Superbowl Pathetic GM commercial

I missed the beginning of the GM comercial but to me it more felt like the robot was "loosing his job".... It more got em thinking about the likelihood of GM's demise then about quality.

That said the worst comercial was for the Tundra.... yeees! It makes me want to sell my Prius.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(EricGo @ Feb 5 2007, 07:30 AM) [snapback]385528[/snapback]</div>

It is a pathetic commentary on the abysmal lack of intelligence or any shred of critical thinking on the part of the U.S. public, that a commercial, in effect a micro-movie, a moment of fantasy, can actually convince Americans to buy one brand over another.

An upbeat image, a pretty girl, a catchy tune, devoid of any actual information about the product, and people will choose one over the other, because the tune is catchier, or the image is more macho, or the girl is prettier.

I read Consumer Reports before picking a brand on any major purchase. But most Americans just watch the commercials. No wonder nearly half of them voted for W.

BTW, a couple of years ago a friend invited me to a Super-Bowl party. She insisted they only watched it for the commercials, which she said were worth seeing. There was plenty of finger food and soda. But they seemed as much engrossed in the game as the commercials, and both game and commercials were boring, and I found the commercials offensive. Maybe it's because I've not been indoctrinated into the television culture.

 

Yes, commercials are the pumps of this bullshit economy. Or something like that. But they can be entertaining, if for nothing else just to see how you are getting manipulated. Anyway, getting back to the thread, what was the commercial that started this thread, the one where there were bits of songs featuring Chevies in the lyrics? Or was there another one that has totally dropped off of my brain pan?

 

I forgot to vote ..

I thought the beer commercial that took place in the ESL classroom was lol funny. Biting humor. Reminded me of another set of beer commercials that ran a few years ago titled "how to speak australian".

The *really* good commercials usually don't cost a lot to make, they just have brilliant ideas.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SomervillePrius @ Feb 5 2007, 12:37 PM) [snapback]385607[/snapback]</div>

Hey, robots have feelings too. I was upset for the robot. Obviously an inferior American model! Have you know compasion man? Only carbon based life forms have feelings? How shallow of you!

Really,

I hope GM goes belly up too - a nail in the coffin of unions I would love to drive in myself. I do not buy cars or anything if possible that is union made - too socialistic for me and too Democratic. Love Ford going down the tubes. Love the fact the Chrysler was bought by the Germans who have bigger union headaches than we do here with the American auto workers unions - love it all the way! That is the only reason I wont buy GM in the future too - not until the unions either die on the vine or GM goes Chapter 11.

And I love the fact Toyota went after one of the most profitable segments of the US auto market that is still basically controlled by the American auto makers and their unions. I PRAY the Tundra eats away big time at the F-Series and the Chevrolet Whatever and drive Ford and GM that much closer to the brink. Wait until the Tundra Hybrid hits the market :lol: GO TOYOTA - all the way! Brilliant on their part.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(malorn @ Feb 5 2007, 10:38 AM) [snapback]385534[/snapback]</div>

Boy, am *I* in the wrong business. I have a masters degree and only make around $70,000 a year. An no one pays me for *my* overtime.

I'm a teacher.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ Feb 5 2007, 03:23 PM) [snapback]385668[/snapback]</div>

Next year.....PuppyBowl IV.

You can come to my house.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Feb 5 2007, 09:05 PM) [snapback]385826[/snapback]</div>

At least you make something worthwhile and use your brain

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Feb 5 2007, 06:05 PM) [snapback]385826[/snapback]</div>

Okay. But only for the half-time show. I'm a cat-lover. ... Wait a minute... you live in San Diego??? Ugg. Traffic, smog, and more traffic. Maybe I'll have to take a pass (no pun intended).

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SomervillePrius @ Feb 5 2007, 12:37 PM) [snapback]385607[/snapback]</div>

That, or it was a none-too-subliminal metaphor to GM plant workers (the 'robots') that if you drop a screw while on the job, you get terminated.

In fact, all the big, hulking GM vehicles with their lights on, bearing down on the sad little robot right before it jumped off the bridge seemed a bit like unfeeling corporate management coming down on the downtrodden, unrepresented worker like something right out of The Jungle or Norma Rae.

IOW, the job they did giving the machines human characteristics was a little too good...

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ Feb 5 2007, 10:08 PM) [snapback]385857[/snapback]</div>

You can always bypass L.A.

