Holden attacked on social media for ad claiming it is committed to building ‘the best cars for Australia’
Holden has used its ‘Think About This’ campaign platform to reassure Australian consumers it will remain committed to building “the best cars for Australia” despite its decision to move manufacturing offshore.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XZndLtBfoU
It has met with anger from consumers on Facebook with comments including “what you said in this ad is an insult to Australians who have supported you for long time”.
The commercial, by AJF Partnership, features Australians including Collingwood’s Scott Pendlebury, West Tiger’s captain Robbie Farah and Holden driver Craig Lowndes, and ends with the message “Holden has been here for over 100 years and while in the future we’ll no longer make cars in Australia, we’ll always be committed to making the best cars for Australia, that’s something that will never change”.
The ad follows the car company’s announcement earlier this month that it would be leaving Australia at the end of 2017 after failing to resolve a row with the federal government over subsidies to keep the company in Australia beyond 2020.
The “think again” tagline was introduced in a series of ads, created by AJF Partnership, in July and followed up with the Malibu “Think About This” ad, by Grey Melbourne, in August.
The new campaign, which also runs across radio, outdoor and digital, has been ridiculed on Holden’s Facebook account, with one user saying the ad is “highly offensive to your staff in Australia”.
At least one of the reasons why Holden sales have slowed is because of the wallpaper advertising.
AJF I think you owe it to Holden to resign the account. Holden you owe it to Australia to try for something better.
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It defies belief that anyone would create/run this ad, at this time, with this message.
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Its seems we have reached the winter of advertising’s discontent.
It is some what unfortunate that the slogan ‘Think About This’ has not sunk in to the heads of the great minds at both AJF and Holden.
Hopefully GM will import Chevy’s and forget about Holden’s, that way they’ll import there own advertising and forget about the rubbish that is Australian advertising.
‘Think Holden’
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10/10 best troll 2013.
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Re-badged Daewoo’s; `think holden’
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Holden are committed to building the best cars for Australia………… So long as it’s the same car that China and the US have asked for. Holden – you suck!
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I love the facebook comments regarding this add. I’ll buy a Mitsubishi, or a Subaru etc..
Where are those cars made? Last time I checked, they were manufactured overseas and imported. Ah the yobo’s eh?
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The ad makes fools of Australians – my children happily chant “no you’re not!” each time one of the actors says “We’re here”.
Stop the facade GM – start importing Chevrolets badged as Chevrolets and consign Holden as a great Australian brand which, due to changing market conditions ( a la Oldsmobile, Talbot, Panhard, Simca, DeLaHaye and numerous others) could no longer manufacture vehicles profitably in this Country.
Be honest with your consumer base, rather than re-badging other GM brands as Holden.
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The V8 Supercar driver featured is Garth Tander, not Craig Lowndes.
“And although we will no longer make cars in Australia, we are committed to making money out of Australia”
The ad is highly offensive to those thousands of workers who are about to lose their livelihood, many with little or no hope of ever finding full time employment again.
No GM it is not business as usual, it is the death of an iconic Australian brand and the consigning of large groups of Australian’s to the employment wilderness.
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A mis-judged ad but they’re only parading the nonsense we’ve heard for years:
Seen these labels?
“Proudly Australian owned”
Means: Made in China
“Australian owned and operated”
Means: Made in China
“Australian assembled”
Means: Parts made in China
etc
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jobwashing new greenwashing.
maybe a bit niche but the reggie watts US ad for Ford was good and made me want to like a Ford.
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I gather you didn’t watch the whole ad hey Brett? (not that I blame you, I didn’t want to either..)
But Tander (HRT) and Lowndes (Red Bull racing) both feature in this terrible advertising campaign (under what pressure I am not sure…)
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Maybe GM do not mind trashing the brand (included in this strategy is this advertising itself and their carefully orchestrated campaign for assistance over the last 12 months (If the average consumer hears that Holden are consistently after tax payer hand outs it does not do much for consumer confidence in the brand)). So this gives them an excuse to then try to bring in Chevrolets here after the Holden brand dies. Maybe this was also part of GM’s failed strategy to launch Opel here.
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In 2017 electric powered cars will finally be acceptable in Australia.
Many made in China!
In Norway the current market share is 5%.
But the partnership between big oil and big car corporations is about to be broken.
Mark my words and remember them Holden because the Formula for Electric powered Grand Prix cars is to change the ball park.
The Eccelstone F1 circus is over.
You missed the boat.
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