Detroit – Underscoring the perils of government ownership, GM will launch the new electric plug-in Chevy Volt with an ad buy during this month’s World Series.
That is, in the middle of the American pasttime’s premier event, Government Motors will use taxpayer money to buy premium ad time to pitch a money-losing, taxpayer-subsidized, Washington-approved, green automobile to America’s upper-class green snobs.
Rather than applause for good ol’ American know-how that GM anticipates, the public might well see the Volt as a symbol of government excess, more a federal-spending flop rather than the rebirth of a “high-tech” GM.
The ad buy may also endanger the Chevy brand. While the spots will trumpet Chevrolet’s 100-year heritage and a place in American culture next to baseball, that place is occupied by middle-American Chevy buyers. The Volt is priced for the BMW class and its elite tastes.
Will such consumers want a Chevy?