A Safe Driving Adult PSA Worth Watching
Mercedes-Benz this week announced a teen age driving school, Toyota has had one for several years, BMW offers a teen driving school in South Carolina, Bridgestone has a special program too, but what about those beyond learner permits? Like adult drivers driving adult-ly?
All of us on occasion do run through an orange light, make a right hand turn even through there’s on-coming traffic, push it to 80 or 85 on certain freeways, detest those damn speed cameras that should have remained on the Autobahn, and even pass in the wrong lane. Why? Because we’re in a hurry, right? Common sense tells us the only correct, as in legal, time to drive at high speed is on a private track or at one of those expensive adult driving schools.
Obviously all the yellow signs, radar guns, speed zone and traffic lights in the world don’t make for safer, slower driving. Experts say most auto accidents – not counting DUI – are caused by excessive and unnecessary speed. Increased auto safety could come from the simple act of slowing down. Just think about it. While in Australia earlier this year I saw this auto safety by slowing down public service commercial on the local television and now it’s come to the US. Click Here to see one of the best public service announcements because it resonates with reasonable people.
Driving slower and safer is something even certain automotive journalists need to follow when on a new car launch; according to a statement attributed to famed racecar driver Jackie Stewart, “I won’t drive with any of you. You Too damn fast in a car you don’t know on roads you don’t know!”
Toledo Jeep Dealers Going Hot Dog
Imported from Toledo? According to the Toledo Blade, Jeep dealers in the Ohio city South of Detroit and home of the Jeep brand veered obliquely away from the ‘Imported from Detroit” slogan and created one on their own: Imported from Toledo. Oops!
The Blade reports, “Chrysler said thanks, but no thanks and has squashed plans to sell a commemorative Jeep 70th-anniversary T-shirt at the Monroe Dodge Superstore in Monroe with the Toledo-centric saying on it.” Chrysler has taken issue with a Wrangler Unlimited from Grogan’sTowne and Charlie’s Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram that drove on the ice during intermissions at Walleye hockey games last weekend with “Imported from Toledo” written on its four doors.
And they really objected to a T-shirt with the “Imported from Toledo” slogan featuring the seven-slot grill of Jeep for $19.41 – the year the car was first produced – even though all proceeds were earmarked for local charities. Sounds sorta familiar doesn’t it? This is not the first time local dealers have messed with national ad slogans, campaigns, themes, visuals and ideas that the home office thinks are sacrosanct. Nor will it be the last. All they want to do is sell more cars …
Lincoln Gives Away NY Times Online
The New York Times this week revealed a pay plan for access to articles on its website, one of the top rated in the webosphere. Under the plan visitors to The Times online who aren’t home delivery subscribers will have access to 20 free articles a month. After that the Times will offer them a choice, the cheapest is $15 for four weeks of access to the site and a smartphone app. After that readers could pay $20 for four weeks of limitless online access and its iPad app or $35 per to cover all of these plus iPad. Home delivery subscribers get all access at no extra charge, not including the Times on the Kindle and Nook.
As a daily Times subscriber – and it’s not inexpensive – I get all my access free but was really surprised earlier this week when I logged on and the first thing that popped up was this landing page offering me FREE ACCESS to the Times online that’s brought to you by Lincoln. That’s a helluva deal even in New York. Doing some quick calculations Times access could cost range about $125 to $180 per subscriber starting March 28 through the end of the 2011. Oh, one not so minor fact: 200,000 heavy users of Times website who are not daily subscribers will be invited. That’s a big number given the Times circulation. Nice gift from Lincoln, isn’t it?
So a call was made to Lincoln to find out more about the plan and within a couple of hours I was chatting with Connie Fontaine, manager of U.S. Lincoln marketing communications to learn more about the Times program. When I asked her how the idea came to reality, Fontaine told me Lincoln went to all its media partners and asked them for ideas they could implement. She said, “Our brand is one that has a lot of great news and a lot to say but isn’t always heard. The Times did bring us this idea and we thought it was really relevant to the brand for a lot of reasons. The type of reader we’ll be able to engage through this program is a thought leader.”
But I wondered what the acceptance rate will be generally. Lincoln’s estimating about half or 100,000 will accept their generous offer. But there are political implications to consider. Let’s face it; the Gray Lady does have admittedly liberal editorial slants. I’ve heard many friends, colleagues, even relatives say, “They’d be damned if they would read that liberal $%^8 of #%&! Key to me is the rate of acceptance by conservative voters versus liberal voters.
One important detail is how will Lincoln judge its ROI? Regarding the ROI the answer was, “Our regular metrix and evaluation standards will be used.” That’s nice to say, but Fontaine also noted, “The Times is not sharing any proprietary data of those who accept the offer.” Now that’s media trust with a capital T.If every one of those courted says yes – whose going to turn down something free — Lincoln’s on the hook at full price for $27,000,000. For that they could have bought 9 commercials on the Super Bowl. But who says they’re paying full price? It is the New York Times.
Another Poignant Report From Japan
My special column about Russell Wager’s account of his experiences following the quake and tsunami brought the experience to life. Another friend, Ran Kim, is the Asian auto beat journalist for Reuters in Tokyo. Ran was taken off her regular beat and sent to the North where thousands have died and a potentially catastrophic nuclear disaster is still possible. To link to Ran’s account Click Here.
Porsche Changes Its Advertising
Porsche has been the vehicle of aspiration for those who love its design, engineering excellence and the allure of a great sportscar. But use it as a daily driver? Never. Well, that perception is about to change with the new Porsche 911 campaign called The “Engineered for Magic. Everyday” that seeks to show the many dimensions of the iconic Porsche 911 and the brand’s other storied sports cars through the lens of daily driving.
This change may rankle some Porsche purists, but it does change the vaunted image of the German sportscar to that of modern living without denigrating, damaging or dinging it at all. Check it out yourself by Clicking Here.
Created by Cramer-Krasselt, Porsche’s agency, the new campaign includes TV, print, online, mobile, direct mail and a cinema promotion, the campaign drives home the engineering genius that allows these coveted sports cars to be everyday drivers.
David Pryor, vice president of marketing, Porsche Cars North America commented, “It’s not only about the weekend joyride. It’s the only car in the world that combines true sports car exhilaration and the drivability for daily use. This campaign brings this fact to life, painting a bigger picture of the real Porsche value proposition, in some cases through the words and images of owners themselves.”
Following the social networks tell-it-all-all-the-time mode is a consumer-generated website— PorscheEveryday.com —where Porsche owners can share their own everyday stories. With a combination of professionally produced videos and images along with owner-submitted content, the site will showcase the many ways a Porsche is engineered for everyday magic. For this effort, Porsche reached out to its passionate and active loyalists and enthusiasts to participate and contribute to the story. Last month, to start things off, Porsche sent 200 Flip video cameras to select owners asking them to contribute videos. The brand has also invited input from all its owners, the Porsche Club of America, dealers and their customers, and the million-plus Facebook fans for everyday stories, photos and videos.