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Has anyone ever had a car wrapped up like this?
—Posted by Celeste Ward |
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December 12, 2005 | Permalink |
Comments
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I've received a bow-topped car! But I was 17 and it was a Saturn...and the bow wasn't nearly that big.
Posted by: Tara | Dec 12, 2005 9:21:31 PM
yes. in fact my auntie just gave a sportscar for her husband with a big red bow on top. so calm down.
Posted by: Turk | Dec 13, 2005 10:37:58 AM
I hope your auntie consulted her husband before she bought it. Man, i'd be pissed if my spouse made some $60k purchase without my knowledge, no matter how cool the car is. Unless I were married to Angelina Jolie or someone who has assloads of cash.
Posted by: Ed | Dec 13, 2005 11:02:11 AM
I agree, the spots are silly. While the bow and surprise elements are a nice idea, the concept works better for a first car or gift to a child. The concept does not translate well to the luxury car audience.
The spots would be more powerful if, say, they opened with a shot of a person who is clearly unhappy with their car- like those old car battery commercials. Or if they highlighted a new feature- something other than the overall smugness.
Posted by: Telly | Dec 13, 2005 11:56:31 AM
It's not bad advertising just vapid, unoriginal, lazy and to the far left of clever. It's appealing to people with a shitload of money who in many cases are vapid, unoriginal, lazy and to the far left of clever. Mission accomplished.
Posted by: Spyro Poulos | Dec 13, 2005 12:51:38 PM
Car + Bow 101
Although the image is played out, it is probably effective in that it plays on people's [insecure] fantasies. You know there are people out there who see that ad and think, "I wish I was successful enough to buy that for...", or "I wish some loved me enough to buy that for me". Also, don't forget the youths of today who will see that image and benchmark it as a sign of success, thus generating potential business in the future.
I guess most people wouldn't be corny enough to actually give someone a car with a bow, but all things being equal when John and Jane Public sit down after the test drives to muddle through the stack of luxury car brochures that image might just trigger a puchase.
Remember, ad people, the average person doesn't think that much into an campaign. It's not that people are stupid, the just don't care. CAR + BOW = EXPENSIVE PRESENT = MY HUSBAND LOVES ME, it's just that simple.
Posted by: chris | Dec 13, 2005 1:25:10 PM
Every time I see one of those spots, I cry out (to myself), "Who ARE these people?" I know advertising is supposed to contain some aspirational aspects, but this just seems like another example of the industry's presentation of false images of what the average american's life is like. Sort of like those airbrushed magazine ads that make women look slim, buff and devoid of cellulite. Maybe the media buy is at fault. I see these commercials all the time, and I am certainly not in that income bracket.
Posted by: | Dec 13, 2005 3:54:38 PM
My first car, a Toyota Tazz, was wrapped with a big red bow and was a surprise homecoming gift. But I was so excited to be home that I didn't even notice it. Just as I'm sure very few people notice such advertising.
Posted by: Amanda | Dec 14, 2005 7:18:54 AM
Just because there is bow on a car does not mean it's a surprise. The Bow wraps the present. I saw a nice bow at a good price here. www.midsouthservices.com
Posted by: T.C. | Apr 3, 2006 5:32:41 PM
I was in a car accident last year of September 2006. I was half way lucky. I ran a red light and a SUV rammed into my 1999 Ford Escort. No one got hurt. My car was history (totaled) after the accident. Now I have a brand new 2006 Nissan Sentra. I bought it in December of '06. So having a brand new car was really worth it. I think putting a bow on a new car is a nice thing to do. Getting into a car accident was a nightmare for me.
Posted by: Adrian | May 24, 2007 4:18:52 AM
