HUMMER TV Ads

[f5fstop]

HUMMER TV Ads Aim To Unveil "Surprising Truths" About The Midsize HUMMER H3

General Motors Corp.
8/11/2006 3:08:30 PM

2006-08-11 - DETROIT -- HUMMER next week introduces a series of new television ads intended to continue the momentum of the H3 launch and convey some ?surprising truths? about that vehicle. The ads play up the H3?s fun factor, while also touting its smaller size, maneuverability, low price and fuel efficiency.


?Escape? tells the story of three office friends who go to great lengths to escape the daily grind of their cubicle-filled office on a quest for fun outdoors in their HUMMER H3. The spot was inspired by the epic 1963 adventure film "The Great Escape," featuring the legendary Steve McQueen. Movie aficionados will recognize tributes to the film, including the use of the movie?s original music score and an appearance by McQueen?s son.


?The goal of ?Escape? was to show how the H3 inspires people to break free from their hectic and confined daily routine,? explains Megan Stooke, HUMMER marketing director. ?Anyone who works in an office environment can see themselves in these characters? shoes, and may aspire to be more adventurous from time to time. The H3 owner knows how much more is out there in life and is compelled to explore beyond everyday horizons ? they can?t be confined by physical and mental boundaries.?


Those with a keen eye will be amused by details in the ad which show the desk jockeys? resourcefulness ? their escape tools were fashioned from everyday office supplies. A dummy made of envelopes with a box for a head and staplers for hands sits at a desk, so as not to draw attention to one worker?s absence. The three covertly exit their office through the ceiling, on a ladder made only of pencils, paper clips and rubber bands. They slither through the overhead air vents on creepers (the type used by auto mechanics) made of folding chairs on roller wheels, using packs of pencils as oars to propel themselves along.


In the end, the trio flees the oppression of their office building and makes a desperate sprint for a black H3. Fred McQueen plays a guard at a security booth who witnesses the escape. The tagline ?Escape Greatly? plays off the movie?s title. ?Escape? begins airing on premium network and cable programs across the U.S. on August 14.


?It?s Not Magic? uses humor to illustrate some ?surprising truths? about the H3. This campaign will consist of several TV spots and broadband streaming video. The first four spots ?Parking Garage,? ?Home,? ?Briefcase? and ?Gas Station? air nationwide on August 17. The broadband video aspect of the campaign will launch later this month.


?It?s Not Magic? seeks to dispel myths surrounding the H3 ? reinforcing that it is smaller, more affordable, easy to maneuver and is better than or comparable to other midsize SUV?s in its fuel efficiency. All of the TV ads feature an illusionist who tries to make the ordinary acts of parking a truck and passing a gas station into impressive feats of magic. The viewing audience is let in on the joke as the title cards reveal, ?It?s not magic. It?s the midsize H3.?


The magician featured in the spots is Daniel Chesterfield, a character created by Chris Van den Durpel, a celebrated Belgian comedian. The character of Chesterfield pokes fun at the overtly dramatic performances of professional magicians. He is frequently featured on Van den Durpel?s TV show ?Chris & co.? in Belgium. More information on the comedian is available at www.chrisenco.be.


?Parking Garage? and ?Home? show off the H3?s smaller size, as it easily maneuvers into a low-clearance parking structure and small home garage. Chesterfield wildly gestures as the H3 parks, as if he is working his magic to allow the H3 to fit into these limited spaces. In reality, the truck is simply an efficient size that allows it to manage these ?feats? without difficulty.


?Briefcase? shows Chesterfield magically transforming a briefcase full of (not so much) money into a Victory Red H3. ?Gas Station? demonstrates the H3?s surprising fuel efficiency, showing it bypass a gas station without stopping for fuel, again with the feigned assistance of Chesterfield ?s magic. The H3 gets up to 20 miles per gallon on the highway. All of the new HUMMER TV spots were created by Modernista! of Boston. Modernista has been HUMMER?s agency since 2001.


About HUMMER


HUMMER is a division of General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world?s largest vehicle manufacturer, which employs about 321,000 people globally. The HUMMER product line-up consists of the H2, H2 SUT, H3 and the H3 x. There are 173 HUMMER dealers nationwide.

[DRTYFN]

Sounds funny. I'll have to look for it.

[Hmmm2]

They sound better than the ones airing now ... the vegan guy who wants to be manly again .. and the mom at the playground who's not going to take playground abuse anymore. I like the originals best .. but these new ones could be promising.

Hummer commercials are still above average, but just barely. I'm looking forward to the new ones.

S.

[Agriv8r]

dont get the current HUMMER ads, glad to see a change coming

[deserth3]

I've enjoyed the mom and the vegitarian commercial. LMAO during them. The new ones do sound better.

