Given the recent string of cataclysmic events across the globe, Chevy’s Super Bowl ad for the Silverado pickup was, at best, insensitive. Events like the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, Hurricane Katrina in the U.S. and last spring’s outbreak of tornadoes in Alabama make end-of-the-world videos not quite as funny as they used to be. Add in the ongoing situation in the Middle East, and the video hits a bit close to home for anyone following world events.
Taste aside, Ford has some big issues with Chevy’s ad. The automaker is disputing the claim that Chevy builds the most dependable, longest lasting trucks on the market. As Automotive News (subscription required) tells us, Ford’s lawyers sent a cease-and-desist letter to GM, requesting that the ad be pulled. When GM refused, Ford made the same request to NBC, with the same result.
GM is standing by its assertion, basing its claim on the number of 1981 – July 2011 full-size pickups registered. Ford, on the other hand, is claiming it has far more full-size trucks on the road today with more than 250,000 miles on the odometer. Who’s right? That’s probably up to the lawyers to fight out now.
This much is clear: GM spent a boatload of money on Super Bowl advertising, and made a serious effort to build up the hype via social media and its “Game Time” app. Ford, on the other hand, didn’t do much. Was that poor planning on Ford’s part or simply more prudent use of stockholder money? We’ll know for sure when the February sales numbers come out.
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
