Chevy's Super Bowl ad has triggered a fight with Ford.
It’s not quite the end of the world, but Chevrolet’s post-apocalyptic ad that aired during Super Bowl XLVI has touched off a fight with nearly as much tension as the battle between the NY Giants and New England Patriots.
The Chevy spot – titled “2012” in a clear reference to the supposed Mayan doomsday many fear will strike this year — featured a Silverado crawling out of the ruins of a once-great city. When he finally hooks up with his buddies, the driver notices one is missing – the friend who drove a Ford.
The spot emphasizes the subject of durability, one of the characters declaring that missing driver “Dave didn’t drive the longest-lasting most dependable truck on the road. Dave drove a Ford.”
Ford tried to get Chevy to drop the ad before it aired, then turned to NBC to block the broadcast. But the General Motors division cited statistics from R.L. Polk which show that Silverados remain on the road longer than any other truck.
Ford fired back, insisting the data show that it has more full-size pickups with at least 250,000 miles on them than any other brand. And it noted that the fine print in the Chevrolet ad said, “Dependability based on longevity: 1981-2011 full-size pickup registrations.”
Ford says it will consider its legal options but clearly having already run the ad by its own lawyers, Chevrolet went ahead and ran the spot and gave Ford the razz, to boot.
“We can wait until the world ends,” proclaimed global marketing czar Joel Ewanick, “and if we need to, we will apologize.”
On a more serious note, he insisted Chevrolet will “stand by our claims.”
While Ford may have failed to block the Chevy Silverado spot it can still note that the F-Series remains the best-selling vehicle in America, a title it has held for 30 years running. The Ford pickup was also the nation’s best-selling truck for the last 35 years.