New ad campaign for Chevrolet Silverado: 'Strong,' crooned by Will Hoge

Deep in the heart of Texas, General Motors is planting seeds for a Chevrolet Silverado sales surge.

Chevrolet this week is launching a major advertising campaign for the redesigned 2014 Silverado in the capital of pickup sales. The Silverado started arriving in dealerships a few weeks ago.

The campaign will go nationwide during Major League Baseball’s Chevrolet Home Run Derby and All-Star Game on July 15 and 16.

Memorable Chevy truck commercials of the past set a high bar for GM advertising executives and Chevy’s advertising agencies Commonwealth and Leo Burnett.

Remember Bob Seger’s “Like a Rock” providing the audio backdrop as Chevy pickups rumbled over rocky terrain in the 1990s and early 2000s?

Well, Chevy is hoping you’ll soon associate a different song with its trucks. Nashville recording artist Will Hoge sings a new song called “Strong” for the inaugural Silverado ad.

The first commercial features several Chevy pickup owners in Texas and Washington state “doing the things that they do on a day-to-day basis,” said Chris Perry, vice president of U.S. marketing for Chevrolet.

GM CEO Dan Akerson said last week that the start of manufacturing is shaping up to be “probably our best launch ever” from a quality standpoint. But convincing truck owners to upgrade or replace their older pickups will require connecting with consumers on an emotional level, Perry said.

He said the brand is “taking back the soulfulness of the category” with ads “steeped in values” such as “selflessness, determination, commitment to family and community.”

“Those values aren’t reflected in advertising right now and we want to make sure when we present this truck we present it in a way that reflects those values,” Perry said. “A man and his truck equals strong.”

Texas truck owners will see the ads first. GM is implementing a multifaceted marketing campaign in Texas with TV commercials, social media buzz, print ads, events and digital marketing.

Commonwealth, a subsidiary of New York-based McCann Worldgroup, designed the flagship “Strong” ad, but another agency, Leo Burnett, is handling the rest of Silverado advertising.

Perry said GM is spending more on marketing to launch the Silverado than it did when the vehicle was last redesigned seven years ago.

Unlike competitors such as Chrysler’s Ram and Ford’s F-series, GM has no plans to devise a slogan or hire a celebrity spokesman in its pickup ads, Perry said.

Article Credit: www.freep.com

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