Back Seat Marketers

I really have a distaste for advertising as a premise to shift popular branding opinion. I see it as a means-justify-no-real-ends kind of approach fostered by Madison Ave. when trying to beat last year’s budget with the big ad spenders.

Case in point: GM/Chevy with the “From Gas to Gas Free” in this week’s Economist…

While Toyota, Honda and Ford have already sold cars and can advertise an actual product, GM must think selling an idea gets them something. Save your money, Chevy marketing team, on the advertising. Better yet, divert it to R&D and launch sooner. Wheels off.