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Lincoln reveals mini-site for 2009 Lincoln MKS, urges self cars the buyer to reach higher. Maybe they should summon their own Jackie Wilson and "lift themselves higher" first. [Reach Higher]

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Ford Tweaks The Marketing Of Hybrids In New Commercial, Explains "Hybrid Gap"


Ford has hybrids? Who knew? If the Toyota Prius "cows farting" ad was the antithesis of all that is honest about automotive advertising, then this new ad for the hybrid Ford Explorer Escape cheekily mocks the advertising and marketing madness that is the cult of hybrid. Of course it's also an explanation of why the US automakers have a hybrid marketing gap as big as the feared space exploration gap when a man named Yuri was shot up into space in a capsule way back when and why they totally missed the boat on the Prius. All we know is that this commercial's as funny as the Toyota one from earlier this week — only in a diametrically opposite way.

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Nissan Qashqai Thrashed SUV-core

If skateboarding equals hip, then Nissan's aiming for a hipster halo for its new Qashqai SUV. The messaging is urban assault vehicle, not suburban IKEA vehicle. (Thanks to Sosthen for the tip.)

deal of the week

2007 Cadillac CTS-V

We were loathe to feature yet another Cadillac for the Deal of the Week, but in light of the SRT-8's expiration and also in light of the Cadillac CTS-V's worthiness as a V8-powered performance machine, we'll go with that. [Thanks Joe.] With a new high-po entry Caddy not scheduled until next year — a car Bob Lutz says will suck the doors off an M5 — it's a good time to take advantage of a clearance offer on this year's model. It's the 2007 CTS-V, a car that combines a decent platform with the GM's proven LS2 V8 producing 400 horsepower. It's already a good power-to-dollar value at fifty grand. At under fifty, it's a bargain. That's $4,000 cash back or limited interest-free financing. It's like a bargain-basement BMW M3 with secret cred. And when you're out cruising, you can wear either a porkpie hat or gold chains. There's no need to go with both. [Cadillac]

deal of the week

2007 Chrysler 300 SRT-8

[UPDATE: Oh well — it's expired. D'oh. You can still get the '07 300C at a $3500 rebate and zero-rate up to 36 months.] Tired of the performance models always being excluded from automakers' incentive deals? Well, pop a No Doze and check out today's — hold please — Deal of the Week. It's the 2007 Chrysler 300 SRT-8, a car that combines last-gen Mercedes underpinnings with last-gen Chrysler design and factors in a ground-smooshing, 425-horsepower American V8. With cash back of $2000 or zero-rate financing up to 36 months, you'll need some capital to take advantage of the come-on, but at least you won't be upside-down when the sub-prime mortgage crisis starts pulling the securities markets into the fourth ring of hell. In other words, dump that mutual fund now while it's still worth something. Of course, if you live in NYC or a similar premium-insurance state, the five-year cost estimate adds 40 grand to the sticker. But c'mon, it could be way worse, especially for this much fun. And you can always get a used Prius after the next Great Depression. [Yahoo! Autos]

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How The Utes Were Won: Holden Spot Traces Pickup-car History

Atop a sound bed provided by Melbourne's own Jet — a band that knows its way around a royalty check, having become a raspy accompanist to the iPod, Vodafone, TV's Alias and the big screen's Spiderman 2 — is this history lesson from GM's Holden. It's a one-minute retrospective of Australian utes — that is, pickup-cars — from the farm to the city streets, as told through the miracle of period casting, CGI programming and the obvious, but workable strains of Aussie garage rock. We're a stone-cold sucker for a fuzzbox, a 'camino and a tasty hook. (Thanks to Brett for the tip.)

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Mazda Teams with Facebook to Find Designer of the "2018 Mazda3"

What will a Mazda3 look like in the year 2018? If you said something like "rotary-powered pinecone," you may have what it takes to win a new contest. Mazda's turning to Facebook to find new design talent as part of the Mazda Design Challenge. Contestants have to submit a 150-word description of their vision of the 2018 Mazda3, and an optional sketch. The winner will work with the counterintuitively American Franz von Holzhausen, director of Mazda Design in North America and his team to build a concept car that will debut at the Los Angeles auto show in November. Any ideas, oh peanut gallery of my eye? More »

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Wango Tango! Dance Marathon for a Dodge Durango in Texas

