Call me crazy, but General Motors’ shift in advertising from the pathetic Chevrolet and Apple Pie image campaign to a frontal assault on Honda and Toyota, using specs like fuel economy and vehicle value protection, is giving the company real credibility. Howie Long, ex-football bully is a curious choice as the face of the Chevybrand, but no more weird than Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs by Ford. The tribute film to Howie Long below proclaims that he was as brutal as caveman on the field. John Madden is quoted, lauding Long’s exceptional toughness, and another commentator is quoted saying, “Howie Long’s greatest asset was his insecurity. He always was trying to prove that he was [good].” GM is now trying to personify itself as a fighter with something to prove, and now it’s finally doing it smartly.
All of a sudden GM and Ford look like the aggressors—shrewd aggressors—while the Japanese brands are backpedaling into the pocket. I guess we just had to move the Federal bureaucrats to Detroit to push General Motors into fighting shape.
Question: Does Howie Long make you want to buy a GM Vehicle?
