Buick Billboards Poke Fun at Lexus; Tweets Poke Fun at Buick Tagline
By Michelle Krebs September 18, 2009
At least a couple of automakers are headed into the 2010 model year donning boxing gloves.
Feisty billboards popping up across the country have the Buick LaCrosse taking dead aim at Lexus ES 350. One shows the LaCrosse with the line "Another thing for Lexus to relentlessly pursue" in a play on Lexus' ad tagline.
While Lexus hasn't responded directly to Buick's snarkiness, Toyota revealed last week it will spend $1 billion in the fourth quarter on marketing and will be more aggressive; no details on what "aggressive" means yet.
Meantime, AutoObserver's Twitter followers had a hay day this week when asked what they thought of Buick's new tagline. "The New Class of World Class" tagline debuts in Monday's commercials for the Buick LaCrosse, replacing the short-lived "Take a Look at Me Now" line introduced in June. Undoubtedly, some come from competitors so should be taken with a grain of salt.
Nevertheless, the bulk of Twitter responses referred to age and habits of the aging driver. The Tweets indicate Buick has a long way to go in shaking its image as a car for old people. A few examples:
The New Face of Old
The Official Car of the AARP
Buick: The Official Carmaker for Retirement
Playing on the tagline of the now defunct-Oldsmobile division of "Not Your Grandfather's Oldsmobile" came these Tweets:
This is not your father's Oldsmobile... it's your grandfather's Buick.
Not Your Grandmother's Car
Other Tweets toyed with Buick's bygone reputation as a producer of old big, lumbering vehicles with a cushy ride:
We swear to God it's not a boat
It's like a finished basement on wheels
Buick: 22 Years (and counting) Since The Last Time We Sold Something Cool!
And others referred to GM's once-poor quality, another perception problem the automaker desperately is trying to overcome.
The Buick Stops Here (as in the side of the road or the middle of nowhere)
And others referred to GM's once-poor quality, another perception problem the automaker desperately is trying to overcome.
The Buick Stops Here (as in the side of the road or the middle of nowhere)
A number of suggestions referred to GM's bankruptcy, from which it emerged in early summer, and the government -- taxpayer, that is -- bailout. Who's your Daddy NOW?asked one which showed a picture of Uncle Sam. Another Twitter response suggested Uncle Sam be replaced with President Obama. And this: Coming soon: The Obama Ultra
Others played on the GM corporate ad campaign that the automaker launched last week. Government-appointed Chairman Ed Whitacre, formerly of AT&T, starred in those ads. The promotion includes a much ballyhooed 60-day money-back guarantee on 2009 and 2010 Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC vehicles.
Buy one 'cause Ed Whitacre says to
At least try one for 60 days
The fact that Buick sells more vehicles in China than it does in the U.S. was not lost on AutoObserver's Twitter Peeps:
Buick: We are Huge in China
The new class of Chinese world-class
Finally, some played the wording in Buick's new tagline, its ads challenge to Lexus, with its well-known tagline The Relentless Pursuit of Perfection:
The new class of world class insanity
Buick -- The Relentless Pursuit of [trying to be] Perfection
Buick -- Gunning for Lexus and boy we are a better value -- Michelle Krebs, Senior Analyst and Editor at Large
Photo from a fan Web site -- The Volkswagen Vortex fan site
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Click here to comment on this entry.Lexus is a good fit for Buick, along with Volvo, Hyundai Genesis and Acura. They should avoid direct comparisons with performance luxury marques.
Long term, direct comparison ads lose their effectiveness quickly. Hyundai and Honda didn't outsell Chrysler by touting feature by feature comparisons. That should only be done by third parties such as Edmunds.
Perhaps Bob Lutz might go looking way back in the vault for an old tag line from the early 60's; "The (pronounced 'thee') Car, Buick" and leave it at that.
Infinity also known for ads making fun of BMW dealers and executives talking with funny German accent. But Buick tag line - I read it several times and cannot understand the meaning.
I love the dig at Lexus. Savetheland, Lexus' tag line is something like "The relentless pursuit of perfection". You could interpret this billboard as saying the LaCrosse is perfection, so Lexus should pursue it. Or, it could be interpreted as just saying the LaCrosse is ahead of the ES350 (according to a recent Edmunds comparison) and by being ahead, it is thus being pursued by those behind, including Lexus. Either way, it is quite clever and I'm very glad to see some nice witty sparing between manufacturers (see Audi vs. BMW, and Hyundai's dig at the Germans and Lexus with the Genesis sedan COTY win ad).
As for the taglines submitted here, wow, who would have guessed that readers of Auto Observer, quite possibly the most blindly, shamelessly anti-GM automotive media site out there, are regurgitating tired, outdated stereotypes fed to them without thought? What a shock.
Lexus will have the last laugh.
This is not "news" this is another GM bashing entry that realy has no point. People who Tweet are likely to be young and hate Buick. What exactly is the point of posting the opinions of random TWeeters? Does that count as a formal survey?
BTW, when the Lexus GS launched in 1998 the ads were all directed at German cars and they even had one showing the GS blasting through rural Germany and turning heads. IN fact, Lexus established itself by taking on older European brands in their ads and touting their superior quality and value. Hyundai is doing the same thing- not that you will see any blog posts about people who doubt Hyundai's claims. the genesis directly challenged MB and Lexus in its ads and no one raised an eyebrow. As soon as the LAcrosse ads start AutoObserver is hear to remind us no one young wants a Buick- and a few Tweets prove it!
"As for the taglines submitted here, wow, who would have guessed that readers of Auto Observer, quite possibly the most blindly, shamelessly anti-GM automotive media site out there, are regurgitating tired, outdated stereotypes fed to them without thought? What a shock."
True, if you follow this site regularly you likely subscrive to the "GM is evil" mantra that is on display here. On top of that most the their followers are probably in CA which is the most domestic car hating state in the union. No one buys domestics out there, regardless of how good the product may be. They pride themselves on buying imports and they hate Detroit and the industrial midwest in general as far as I can tell. The real test will be when the Volt shows up. It will be a plug in and Toyota wont have an equivalent car but I doubt all but the most crazed environmentalist out there would consider buying a Chevy. Much better to buy a Toyota shipped 5k miles across the ocean on a ship that pollutes more than 10k cars do in a year. Now THAT is green.
1487 - I agree with a lot of what you say, especially re: GM.
However Lexus is not the equal of either Audi or BMW. It may be more relibale (debateable) but a care is much more than a relibale appliance to most people.
That ad doesn't exactly match Buick's other tagline, "Class."
guy:
I agree, I dont think Lexus vehicles are on the same level as German vehicles. Lexus vehicles still have Toyota DNA in their styling and interior components.
I intend to purchase an upmarket luxury car within the next couple of years.
It won't be American, or Japanese, or Korean.
It will be German.
Then your other car better be a tow truck, Bill.
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