Everyone at General Motors obsesses about quality these days – even the robots in the assembly plants.
During the CBS telecast of Super Bowl XLI on Feb. 4, GM will launch the next phase of a corporate campaign that began last fall with the introduction of the GM 100,000 Mile Warranty. A new 60-second TV spot, called "Robot," will tell consumers about GM's continuing focus on quality.
Created with GM by Deutsch LA, the spot features a small robot that is part of a GM assembly line. Unfortunately, the robot makes a tiny mistake: it drops a screw. The line shuts down and the employees in the plant banish the little robot from the premises. The robot's anguish over its mistake helps to remind consumers that every 2007 GM car and light-duty truck is now covered by a 100,000 mile/five-year powertrain limited warranty, and illustrates GM's obsession about quality.
In addition to the new TV spot, GM will use digital media to promote its focus on quality. "Robot" will be featured online at sites such as Yahoo!, AOL and MSN, and standard banner ads will run on sites such as ESPN.com and Edmunds.com. It will also be posted on http://www.gm.com immediately after it airs. Viral seeding efforts are also planned within strategically selected blogs and peer-to-peer networks.
"General Motors is building the best cars, trucks, SUVs and crossovers in our history. These vehicles can compete toe-to-toe with anything else on the market. 'Robot' will help us continue to get the word out about the great vehicles that consumers can find in our dealers' showrooms today, the high degree of confidence we have in those products and our willingness to back them up with the industry's best warranty," said Mike A. Jackson, GM North America vice president, Marketing and Advertising.
"The spot was inspired by the commitment to quality we really have observed inside the walls of GM. They really are obsessed with getting the product right. And there's very little tolerance for not getting the product right. We just took that obsession and exaggerated it a little bit. Well, maybe more than a little *** said Eric Hirshberg, president and chief creative officer of Deutsch LA. "By telling the story of the warranty from the point of view of the pressure it puts on this little robot to be perfect, it turns something that’s really pretty rational into a thing of passion."
"Robot" was partially filmed at GM's Lansing Grand River assembly plant in Lansing, Mich., where GM and UAW Local 652 build the Cadillac CTS, CTS-V, STS, STS-V and SRX models.
GM's 100,000 Mile Warranty features expanded powertrain coverage across all eight GM brands to 100,000 miles/five years (whichever comes first), beginning with the entire 2007 model year lineups of cars and light-duty trucks. It is completely transferable and carries no deductible. GM has also expanded its 24/7 roadside assistance and courtesy transportation programs to 100,000 miles/five years (whichever comes first). Altogether, it's the best coverage in the auto industry.