAccess","always");so.write("flashcontent"); A tip of the cap is due to GM for the automaker's new Chevy Silverado TV spot, which premiered this Sunday during the Olympics. The spot features brief testimonials from drivers of high-mileage pickups wearing the bowtie badge...
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Filed under: Car Buying , Marketing/Advertising , GM Used car sales as a profession has a rather sullied reputation. Some establishments deserve the distaste, while others work hard to take care of customers and stock their lots with good merchandise. Certified Pre-Owned vehicles are often a good bet, because they're automaker-sanctioned and undergo an extensive checklist before hitting the lot. GM is making a frontal assault on non-CPO used cars by launching UsedCarAmbush.com , expending lots of hidden camera effort and Mission: Impossible trappings to put home the point that GM's Certified Used vehicles come with a multitude of benefits. Unfortunately, it's an epic fail, mainly because private sellers were targeted instead of shady operators. Who ever heard of a private sale offering financing, roadside assistance, or warranty? Does GM (or its agency, Mullen) really think that the guy with 8 cars on his front lawn is their sales arm's competition? It's a case of a...
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Filed under: Marketing/Advertising , GM , Rumormill Click above for more shots of the mystery Transformers Corvette The upcoming Transformers sequel, which is known as Revenge of the Fallen , is shaping up to be chock-full of new characters and, therefore, vehicles. The GM love fest continues with new cast members like the Chevy Beat and Trax siblings, a mystery Corvette and even the Chevy Volt . With all of these new additions, along with what appears to be the entire cast from the first edition, keeping up is proving a bit difficult. With that in mind, those of you who don't mind viewing a few spoilers before actually seeing the flick, check out the ongoing and recently updated character guide over at FiLM Grenade. Still can't get enough Transformers action? Check out some conceptual art done by Tim Flattery. Though these particular drawings were made for the first film, the characters didn't make it into the movie. Some sources are claiming that we could see them appear in...
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Filed under: Marketing/Advertising , Hatchbacks , GM , Saturn Click the image above for a high-res view. Need a new car? If you're the Saturn Astra is on your shopping list, be wary of saliva spots... and while you're at it, pucker up. GM is running a Saturn "Kiss My Astra" contest, in which entrants are directed to capture their adventures in Saturn smooching on camera and upload them to the I M Saturn website . There, the online community of Saturn fans (we know, we were surprised, too) will judge the photos and declare a winner in September. The prize is a Saturn Astra XR. You're free to make out with any Astra you like, even your neighbor's, though you might officially become the neighborhood weirdo if people catch you locking lips with their ride. GM's Bob Lutz demonstrates his man-car love technique in the enclosed galery. Somebody turn a hose on this guy. Gallery: Kiss My Saturn Astra [Source: Inside Line ] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Time Warp , Coupes , Sports/GTs , Marketing/Advertising , Videos , Chevrolet , GM inputstring3907209236 width450 titleoverrideCamaro Commercials Through the Years thumbids3558659364, 1820645673, 2431670562, 2647810900, 1613644370, 2117803458, 3537936226, 3284622571, 4236670134, 504290177, 822885043, 1840886473, 511351749, 2859813393 Well, all the Camaro buildup is finally set to amount to something this Monday, when the real, final car is unveiled. Frankly, it was getting anti-climactic before the official photos leaked onto the web on Friday afternoon, but we'll look forward to hopefully seeing the SS car in the metal. That one's been conspicuously absent from all the photos that crammed the internet as soon as the dam burst. Anyway, whether you go for an RS with that punchy DI V6, or the SS with its LS3 power, chances are you'll be a happy camper. So, to celebrate, we've gone and collected all the Camaro television commercials (and one 1980s promo video) we...
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Filed under: Car Buying , Etc. , Marketing/Advertising , GM This Independence Day might be the time for waving the red, white, and blue, but GM wants to nab some green, too. The automaker is extending its 0-percent financing sale, which it kicked off on June 24th as the "72-hour sale," until July 7th. The extension of the special financing offer allows dealers to capitalize on the increased floor traffic that GM's advertising onslaught generated. The sale and advertising frequency get people in the door, but many car buyers hem and haw, making it tough to close a deal in just a week's time. The extension gives salespeople a reason to ring up prospects and offer them the sweetest deal they can muster on a new General Motors vehicle. While we'd love to get a C6 Corvette for $20,000 off invoice and 0 percent terms on the loan, our blogging income likely supports a Certified Used vehicle instead. On that end, GM is also offering financing between 2.9 and 4.9 percent on...
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Filed under: Car Buying , Auction Action , Marketing/Advertising , Chrysler , GM , Lexus Way back in February, General Motors announced it would be listing all of it Certified Pre-Owned vehicles on eBay Motors, and it took until now to actually make that happen. To go along with GM, Chrysler and Lexus have also joined up, with eBay Motors making a special section of its website specifically for CPO vehicles. The new site, which can be found here , went live yesterday and is sponsored exclusively by Lexus. It's also provided at no cost to any dealer looking for another outlet to advertise its inventory. A quick check of the new hub shows that both eBay's classic auction-style listings and regular classified ads are listed together. The site's search functionality allows users to find vehicles located near their zip code, meaning it should prove awfully easy to find that brand-spanking-used Chrysler Sebring you've been foaming at the mouth for. [Source: Automotive News - sub...