At a Wendy's drive through window a few weeks back I had a lady pop here head out the window (and half her upper body), look the truck over from one end to the other and said that trucks not so big. It looks bigger on the highway looking up from my car. I said yeah it looks bigger than it is.

My daughter took one of her friends home one night. Over an hour later she comes back saying her friend loved the ride. Her friend asked my daughter how she felt when she drove it. My daughters response.... Like I'm the queen of the road.

I have noticed in Utah I'm more likely to get rotten looks because the truck is dirty than I am because I drive a Hummer.
That reminds me.... Time to run some trails. Here come some more dirty looks. Oh Well.

Hummer; Like Nothing Else.

[blindzebra]

i would still like to see at least one commercial of the H3 on something other than asphalt.

[Hmmm2]

Originally Posted by blindzebra

i would still like to see at least one commercial of the H3 on something other than asphalt.

Then you'd love the ones currently airing here (at least in California right now) .. the 'healthy eater' and the playground mom. They are pretty good, for a change. The originals (Goldilocks is our favorite) show Hummer attitude. I still like the originals, so far.

[lance-n]

Anything but the "Get your girl on" ads. I get so much **** from some of my friends from that commercial!!

[dеiтайожни]

Just saw the Escape ad, it was pretty good.

[DWPC]

Originally Posted by blindzebra

i would still like to see at least one commercial of the H3 on something other than asphalt.

Me too. GM did a great job and spent millions creating the best new 4x4 since the Toyota FJ, and their marketing virtually ignores it. I think the current ads that basically pitch the H3 as little more than an artificial dick are pathetic and will backfire.

[wannabeH3]

hummer should go to vdubs marketing agency to get some creative funny **** going

Originally Posted by wannabeH3

hummer should go to vdubs marketing agency to get some creative funny **** going

I think the ads are becoming more like the VW ads, not sure if that's a good thing. I'll watch the new ones to see.

S.

[wannabeH3]

vdub ads are so damn creative and usually funny. i enjoy watching them.

[Hummer Guy]

It should be good as far as the H3's sales numbers -- since most people get their news from newspaper commentaries, it'll be good to see another side represented for once..

[Hmmm2]

I just saw one of the new Hummer tv commercials. Afterwards, I viewed all 5 on Hummer.com. In my opinion, I'm disappointed. If I had to say I enjoyed one of them, I would pick, "Gas Station". In that one they say, "They said it could never be done .... 20 miles to the gallon from a Hummer." Too much going on in "Escape" with the frantic office. And, in "The Low-Clearance Garage" .. the H3 looks so small moving under the parking garage arm (can't think of the name of that thing). I wonder if they used large props to make that commercial ... hmmm. They are clearly making it clear that the H3 is a mid-size SUV, which is fine. But, it makes the H3 look so small. Anyone else see the new commercials yet? What do you think? Only the "Gas Station" commercial addresses the better gas consumption.

[h2co-pilot]

I just saw the magic one.


Twas really Ghey. I like the old ones with the music and nature.

[Aubs]

Yeah, the new ones are GAY! haha. I like the one where it fits in the garage because I actually understand what they're getting at (the home garage, not the parking garage). The one where the $29,500 turns into an H3 is pretty amusing too, though just kinda dumb. I didn't understand the parking garage one, and the gas station one was vague as well. I mean, I read that press release last week at www.media.gm.com so I knew what was coming. I was a bit excited.

As for the Tofu and Playground, those are pretty good I think. HOWEVER, I would like to see a return to the commercials that feature OFF-ROAD DRIVING!!!! I'm EXTREMELY aggitated to see that there is so little off-road action, because they estimate that 35% of owners will actually go off-road, so why not show the H3 OFF-ROAD?

I mean, how hard is it really to show the vehicle doing what it's designed to do? Show us the departure/approach/breakover angles. Show the car climbing rock walls. Show it fording water, lifting tires, doing those pothole things. And then show it pulling out of this extreme off-roading and dropping the kids off at the mall or the movies if you want to cater to the on-road crowd as well. Hummer advertising CONTINOUSLY makes me ANGRY, very ANGRY!

I wish there had been an opportunity at Homecoming to speak to the advertising guys like we had the chance to give comments to the engineering folks....

[KenP]

We saw Briefcase tonight and it was pretty bad. I feel sorry for you guys.

[Hmmm2]

Originally Posted by Aubs

Show us the departure/approach/breakover angles. Show the car climbing rock walls. Show it fording water, lifting tires, doing those pothole things. And then show it pulling out of this extreme off-roading and dropping the kids off at the mall or the movies if you want to cater to the on-road crowd as well.

I think this WOULD make the perfect commercial .. covering BOTH sides!!