AdAge reports GM's Bob "Maximum Marketing" Lutz "crapped all over" ad campaigns earlier this month, then jetted off to the Caribbean for vacation, leaving ad shops behind quaking in their urine-soiled undergarments. Awesome, it's like an episode of Mad Men!
So what did Bob have to say about the campaigns? Let's let AdAge's Jean Halliday tell you:
Specifically, he told the brand teams last week that Cadillac's generally well-received and popular ads with "Grey's Anatomy" star Kate Walsh from Modernista are too dark and said Chevrolet's campaign from Campbell-Ewald — still in the can and yet to run — is too lifestyle-focused.
But it was Buick that took the most public beating for the uninspired "photo shoot" TV commercial that aired broadly for about a month until last week. In his public webcast, Mr. Lutz singled out that spot, saying, "That Buick commercial tested very well, which is not the same as saying that it's an effective ad." Buick VP Susan Docherty told Ad Age the pretesting landed in the "top quartile" for originality and breakthrough work.
So apparently Cadillac's ads are too dark (we disagree. Kate Walsh makes us want to buy a CTS), Chevy's ads (which haven't run yet) are too lifestyle-y, and Buick's ads (the beach photo shoot) are not the "lyrical gangster" but rather, just stupid. So what will this mean for GM's ads? More than likely, given Lutz's love of the old school, he'll be looking for more "beauty shots" (aka car p0rn) and less screwing around with non-car crap. Also, expect less pre-testing and a bit more of the classic "Mad Men" marketing. We're also expecting Publicis Group's Leo Burnett — responsible for the terrifyingly bad Buick ads — will more than likely continue to be taken to the woodshed until eventually taken behind for a good ol' fashioned Ol' Yeller recreation. Sad ad agency is sad.
And as far as Bob Lutz's little trip to the Caribbean, the man's like 80-something — who am I to argue with him wanting a little vacation time? [AdAge via Detroit News]