Yearning for Yesteryear: What the 2012 Superbowl Commercials Desperately Needed

I was underwhelmed by the 2012 Super bowl ads at almost every level. One exception was the Clint Eastwood’s Chrysler ad — “It’s halftime in America.” The ad talks about the hurting and how many pulled together to find the way back. It had powerful emotion, a distinctive Clint Eastwood voiceover and wonderful visuals that captured the feeling of real people successfully working their way out of tough times. Supporting the “imported from Detroit” message of Chrysler, it provided self-expressive benefits to owners and future buyers of the four Chrysler brands.

It reminded me of the most honest, effective and satisfying ads in my memory: The classic Hal Riney ads for the Saturn launch that appeared two decades ago. Saturn, as its tagline “a different kind of company, a different kind of car” suggested, was an American car that could compete in quality and value with the imports. Created by GM to provide a low-end option that could win against the imports, Saturn was given a stand-alone organization with its own work force, car design, manufacturing plant, union and charismatic CEO, Skip LaFauve.

Remarkably, the Saturn team pulled it off by creating a company that designed and built a world class car and a very different customer relationship. The car was surpassed in the quality ratings for nearly a decade by only three or four super premium brands. In addition, their philosophy of treating the customer as a friend led to a low-pressure showroom experience, a family feeling with BBQs and no price haggling. It was a revolution. The Saturn drivers were so loyal that many drove to the Spring Hill Tennessee plant to celebrate with other owners.

The advertising was extraordinary. It sold the company and its relationship to employees, dealers and customers rather than the product. When you got to know the company culture, values and people, there could be little doubt that it would deliver a superior product and customer relationship.

One of best ads in a wonderful campaign was the launch day ad which showed a Saturn worker driving to the Spring Hill plant for the first day of making cars thinking about a new kind of plant where “I see how my work fits into the big picture.” The employee continues, “Now we got people watching us, some are for us, some against…but when I go to the end of the building and see that car sitting there, I’m gonna feel alright. Gonna be a great feelin’ to know that I was a small part of history.”

The ad with Hal Riney’s raspy voiceover really captured the pride of the Saturn people. The unspoken message was that an American firm had accepted the challenge of the imports and was going to win. Buyers were going to have self-expressive benefits of joining the Saturn’s American team. By focusing on the Saturn organization and employees, the quality and customer experience story was told indirectly by telling the Saturn story. The Chrysler ad was trying to do something similar, though the story was diluted by a much less focused set of products.

I miss Saturn and the Hal Riney touch. By failing to invest in Saturn, General Motors turned its back on one of the organizational, product and brand successes of the last two decades and ultimately had to walk away. It is nothing short of a strategic tragedy.

What is needed in today’s marketplace is a compelling story and a basis for a relationship that goes beyond functional benefits. A successful product development effort that is driven by passion and culture can deliver both.

Posted February 15, 2012 / Permalink / Subscribe (e-mail) / Subscribe (RSS)
Tags: advertising branding chrysler commercials saturn superbowl television

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