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GM hopes movie "Transformers" will transform sales

Discussion in 'Fred's House of Pancakes' started by hb06, Jul 3, 2007.

  1. hb06

    hb06 Member

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    "... in the labs and cubicles where General Motors Corp. workers design and market new cars, the true leads are the Chevrolet Camaro, Pontiac Solstice, GMC TopKick and Hummer H2."

    "You're going to see these cars as the heroes. You're not going to see the other actors," said Dino Bernacchi, GM's associate director of branded entertainment. "These cars are the stars, literally, in the movie."

    "And exposure is exactly what GM gets in the film."

    http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070702/ap_en_..._s_transformers
     
  2. Alric

    Alric New Member

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    My son and myself are very excited about the movie. However, we can distinguish between reality and fantasy and realize that GM cars transforming into giant robots in a movie has nothing to do with the actual cars.
     
  3. Godiva

    Godiva AmeriKan Citizen

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    I wondered why the new GM commercials were so stupid. Then I finally got it. They were a movie tie in to the new Transformer movies. I still think the commericals are stupid but at least now they make some sense.

    BTW if GM thinks the cars are going to be the stars of the movie I don't give the movie much hope. If the transformers aren't the stars then the movie will tank. No one is going to pay $10 to watch a 100 min. GM car commercial.
     
  4. bgdrewsif

    bgdrewsif New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Jul 3 2007, 12:51 AM) [snapback]472076[/snapback]</div>
    Oh I bet there are plenty of morons who will gladly shell out 50 or 60 dollars at the multiplex for their entire family to watch the mindless dribble that the transformer movie no doubt will prove to be.... Im sure it will easily be a 'blockbuster' (which as I understand it is a movie that surpasses 100 million bucks in the box office... which is expected of most studio films these days.... perhaps we need to redefine blockbuster to be 200 million dollars?
     
  5. Neicy

    Neicy Member

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    So that's why they have those dumb commercials I saw on TV. Do they think the world is full of overgrown 4 year olds?
     
  6. scargi01

    scargi01 Active Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Neicy @ Jul 3 2007, 05:39 AM) [snapback]472137[/snapback]</div>
    It's all about exposure, and they want to get the product in front of all the parents of those 4 year olds. Companies pay to have their products placed in movies/tv all the time.
     
  7. MarinJohn

    MarinJohn Senior Member

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    Naturally, most people on this board know better than to pay for watching a commercial and will instead spend their money on Michael Moore's "SICKO" which is a thinly disguised treatise on junior's administration, and all those who must be held accountable for enabling it by voting for it.
     
  8. scargi01

    scargi01 Active Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(MarinJohn @ Jul 3 2007, 11:55 AM) [snapback]472326[/snapback]</div>
    yeah right.......
     
  9. ozyran

    ozyran New Member

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    As for my wife and I, we'll go sit through a couple of very entertaining hours of transforming GM products. HOWEVER - comma - it will be a VERY long time before I buy ANYTHING GM has manufactured. Honestly, I think they should crush each and every one of those "leads" that they listed. Besides, I'm not convinced that this vehicle will draw much of a customer base, except among a very few individuals:
    [attachmentid=9402]

    Michael Moore's film, while great at pointing out flaws (which everyone loves to do these days), is not something I'm interested in supporting. I go to the movies to be entertained. If I wanted to be bored, I'd rather be at home and bored stiff, not $20.00 poorer, in a theater, and bored stiff.
     

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  10. JackDodge

    JackDodge Gold Member

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    Yeah, I can just see the transformers in the middle of battling the forces of evil only to stall out and have to go to the dealership to get it fixed only to have the dealership screw up something else. Can you picture the transformers all down at the dealership? "I'm in for a recall." "Yeah, me too, this is the fourth one this year. Think I'll transform myself in to a Prius" :lol:
     
  11. ohershey

    ohershey New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Neicy @ Jul 3 2007, 03:39 AM) [snapback]472137[/snapback]</div>
    Yes. Now prove them wrong......
     
