General Motors is parting ways with its Chief Marketing Officer Joel Ewanick, sources tell Automotive News, ending the approximately two-year tenure of the sometimes controversial exec's term.
Ewanick first gained notoriety at Hyundai, where he envisioned the brand's successful "Assurance" campaign. You remember the one. If you lost your job and had just bought a Hyundai they told you you'd be able to return it with no penalty. It was genius marketing at the height of a panicky economic downturn that convinced frightened people to buy new cars, with no realistic downside for the company.
He was then nabbed by Nissan before being picked up by GM.
AutoNews hints that Ewanick's abrupt decisions regarding Facebook and the Super Bowl, as well as perhaps willingness to answer questions on Jalopnik, were a sign of a decision-making process that didn't fit GM's style.
There's also the "Chevy Runs Deep" tagline that we previously deemed "the worst slogan ever."
It's also possible that Ewanick just got a job offer from an organization with a more positive market perception than GM. Someone like the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Right now GM ain't talking.
Whatever the reason, Ewanick does get credit for saving the company Silverado-loads of cash by ditching the dozens of agencies that previously did ad work for GM and consolidating it under one roof.
On a positive note, if Ewanick still owns a Hyundai he'll be able to return it, free of charge now.
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