Chevy Has A Good Reason Not To Mention Price In Its New Commercials
The brand's Super Bowl spot, "Romance," features a bull looking for love in the new Silverado pickup.
"The New Us" features a mix of real-life gay, interracial, and straight couples, all of whom would love the new Traverse crossover.
In "The New Premium," the babysitter is so impressed by the family's fancy Tahoe that she jacks up her rate by 50% as she is driven home. All three ads are touching or funny, but none feature a dollar sign.
That's odd for a mass-market brand that competes largely based on price.
At a media lunch this week, Chief Marketing Officer for Global Chevrolet Tim Mahoney explained the brand's rationale.
Ads can address three issues, he said:
- Emotion: Is this brand for me?
- Justification: Will this car do what I need it to do?
- Affordability: Can I pay for the car?
"The New Us" is all about the first one, with a bit of the second: The customer should think, I like Chevy because it's an inclusive brand, and my family can fit nicely in the new Traverse. Same with "Romance" - I like Chevy because it makes me laugh, and I can carry heavy things in the new Silverado HD.
The brand has eschewed addressing cost in these high-profile ads, Mahoney said, because "the minute you start to talk price, you're dead."
That's partly because there's only so much you can cover in a short TV spot, and Chevy would rather focus on its brand image and the cars themselves. But more importantly, the ads are meant to draw potential buyers in, to the website or dealership.
After "Romance" aired during the Super Bowl, Mahoney said, visits to Chevy's website jumped 80%. There, shoppers can easily find the information not covered by the commercial, like price, specs, and standard features.
For the record, the Silverado Heavy Duty, Traverse, and Tahoe start for $32,405, $30,795, and $44,600, respectively.