  12. JackDodge

    JackDodge Gold Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mad Hatter @ Jul 3 2007, 02:34 PM) [snapback]472394[/snapback]</div>
    The customer doesn't have to prove anything. :)
     
  13. ozyran

    ozyran New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JackDodge @ Jul 3 2007, 02:09 PM) [snapback]472381[/snapback]</div>
    :lol:

    The sequel will show why the Autobots were continually denied warranty service as the warranty claims were all attributed to "misuse and abuse".
     
  14. JimN

    JimN Let the games begin!

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ozyran @ Jul 3 2007, 10:08 PM) [snapback]472680[/snapback]</div>
    For the sake of the toy company I hope the tie-in doesn't transform their product line into red ink.
     
  15. nytimez

    nytimez New Member

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    As long as it's science fiction... they should have them transform into reliable cars with good mileage! ;)
     
  16. ozyran

    ozyran New Member

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    Well, I just went and saw the movie.

    I was blown away.

    I went with high expectations. My high expectations were ALL blown away.

    It's a kid's movie. It's a grown-up's movie. It's the best $14.00 wasted on an action sci-fi movie at the theater since Terminator 2 came out. If you can look past the obvious and blatant product placement, you'll find that there's a decent movie inside.

    And did I mention that in one shot you see a Toyota Prius take up the whole screen? It may be for but a brief second, but yes, you see a 2G Salsa Red Toyota Prius in the new Transformers.

    And honestly, after leaving the place, I've had my perception altered. Now, I'm looking for the good in people, even the people who tailgate me. I'm looking for people to choose what's right, knowing full well that some people won't.

    I'm glad I saw Transformers instead of Sicko.
     
  17. Godiva

    Godiva AmeriKan Citizen

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ozyran @ Jul 4 2007, 01:39 PM) [snapback]472999[/snapback]</div>
    Yes. But did you have a sudden urge to go out and buy a Corvette or a Hummer?
     
  18. Dr Ed

    Dr Ed New Member

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    One reason GM is quickly fading to dust is their continued belief that cosumers are idiots and will immeditately go out and buy a GM car because they "transform" in the commercial. Hey GM, take your $billions wasted on silly, insulting advertising and put it into developing something of QUALITY for a change.
     
  19. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

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    you gotta admit, the new camaro wasn't a bad looking car. :p

    the movie was decent (DH has been clamoring to see this one since he found out they were making it, so we went out and saw it today) but the product placement was SO blatant it was pretty pathetic.

    the dealership shot found my eyes rolled as far back in their sockets as is physically possible.
     
  20. christob

    christob Member

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    Saw it Tuesday (granted, I had a "Transformer Lamborghini" toy car as an 11yr old...) Definitely a fun, hi-energy summer-fluff kind of movie! And for all the shoot-em/blow-em-up/special effects action, yes, a decent message carries through about loyalties and friendships, good fighting evil...
    All the better to watch at matinee prices, if you're susceptible to feeling like you're "paying to see a commercial." The product placement was blatant once or twice (the aforementioned dealership shot, the worst!) and less intrusive beyond that... Though I'm sure if I was more familiar with GM's lineup, I'd have spotted more product placement than I did... But it was all easily ignored, I found, and the GM-ness was not what I carried home from the movie experience. There was more than enough going on, to pay attention to. (Tho I did love the scene where the old "piece of crap" <movie quote> Camaro suddenly goes off in search of hotter wheels, scans a passing car, and thus changes body styles into the new model! Put yourself in the shoes of the slightly geeky, longs-to-be-a-ladies-man, high-school kid's character, driving that car, and imagine how you'd feel seeing that happen, and in front of your hopefully-girlfriend-to-be!)
    I cannot imagine being persuaded by the movie, or the tv ads, to actually buy a GM car on the basis of the movie tie-in, but I'm sure there are some consumers out there, who may be influenced by that. (But then, I can't really remember any commercial for any product, that convinced me to go out and buy that one specific product.)