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Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing , Marketing/Advertising , GM High fuel prices have car buyers looking away from V8 engines in favor of smaller, more efficient powertrains. GM is looking to feed the increased demand with an expansion of its Ramos, Mexico plant that builds its 3.6L V6 engines. The planned increase in output will allow the General to increase production of its next generation V6 engines an additional 350,000 units to a whopping 940,000 engines per year. The next generation HFV6 engines will also provide more of everything customers want, including improved fuel economy and a 6% increase in power. The engines will likely feature direct injection across the lineup this time. There is no word at this time if GM will change the displacement size for the next-gen HFV6 engines, but we did hear a couple weeks back that a Cadillac CTS wagon may feature a smaller 3.0L version of the engine in base form. The HFV6 production increase was announced at the opening ceremony for Ramos'...
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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative , Green , Marketing/Advertising , Chevrolet , GM General Motors is apparently serious about it's green push and will be launching a new commercial later this month to show off its environmental intentions. The spot, created by McCann-Erickson, is GM's televised Dear John letter to Big Oil that begins by saying, "We've had this great relationship for many years. We think we will both be a lot happier and healthier if we see less of each other." That spot will be bolstered by a Chevrolet green campaign and sponsorship during the Olympics that highlights GM's coming enviro-friendly tech. While the commercial is more than a little cheeky and unrealistic, when a major automaker even pretends to say goodbye to Big Oil, on national television no less, you know that things could truly be moving on. [Source: Automotive News , sub req'd] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Economy , Etc. , Marketing/Advertising , Hatchbacks , Chevrolet , GM You know how there was a question of whether or not we'd ever see the Chevy Beat for sale in North America? The answer to that question is looking more like a big fat yes. Of course, a subcompact like the Beat makes perfect sense in a landscape where gas is selling for well over $4 a gallon in many areas. Our quasi-confirmation comes not from El Generalissimo, however, but from the set of Transformers 2 , which was recently given its tagline: Revenge of the Fallen . In the photo above, next to Bumblebee, is the Chevy Beat -- partially covered, but the Beat nonetheless. You know what putting it in the movie does, right? It makes people want it. Last summer, it was the Camaro. Next summer, it looks like GM's gonna make the Beat a big star. You can see the above photo and more from the set at the Transformers Live Action Movie Blog . Thanks for the tip, Cory! Gallery: New York Auto Show: 2007 Chevy Beat...
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Filed under: Hirings/Firings , Marketing/Advertising , GM General Motors is on a campaign to streamline and cut through red tape, and to that end is changing the management structure of its brands. As of June 1, GM is establishing four new "brand czars" who will have increased control over their products and be responsible for their divisions' successes and failures. Pontiac-Buick-GMC, Cadillac-HUMMER-Saab, Chevrolet and Saturn will each be accountable to a new brand chief, who in turn will report to the corporate VP of sales, service and marketing. The positions, which will all be vice-president-level appointments (except for Saturn, whose brand czar will coordinate with Opel), will have increased input into the overall process from product development through sales. The new brand czars will replace the five regional general managers that have acted until now as an insulator between the brands and its dealers. Insiders are hailing the move as a positive step, helping General...
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Filed under: Car Buying , Marketing/Advertising , Chevrolet , GM , UK Click above for a high-res gallery of Chevy's "fitting rooms" In what has to be the most ridiculous or utterly ingenious marketing ploy to date, Chevrolet has set up a drive-in fitting room outside a London dealership to allow consumers to "try on" their car before they buy. According to GM's research and marketing hacks, three out of four consumers consider their car to be a status symbol, despite 95-percent of people having no idea what they look like inside their car. As strange and admittedly vain as this campaign is, we can't help but think that it isn't an entirely bad idea. However, we doubt that it's going to make the trek across the pond and redefine our dealership experience. GM's full press release is available after the jump. Gallery: Chevrolet Drive-In Fitting Room Continue reading Chevy caters to insecurity, trials drive-in fitting room Permalink | Email this ...
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Filed under: Garage , Hybrids/Alternative , Sedans/Saloons , Marketing/Advertising , Tech , Chevrolet If the Chevy Volt were a 150 mpg dairy cow, the General's marketing department would have a hand on every utter. The Volt is still more than two years from production, and the series hybrid is all over the Internet, TV, and magazines. When a vehicle promises as much as the Volt does, though, any update is big news. This time, engineers have come up with a computer algorithm to accelerate battery durability testing. The test increases battery testing from ten years to two by duplicating real-life vehicle speed and cargo-carrying conditions in a controlled environment while constantly recharging the batteries. The next step for the Volt is test mules that can put GM's e-Flex system through more unpredictable conditions like snow storms and Michigan potholes. Since the Volt's 375-pound battery pack resides down the center of the car and beneath its rear seats, GM had some unique...
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