The following are my opinions and in no way reflect the views of the company I work for.

1. Hate to admit I hadn't seen the ad until I saw it in this thread.
2. I'm not crazy about Mellencamp -- period.
3. I'm not sure I'd have done the ad you just saw.......
4. I just came back from Texas -- and as an American, I'm mad as hell.

yup...TOYOTA is an American company and they're gonna build trucks in Texas. Big Deal: Arlington has built over 8 million vehicles and adds a huge amount to the Texas economy. Don't believe for one minute that Toyota will come anywhere NEAR spending 1/4th of what GM does in that state.

To listen to some of you on this site, GM, Ford, and DCX have done very little, if anything right.

Are the american car companies wrong in what has occurred in the past? Yup....but no one ever wants to dig just a little deeper to find out what happened in the 70s and 80s to cause quality issues.

Bad decisions? Yup.

Government causing bigger problems? Boy Howdy.

Have some Americans that have forgotten just how bad foreign cars were in the late 60s and thru the early 80s? Yup.

I dunno.......mebbe I'm over the hill. See -- I believe in standards. I think it's wrong to bash this country and take sides with the bad guys. I think it's wrong to become so politically correct, that we've lost our way. I think it's wrong that we don't INSIST that the playing field is levelled. I think it's wrong that WalMart seemingly comes into every town in this country and obliterates family run businesses.....(and I don't buy that WalMart is doing us any favors long-run.......I don't think there's much in a WalMart store that is built in this country.........and I dread what the long term consequences may be......)

Am I right in everything I claim? no. Never will be. That's why I am spending less and less time on this site -- 'cause frankly it isn't worth the trouble to watch what happens. There are some great people on this site. There are also a few that have the answers for everything.....yet for some reason, they have no experience. (if the shoe fits, wear it)

So......Chevy does this truck ad that I don't particularly like.....and frankly, there are only a couple of things I don't like about it....like Mellencamp, who, I'm sure is a fine man -- I just don't prefer his music.
But as I watched it a second time -- and could not figure out why in hell there were scenes of Katrina and of 9/11 -- it occurred to me: Hmmmmm....even the Wall Street Journal credited GM with saving the stockmarket in the days following 9/11. GM sent hundreds of trucks and cars to New York to assist with recovery and cleanup efforts. Same for Katrina.
As I recall, we heard crickets chirping from Toyota in the days following one of the worst tragedies this country has seen.

See........in the final analysis, I keep going back to history. (and perhaps that's wrong.....) ...but I look at the fact that a lot of people over a couple of hundred years have fought and died to give us the standard of living we have. God forbid we have another world war -- but IF -- and I pray we don't -- but IF we do -- I don't think we can count on ANY other country to come to our defense. How did we win WWII??? We outproduced the enemy. I for one do not want to have to rely in the French to build defense aircraft. I do not want to rely on Toyota building tanks or whatever other weapons may need to be used in that war. Now...and you've heard me say this before: you do not have to buy a GM car or truck. But how 'bout looking at a Ford or DCX? They have a long-term investment in this country.

So.....in the final analysis -- I've been flamed. The company I work for is constantly bashed.

Fine.

You had your say.

Now I have mine: and it's an opinion: Until you've driven every American car, perhaps you need to stop bashing -- 'cause you just MAY not know what you're talking about. (proof? go talk to a LOT of people who went to 'Chevy Rev It Up' and had their eyes opened to the Cobalt SS and the Impala SS........) In my opinion, I think many 'americans' have become so self absorbed that they are putting the entire country in danger. Our standard of living didn't just occur. And we can lose that standard of living very quickly because of 'self interests.' You'd better start pulling for the home team, guys and gals........there's a lot at stake. Again: don't buy a GM car just because -- but at least drive one....and please...I beg you...give Ford a chance. They build some pretty incredible vehicles!

OK -- I'm done. I will be flamed. I've come to expect that. After all, what the hell do I know in the first place, right?

 

It's not realistic to expect a person to be able to drive every model of every car made before they formulate their opinion of what's good and what's not.

But for what it's worth I did try to test drive an 07 Avalanche a month or so ago because I was truely interested in the possibility of leasing one if the numbers were right. It wouldn't start... the DIC said something about a defective security module needed to be replaced. Guy said he'd call me back when they got it fixed so I could test drive it (they had a bunch of others on the lot but this one was the only one in the config I wanted)... a month later he's still never called me back. Oh well...

 

hmmm kinda funny guy we were painting his house bought a brand new lexus and had the same thing happen to him in his driveway, had a tow truck come get the car, he was so pissed and he actually was saying I dont get it its a Lexus....
I like your thoughts Threxx so take this as an observation as Scott said your taking a stand for the other team:
Your on a board where 99.9% of it is about american car culture. and the companies that build them..your observations are for the most part what alot of americans see. So are you right or wrong?? idk?? but the fact is Scott just made a great thoughtful statement. and you fire back with that. a Car is a car is, a car..and they have great ones and they have bad ones..Like I been saying for the last few weeks..Welcome to 2006..the idea that imports are still better than american cars is 1996 thinkgin, rightfully so?? maybee but man..I think your opinion is what is cause for concern in this country..
Take it or leave it Threxx..its just an observation like yours..and Scotts.
by the way Scott thanks for your thoughts..

