General Motors' advertising department has seen quite a shakeup over the past year. GM chief marketing officer Joel Ewanick may have hand-picked San Francisco-based Goodby, Silverstein and Partners as his ad agency of choice, but the good ol' boys from Campbell-Ewald still have some tricks up their sleeves for Chevy Trucks.
The world may not completely understand how and why Chevy runs deep (to be fair, we're going to give it some time...), but nobody is going to miss the hidden meaning of GM's new "Max and Al" campaign, which features the recognizable faces of Patrick Warburton (Seinfeld, Rules of Engagement) as Max, and Craig Robinson (The Office, Last Comic Standing, Hot Tub Time Machine) as Al.
What hidden meaning, you ask? You'll see it clearly when you watch the videos, naturally, but basically what we have here is a message that GM's Duramax diesel V8 engine and Allison transmission is a time-tested and proven combination that is the thinking man's obvious choice in a segment that also includes Ford's Power Stroke and Ram's Cummins series.
There's a website (www.maxandal.com), a series of videos (which you can find after the break along with the press release) an upcoming online game and even a downloadable app that's said to be coming soon to the iPhone App Store. Oh, and what modern-day marketing campaign would be complete without a FaceBook page and a Twitter account? Not this one, that's for sure.
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Press Release
2011 Chevrolet Silverado HD Stars in "Max and Al" Campaign
New Silverado HD Campaign brings life to Duramax Diesel and Allison transmission
DETROIT – Chevrolet introduced a new marketing campaign today that focuses on the heart of the Silverado HD pickup line, the Duramax Diesel and Allison transmission. The "Max and Al" campaign contrasts the proven durability and performance of the powertrain – which benefit from 10 years of development and more than 20 billion miles of experience – to the unproven record of competitive heavy-duty trucks.
"Max and Al are creative expressions of the confidence we have in Chevy trucks," said Tony Truelove, Silverado marketing manager, "and a lighthearted way to call out our competitors. We think Max and Al will connect with the heavy-duty enthusiasts who are passionate about the capabilities of their trucks, and ignite a lot conversation in the truck world."
The campaign features Patrick Warburton (Seinfeld, Rules of Engagement) as Max, and Craig Robinson (The Office, Last Comic Standing) as Al.
The centerpiece of the campaign is MaxandAl.com, which features Max and Al in the ultimate "man cave," complete with a pet bull, stone fireplace, and firemen poles. The website highlights features of the new Silverado HD, such as the all-new, fully-boxed frame, proven durability, and increased towing and payload capacity. Silverado HD fans also can send E-cards to friends who drive competitive trucks. The mobile application allows fans to share "smack talk" videos, where Max and Al explain the differences between Silverado HD and lesser heavy-duty trucks.
The Max and Al campaign will be supported with targeted advertising. For example, TV spots will debut weekend in NASCAR and cable programming. The "Stump" spot dramatically demonstrates Max and Al's stump-pulling 765 lb.-ft. of torque. The "Bouncing Baby" spot contrasts Max and Al's proven record to that of the less proven diesel engine from a competitor.
The campaign, created by Campbell-Ewald, will run through 2010. Additional creative executions are planned to continue spreading Max and Al's heavy-duty message.
"Max and Al is a fully integrated, targeted campaign that speaks directly to truck enthusiasts," said Bill Ludwig, chairman and CEO of Campbell-Ewald (C-E). "This campaign is a complete departure from traditional heavy duty truck creative, driven by humor, to bring to light the insight of how the target relates to one another and to their truck."
