American Tragedies, to Sell Trucks

A new commercial by General Motors has some consumers and critics wondering if the corporation has gone too far, when it comes to flag waving propaganda. The Chevrolet Silverado commercial starts off with the typical patriotic icons, such as the Statue of Liberty, busy, happy workers and all-American families. However, it then goes on to flash clips of bus boycotts, Vietnam, Nixon resigning, Hurricane Katrina, fires, floods, and finally (surprise, surprise) September 11th. It finishes with the statement “This is our country, this is our truck” with a large Silverado appearing from a golden grain field. Some critics have attacked General Motors for using images of Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks in order to sell their trucks.

However, even ignoring the moral issues that arise from the manipulation of such propaganda, there may be some unintended negative economic consequences that GM will have to face as a result of this campaign. The overall message seems to say that even though Americans (and GM) have been through some rough spots, they’re on the rebound. “The message seems to be, ‘If you don’t buy our truck, we will go bankrupt,’ ” said Al Ries of Ries & Ries, a brand consultancy. “The kind of people who buy trucks are not going to buy them because a company is in trouble. People like to buy from winners.” GM has steadily been losing money in recent years. Will the pity approach appeal to their target consumer or further alienate them? And, most importantly, how do moral standards affect what people buy?