Friends: what is up with the giant genetically modified motor company, G.M? And what of its evil twin, Fourd [Hitler’s fave, you mean? –ed.]?
General Motors Corp. has struggled recently to deal with unwieldy labour costs and other expenses, but the huge auto maker increased ad spending in 2005 by 7 per cent to $138.2 million and was the country’s second-biggest advertiser. But rival Ford Motor Co. cut ad spending 20 per cent to $85.5 million, according to Nielsen.
According to the ALLDERBLOB, it was Ford that was to greatly increase ad spending, remember?
With oil prices “surging” to $75 per barrel [How’s this for “union labour:” it now costs you 1/3 of one cent for one “man-hour equivalent” of labour that oil provides–go here or here and do the math yourself–ed.], it’s no surprise that car companies are feeling the pinch.
But whereas GM responds by laying on the big bucks for advertising, Ford [or “Fourd”, as the Canadians spell it –ed.] has backed right off.
What’s wrong with you, Fourd? Cat gotcher tongue?
Why not turn to that splendid ad agency, the Campbell-Ewald boys, of Warren Michigan, who helped make such a mockery of GM with that recent “roll-yer-own” campaign that we wrote about here. A little research [the term is “googling” –ed.] turned up this gem about Campbell-Ewald: it turns out they were a prime recipient (to the tune of $154 million U.S.) in P.R. funds provided by the Bush administration to prop up its lackluster image following “Operation Iraqi Liberation” [in White House spokesman Ari Fleischer’s immortal words: it spells “OIL” to me –ed.].
They’ve made ads for G.M. since 1914, and it’s only now that the corporation’s star is fading. In contrast, it’s taken them just a couple years to put U.S. President Bush’s name on toilet paper the world over.
Well, Fourd, they might be looking for work [can you say: You’re Fired!? I knew you could–ed.].
Campbell-Ewald is getting nervous. Very nervous. First it was the New York Times Advertising experts predicting the end of their relationship with General Motors. See here: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/17/business/media/17adco.html?ei=5090&en=a9870f20d99a0056&ex=1300248000&adxnnl=1&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1145913863-vv3DUO/T4H1dHEa6bZA1Gg
snip follows:
and:
The NYT reported this back on March 17, around the time the current "roll-yer-own" car ad campaign started. The campaign that made GM--and Campbell-Ewald with them--the laughing-stock of all who came across it.
But it's one thing for the New York Times to write about something, it's another thing entirely when the ALLDERBLOB gets some gristle stuck in its teeth.
Campbell-Ewald is nervous now!
Campbell-Ewald is a classic ad company, one that will put a spin on anything if there's a buck in it. http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Bush_administration_propaganda_and_disinformation
We expect to be reading this next in the NYT: "GM to Campbell-Ewald: You're Fired!"
But relax, bow-tie boys: you can be sure Fourd will be calling.