San Diego has no smog and traffic will be light on Sunday.

If I have to watch the kitties, you have to watch the puppies.

I will feed you. I will not make you beg.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(rudiger @ Feb 5 2007, 10:23 PM) [snapback]385863[/snapback]</div>

Here's Slate's reviewers take which echoed my thoughts of creepiness:

A robot in a GM assembly plant drops a screw. As a result, he's fired. He tries to make do with menial jobs, but he remains miserable. In the end, he jumps off a bridge. Thoughts: Haven't a lot of actual human auto workers been laid off lately? Are they meant to laugh when, at the end of the ad, the robot wakes up to realize this was just a bad dream, and that he still has his job so he doesn't need to commit suicide after all? Whew, thank goodness things worked out for you, robot!
ref

I wonder if this commercial will be buried, perhaps becoming a cult hit at UAW meetings. But I'll bet they have a whole series lined up, making the robot a GM spokesobject, complete with merchandising. When do I wake up?

 

Another reason to kill your television.

Are you serious? This is *actually* the spot? Disturbing.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(RonH @ Feb 5 2007, 10:46 PM) [snapback]385871[/snapback]</div>

I really thought the commercial was depressing. Totally depressing--and it would have been for any company.

 

I'd like to know why there is such a fascination with TV commercials? I grew up with limited ability to watch TV and ever since I have no desire to watch TV and more so the commercials in particular. I find nothing interesting/funny/entertaining in them. Pardon my ignorance, maybe I am missing something but do please explain the intrinsic value of the TV commercial, other than another clever and sophisticated form of marketing. I am not against it but I am just wondering why so many people are engaging in even discussing them.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(maggieddd @ Feb 6 2007, 08:46 PM) [snapback]386471[/snapback]</div>

Agreed. It's interesting how we as humans are fascinated by two-dimensional moving representations of ourselves.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(maggieddd @ Feb 6 2007, 08:46 PM) [snapback]386471[/snapback]</div>

Simple, they work. I think it was one of Milton Friedman's early research that advertising does have value: it makes for a more efficient market. Course some are more interesting, better written, more shiny than others but I wonder if there is any correlation between "good" commercials and moving the goods. Should have taken more econ.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Pinto Girl @ Feb 6 2007, 08:54 PM) [snapback]386477[/snapback]</div>

Not just humans. My brother has a dog that recognizes when dogs come on screen, not just when they bark. He'll walk over and stare at it, RCA Victor dog style (what was his name?). None of my dogs have ever paid any attention. I think they were more olfactory oriented.

 

My dog watches but I know its the light and movement, not a perceived image.

I watched some of the commercials on youtube.

I did think the robot commercial was a bit pathetic. I felt the robot was a metaphor for the line worker, even though they seemed to go out of their way to show the human workers in contrast to the robot worker. It was just a sad commerical. The execution was great. The content not so much. I also didn't like the other commercials involving homeless people stripping to wash some chicks car or the montage of cars with music. What was with that? We're supposed to buy their car because we're nostalgic? I never did see the Tundra commercial. The Ford commercials were also pretty bad. While the robot one was the only one with imagination the message just didn't communicate effectively at all.

The Careerbuilder commercial were good.

The beard comb-over commercial was pretty funny.

I did like the budweiser dog/dalmatian commercial but I do think the wink in the end was too saccharine and wasn't necessary. I think the one I liked the best was the blockbuster commercial that recycled the cg petstore hamster and rabbit trying to get their "mouse" to go online so they could order videos. Youtube has a longer version of that alone without the blockbuster stuff. Very funny.

Of everything I watched, I still like "My Date with Barney".

 

There's an article in the current edition of BusinessWeek about the creatives who did this ad. Even BW, that noted proponent of Western consumerism, takes a 'wait and see' attitude towards it.

There's even a beauty shot of the robot, which (we're told) is going to become the 'perfect presenter' for GM in an upcoming campaign(!!!)

The more I think about it, the more disturbing this becomes.

Suicide is a serious matter. It is something that 'evolved' sentient beings do when they are no longer able to cope with their world.

It is the very last little bit of control that we as individuals have over our own existence, after all.

It doesn't take much time manning a suicide prevention hotline to realize that it's a very tender and emotionally charged subject.

One which is not well suited to repositioning the image of a brand.

I've penned a letter to the agency which created the spot, in protest, and shall also cc the folks in marketing at GM.