 

The problem, to some extent on these types of internet sites, is that the average age is probably in the mid 20's to mid 30's....and for a large part, these people don't have a historical reference.... and must have dosed off during history class (if the history class even taught the 'real truth' that is)....they seem to think that everything is current within the last 2 decades.....IOW, they don't have any clue as to how and why we got to where we're at as a country.

This holds true for the automotive conversations and the political one's too. Someone want to tell me when the first terrorist attack on Americans was? (Hint it was in the early 1960's).

Scott hit the nail on the head.....go back and see what Chevrolet, Ford and Chrysler did for our country during both world wars and even after 9/11.....this is why I said that Chevrolet has "earned" the right to use some of the images they use in the spot. Something the imports will NEVER have the right to say. Never.

 

BTW - just to add a little note about Iwo Jima that should open some eyes...

Eight square miles and 26,000 dead with 20,000 wounded are kind of incomprehensible numbers to folks, so I'd like to illustrate what that really means...

There are 5120 acres in 8 square miles. Most of you will know how big an acre is, because many of you own homes. If you don't, your local typical Target store will clock in at roughly 2-3 acres in total size - just the building, not the parking lot.

If the wounded and dead were distributed evenly over that acreage, there would be:
5 dead bodies and 4 wounded men ON EVERY ACRE OF GROUND.

Or, to use the Target comparison:
10-15 dead bodies and 8-12 wounded IN THE STORE.

We could have expected something similar over the entire area of Japan, except this time it would not be littered with just American Marines and soldiers, but also with Japanese soldiers... and even more so... Japanese women and children.

 

That sums up my feelings rather accurately. Offended? Heck no. I'm not sure that a car company is going to run an ad that's "offensive" to me, since I try to set the bar rather high for that standard. On the other hand, despite some of the fine arguments made here by some forum members, I just don't understand how some of the images used in this ad could be intepreted as anything but a lowest-common-denominator attempt at eliciting an emotional response.

Wanna run images of 9/11 and Katrina to remind folks of the role that GM played in the recovery efforts of both? That's fine, but understand that you just can't flash a few seconds' worth of images and expect people to make the connection. The shots of Rosa Parks and 'nam are even harder to understand (yeah, Rosa took her couragous stand on a fine GMC transit bus but that's really stretching).

And thank goodness that the mushroom cloud shot was removed, because I have no idea why anyone would think that such a powerful symbol could be used to promote the sales of a consumer good in such a fashion.

The upside to this is that by running an "edgy" ad, GM finally seems to be sending a message that they understand the severity of the current situation.

 

The Katrina images were followed by the shots of the Chevy truck caravan coming down the hill and the next shot of workers standing up a newly framed wall....implying Chevy's contribution to the effort...that's all.

Bottom line is that we're discussing why a car company that wants to show it's patriotic side is now being lambasted for it's efforts....it's 'earned' efforts.

Heaven forbid we should be proud of our country......and proud of Chevy too for that matter.

 

I kinda like the ad?

Oh well...

 

True enough, Eric, but as I posted above, just about any commercial makes an attempt to appeal to human emotions in one form or another. Sometimes they are funny, sometimes they are whimsical. Sometimes they try to make you feel safe and secure. Sometimes they go after sadness and pity.

How about the Ford Freestyle ad that featured a divorced mom driving the kids over to the ex-husband's house for the weekend? What did that have to do with the car? If all commercials were simply stat sheets or a demonstration of all the new features (fold down seats, power tailgates, nav systems, and so on...), commercials would be pretty damn dry and boring...and less memorable.

I think the point here is to connect Chevrolet and GM to our culture and history, which is a legitimate connection, as Scott and others have pointed out. Many people won't recognize every single image in the reel, but everyone will recognize and identify with at least some of the images. When I saw the spotlight towers 9/11 tribute, I didn't think of GM sending trucks to help in the recovery (though they most certainly did, in addition to helping spur the economy with the rebates that have since haunted them deeply). I simply thought of things our country has gone through...no question they are going after our patriotic feelings (what little is left these days). The Katrina image was a little easier to connect directly to the truck, if one really needs to make that direct connection, because they actually showed some Silverados aiding in the recovery efforts.

As for going after the patriotic feelings, I think that can be risky (for evidence, see the outcry in this thread!). But I think this ad is pretty tastefully done, overall.

 

LOL at this thread!!! Iwo Jima responses now??? AHAHAHAHA!! Keep em coming.

 

Not to appear to pile on after Pacer's posts, but as a reference point, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan 3 months after the surrender of Germany. In August of 1945, the Soviets attacked to northern Japanese islands of Sakhalin and Kuril. In two weeks of fighting, it is estimated that over 300,000 Japanese civilians were killed.

A land invasion of Japan would have created death and destruction on an unimaginable scale. The estimates are that WE would have suffered ONE MILLION casualties. Let that sink in for a minute. The Japanese would have suffered MILLIONS.

 

Feel free to pile on.

Hearing it from a poster generally less directly confrontational than I may help him to take a hard, objective look at the true history.

 

Speaking of history, have there ever been nations in our past or even "Churches" that became so struck on themselves it begat their downfall?

Great words man! Great words!

I think its always important to remain humble, be quick to listen and slow to speak, and think about tomorrow rather than today.

God bless America! (and when I say God, I dont mean a god, I mean like southern baptist believed one and only)

 

I sincerely hope that's the case! I saw the ad and didn't care much for it. I like ads that talk about The Product, not attempt to fiddle with emotions. Sure, it evokes responses, but how many responses are negative?

 

Bobby Kennedy assasination...???