I must say, the following ads for the new Chevy Traverse made me laugh. These television commercials were released a few months ago, but they still see regular rotation on many television networks. I’ll let you watch them and then provide my insight.

With the GM brand being tarnished with the possibility of bankruptcy, advertisers will have to try especially hard to sell GM cars that have little consumer confidence. Currently, Toyota has overtaken GM as the number one car manufacturer in the world. It should come as no surprise that Toyota has been able to de-throne GM with their commitment to customer satisfaction and innovation.

The advertisements I have embedded made me laugh because in an environment where many are looking to downsize and purchase smaller more efficient vehicles, GM, more specifically Chevrolet, is sticking to touting their vehicle size to convince consumers to buy their cars; they are bigger, so they are better. The first ad compares the Chevy Traverse to the Honda Pilot and makes a strong point of noting that the Traverse has a larger cargo space. Fuel efficiency is briefly mentioned but isn’t illustrated in the way cargo space is. Just to note, using both the American Honda and Chevrolet sites as references, both the Pilot and Traverse both have an EPA of 17 for city driving, and Honda has an EPA of 23 compared to Traverse’s 24 for highway driving. But of course, actual numbers are never mentioned (other than in the legal copy), they only mention that, “The Traverse is more fuel efficient.” While technically not lying, it is leading the consumer to believe that the difference is substantially higher than it actually is.

The second ad I feel is the most pathetic of the two. When I was younger, I could care less about how big the seat was, or how much leg room I had. There really isn’t much else I can say about this ad other than it again emphasizes size but doesn’t compare fuel efficiency because the highlander has the same MPG.

Finally, just a rather interesting observation is the use of trees in the background when the Traverse is shown with the price. I would assume it is to convey a sense of environment and responsibility by its touted fuel efficiency of 24 MPG (for highway driving). Moving forward, with GM getting closer and closer to bankruptcy, it’ll take more than pointless comparisons, misdirection, and a couple of trees to change the overall image GM is beginning to create for itself. Perhaps they should start looking at Toyota and Honda more closely and start to learn how automotive businesses can be sustainable in today’s environment.

To conclude, here is my favourite car ad of all time. The ad is for Toyota’s luxury brand Lexus.