Holden looks overseas for rebrand reboot

Holden’s relaunch campaign which promotes the company’s commitment to Australia has been revealed as reworked creative designed initially to sell GM cars to Americans.

Holden relaunched its brand this week, with a campaign promoting its new Colorado vehicle and an online film showing an unbadged Astra and asking people what they thought.

The Astra ad has since been exposed as a copy of an American ad created for GM to promote its Malibu vehicle in the US.

A spokesperson for Holden said that the concept had been taken from the US and reshot in Australia and Holden was “unashamedly” proud of using the ad, which tested the strongest out of eight concepts shown in research.

Holden’s agency, AJF Partnership, was tasked to replicate the ad. It used a setting similar to the US and changed the introduction to read “Real people. Real reactions”.

Both ads feature a host asking people what brand of car it might be. The agency even replicated the style of building the car was shown in.

The revelation of the imported creative idea comes as the brand works hard to retain is Australian credentials and show its commitment to the market ahead of the decision to cease manufacturing in Australia next year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6cSTBeaqFM

Speaking about the relaunch, Holden’s general manager of marketing communications and digital, Natalie Davey, said: “The journey we’re on requires us to have a consistent focus on brand building to ensure we lay strong foundations for Australia to keep loving Holden for many years to come.”

A spokesman for Holden said the brand regularly tapped into the global resources of parent GM to use the best ideas and highlighted the ‘Football, Meat Pies, Kangaroos and Holden Cars’ campaign from the 1970s, which was lifted from Chevrolet’s ‘Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie and Chevrolet’ ad.

“We unashamedly leverage learnings from across our brands,” he said

Simon Canning

Simon Canning was Mumbrella's marketing and advertising editor from 2015-2017. In a career spanning journalism and communications over more than 30 years Simon has become one of Australia’s most respected analysts and commentators on the advertising, marketing and media industries. A regular commentator on radio and TV, Simon has also worked in media in the US and UK .

topics Advertising AJF Partnership Campaign Chevrolet copy GM Holden

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Comments: 4

Anonymous 2 Sep 16

oversees?

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And? 2 Sep 16

I think you’ll find DDB reworked a Doritos Ad for Eclipse mints. It’s not a new thing….

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Miranda Ward 2 Sep 16

You’re right Anonymous, that should be overseas.

Cheers,
Miranda – Mumbrella

machiavelli 5 Sep 16

Look forward to more product problem recalls, this company never gets it right, that’s why it no longer manufactures here.

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