Anyone who's seen "Hands on a Hardbody" knows Texans will endure all manner of tediousness to win a truck. Not content to give Nissan the last word, Dodge is sponsoring an endurance dance contest, the "Dodge Durango Tango" at the State Fair of Texas today. The enduring hoofer — partnered with a life-sized doll dressed up with wardrobe props — will win a 2008 Dodge Durango. Appearing at the event will be Emmitt "Lost: Answers to the Name of 'Dignity'" Smith, who will endure his own marathon of PR copywriters' "dancing with the cars" puns. C'mon now, it's for charity. Every hour the contest lasts, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas will receive $500. Now get out there and jingle-jangle your bone spurs.

gadgets

Prancing Phone: Vertu Ascent Ferrari 60 Limited Edition

High-end cell-phone builder Vertu has a new titanium ear pillow for Ferraristi. It's the Vertu Ascent Ferrari 60, inspired by the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti. It's an extremely limited-edition follow-up to the company's Ascent Ferrari 1947, and like it, commemorates Ferrari's 60th anniversary. The Ascent 60 comes with wallpapers and ringtones featuring the 612 Scaglietti, and sports the same style of philips screws and leather covering found on Ferrari models. Of course, the titanium Ferrari shift gate on the back is worth the yet-undisclosed entry fee. [Sybarites via Carscoop]

With GM pulling out of Olympic sponsorship, Keith Naughton thinks Toyota can go...all...the...way...to the gold. [Newsweek]

Chrysler CEO Bob Nardelli said ready to name Lexus Marketing VP Deborah Meyer as its first CMO. [AdAge]

nessie james vios

¡Vaya Con Vios! Or, Er, The Loch Ness Monster

If you are a Malaysian sort and find yourself jogging the edge of Loch Ness, a word of warning to all y'all, even if you're roughly a micron-sized percentage of a pinch of our readership — you may end up owning a Toyota Vios. Or being consumed by a controversial lake creature. Your choice, really. [Thanks to Tiffany for the tip.]

glory in the baltic states

Gonna Move into The Country, Gonna Drive Me a Lot of ZAZes!



If you're a dork in 1984 and your phone rings while you're washing your car, what do you do? Well, if you're a ZAZ man, you hit the fuckin' road, snackcake! And that's exactly what this Estonian man does, tearing up Baltic roads like Walter Rörhl on bad PCP. No, really.

let's see how long you last

The Manta Goes and Feeds You an Omelette of Disease



It walks the streets at night. It goes where eagles dare. It picks up every movement. It picks up every loser. With revised eyes and features, you think it really cares? The Manta ain't no goddamn sonofabitch. You better think about it, baby.

decal city, chumpkin!

Porsche 959 Decals!

The poor guy who created this page had no idea that one couldn't create one's own repro decals by scanning them and printing them out. It reminds us of being a youngster and finding out that 150dpi RGB images were no good for four-color, on-press printing. What's more, he's optimistic in thinking that copying a decal set by a vector artist will cost him a mere fifty samoleons. Nevertheless, the man does have a great archive of '80s-era R/C car decal sheets. Our favorite is the one from Tamiya's wonderful 959 kit. We kind of want to make our own life-size Rothmans water-slip decals and post them on every transparent surface within a three-block radius. [Vintage R/C Web]

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My Name Is Joe, And I...Am...A Dodge Ram Shill!


After seeing this new commercial for the Dodge Ram we kind of feel like the BBDO creative team may have been suffering from some creative copying. Anyone remember those Molson Canadian "My Name Is Joe" ads? Take another gander at one of them below the jump if you don't remember, and then tell us what you think in the comments below — any similarities in look and feel? More »

little pinto, little pinto, let us in

Won't Blow Over, Might Blow Up



Back in the days when the American idea of a compact car was a Chevy II, Falcon or Valiant, it took some convincing to sell folks used to larger domestic iron to take a chance on a weensy car. So the braintrust handling Ford's advertising decided that they'd set up a whole bunch of wind-tunnel-grade fans and demonstrate the diminutive runabout's lack of propensity to be blown into oncoming traffic. Guess what? It didn't replicate the topsoil in 1930s Oklahoma! Sadly, there was that little explosion issue.

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Dodge Nitro Kills Dog, Makes Us Cry A Little


We think we know where Dodge is going with this little commercial viral video we're assuming was made for the Euro market showing the Dodge Nitro electrocuting a dog that gets too close to those chrome rims. We think they're trying to separate themselves as the Chrysler Group's "boy brand." But our only issue is — should a brand all about the message of "Grab Life," be taking it away? Just askin'...and plus, isn't the dog getting it in the end kinda anticlimactic? We still cried a little, but you know, still?