Buick Launches Ads Starring LaCrosse and "Class" Tagline
September 18, 2009
General Motors' Buick division launches a major advertising campaign with the first 
ads starring the new LaCrosse and premiering the new tagline -- "The New Class of World Class."
The Buick ad, airing for the first time in prime time Monday, is one of the promised brand- and model-specific follow-ups to come on the heels of a GM corporate marketing program that was heavily promoted last week.
GM's corporate "May the Best Car Win" campaign launched a week ago, promoting a 60-day money-back guarantee on Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC vehicles purchased through November 30. The initial ads starred GM Chairman Ed Whitacre.
GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz, now in charge of marketing, said the Whitacre ads would be short-lived and would be quickly followed by ads highlighting GM's brands and specific models.
Buick and its LaCrosse are first at bat.
Just now arriving in showrooms, the LaCrosse is the first major product launch since GM emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July. Buick calls the LaCrosse the second chapter in its continuing transformation after the popular Buick Enclave. Based on the global architecture shared with the highly acclaimed Opel Insignia, the LaCrosse has gone upcale from the LaCrosse it replaces.
The 30-second spot starring the Lacrosse, dubbed "Crosswalk," shows people stepping into a crosswalk. But, instead of directly crossing the street, they circle the LaCrosse as they are drawn in by its design. The ad closes with Buick's new tagline, "The New Class of World Class," which replaces the short-lived "Take a Look at Me Now" that made its debut only in June.
Three more spots to follow will focus on the LaCrosse's 40-gig navigation and entertainment system, another on its adaptive real-time suspension and the last on the LaCrosse's competitive advantages. These ads will be integrated into the schedule over the next two weeks running on the networks and during cable programs.
Buick says the intent of the ad, part of a multimedia advertising campaign, is to let consumers know something completely new and unexpected has arrived in Buick showrooms -- a luxury sedan that legitimately competes with Lexus, Acura and BMW, the company says, even though Edmunds.com's cross-shopping data on the early launch of the LaCrosse shows Buick has a ways to go on that front.
Over the next six months, Buick will use national television, magazine, outdoor and digital media to promote the brand and the LaCrosse. Two-page ad spreads beginning in October in lifestyle, business and automotive magazines. Digital ads will appear on news, automotive, sports and lifestyle sites.
Buick gets particularly feisty with the competition in its outdoor ads that are beginning to spring up as part of a three-month, 28-market campaign to include 2,700 billboards. -- Michelle Krebs, Senior Analyst and Editor at Large
Photo by GM
Buick's "Crosswalk" ad shows pedestrians surrounding the 2010 Buick LaCrosse.
Posted by Michelle Krebs at 8:10 AM under Featured , GM , In the Media , News | Comments (4) | digg this | Seed Newsvine
This does not make sense to me. Buick is not world class. I'd like to see GM try to sell Buick against BMW in Germany. IMO Buick is holding a knife in a gunfight against Lexus and Acura in the U.S..
Cadillac has credibility in both luxury and performance luxury.
Just wait until Buick starts offering small cars to cover the hole between Chevrolet and Cadillac.
There is still time for GM to keep Pontiac. If they want to have a premium offering between Chevy and Cadillac then Pontiac and Buick can split the task.
Posted by: moparbad | September 19, 2009 at 9:12 AM
I have a Caddy DTS coming off lease and I went to look at the LaCrosse because of the ads and the deals Buick is offering. Caddy has no lease deals for the DTS, only the CTS. So I go to the dealer and they have NO 2010's in stock or on the floor. You would think that they would put some inventory with the dealers before they launch a big ad campaign.
Posted by: patentsman | September 21, 2009 at 7:47 PM
mopar:
Acura is not a real luxury brand. Restyled Hondas are not true luxury vehicles and you are insane if you think Buick is too lowly to compete with Acura.
Pontiac is dead and buried, move on.
Posted by: 1487 | September 22, 2009 at 11:03 AM
Acura (and Infiniti) are about where Lexus was a decade ago. Lexus has carved out a niche for itself just below the Mercedes/Audi/BMW level.
I would place Cadillac in the running with Lexus, with Acura and Infiniti just below them.
Posted by: billddrummer | September 23, 2009 at 4:42 PM