http://www.thecarconnection.com/tips Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:16:36 -0500 Tips and Advice -- find out how to maintain, service, insure, wash and wax, and change the oil in your car with tips from TheCarConnection.com. Lifestyle/Fashion http://static.thecarconnection.com/website/tcc-feed.jpg http://www.thecarconnection.com/tips http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038861_today-in-social-media-the-toyota-4runner-you-in-campaign http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038861_today-in-social-media-the-toyota-4runner-you-in-campaign Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:40:00 -0500 Social media is the bold, new frontier of marketing: terra incognita, Wild West, Deep Space. Sites and services like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Flickr allow advertisers to reach huge numbers of people at minimum cost and maximum speed; all companies have to do is post videos or photos of a product, make sure the right people see them ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038857_marketing-wtf-smart-little-debbie-give-away-a-fortwo http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038857_marketing-wtf-smart-little-debbie-give-away-a-fortwo Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:42:00 -0500 To be successful at marketing, companies have to shill their products in a variety of ways: on TV, in print, via editorial coverage, and so on. Partnerships with other companies and organizations can be a great way to generate awareness, too -- remember when Oprah Winfrey gave away those sweet Pontiac G6s? Even though Pontiac lost money by ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038644_adwatch-mini-cooper-convertible-spot-touts-protection http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038644_adwatch-mini-cooper-convertible-spot-touts-protection Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:59:00 -0500 Let's face it: MINIs have a lot of curb appeal, but the company's advertising campaigns frequently come up short. A new spot for the MINI Cooper Convertible proves that point beautifully. Compared to yesterday's ad featuring the Alfa Romeo MiTo, this clip feels clunky and under-rehearsed -- although the potentially clichéd punchline somehow ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038626_bmw-automotive-partner-of-2012-olympic-paralympic-games http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038626_bmw-automotive-partner-of-2012-olympic-paralympic-games Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:03:00 -0500 BMW has been given a fairly impressive international branding opportunity: the company was just announced as the automotive partner of London 2012, which includes the upcoming Olympic games and Paralympic games. As part of the arrangement, BMW will provide roughly 4,000 vehicles to move athletes, officials, and others around the city during ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038566_adwatch-alfa-romeo-mito-video-is-simple-clever-jeans-free http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038566_adwatch-alfa-romeo-mito-video-is-simple-clever-jeans-free Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:30:00 -0500 Last time we heard from Alfa Romeo, we wondered what new drugs had found their way to Europe. (Seriously, that genes/jeans campaign from London's Performance PR was terrible.) The latest ad for the Alfa Romeo MiTo comes from Milan's Fabbrica Virali agency, and it's equally bizarre -- but in a totally good way. The spot features Mozart's ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038253_wtf-adwatch-chinese-print-ad-for-the-volkswagen-gti http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038253_wtf-adwatch-chinese-print-ad-for-the-volkswagen-gti Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:12:00 -0500 We're not entirely sure that this Chinese print ad for the Volkswagen GTI is for real -- and if it is, we're even less sure what it might be saying. The copy along the bottom translates as "It will go fast". That could mean "It will go so fast that you'll spill all that hot, delicious coffee from McDonald's right in your lap". Or it could ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038133_adwatch-mercedes-benz-e-class-estate-ad-goes-off-track http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038133_adwatch-mercedes-benz-e-class-estate-ad-goes-off-track Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:10:00 -0500 There are lots of things you could say about Mercedes-Benz's new ad for the E-Class Estate. The first thoughts to cross our minds were, "Wow, that's a nice slot-car track" and "Wow, that voiceover is a great example of German efficiency -- but not in the good way". Sadly, the one thing none of us thought was, "Oh, this is a car commercial". ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038084_chryslers-new-marketing-plan-aims-for-refinement-machismo http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038084_chryslers-new-marketing-plan-aims-for-refinement-machismo Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:27:00 -0500 Since emerging from bankruptcy nearly five months ago, Chrysler's been fairly quiet on the marketing front -- which may explain why the automaker's sales are so deep in the tank. (October 09 rang in 28% below October 08.) But a new $1.4 billion ad campaign aims to revive and refresh Chrysler's marques over the coming calendar year: Dodge will ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037886_adwatch-do-smarts-new-ads-look-better-than-its-cars http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037886_adwatch-do-smarts-new-ads-look-better-than-its-cars Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:17:00 -0500 The Smart ForTwo is impossible to ignore. It inspires adoration (because it's cute and convenient for city-dwellers) or antipathy (because it's ugly, cramped, expensive, and not nearly as green you'd think), but little in-between. That said, Smart's new print campaign designed by BBDO NY is awfully attractive -- possibly more attractive than ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037010_for-automakers-brand-loyalty-hits-the-skids http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037010_for-automakers-brand-loyalty-hits-the-skids Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:02:00 -0400 Not so long ago, brand loyalty played a major role in keeping the auto industry healthy. Many of our parents bought vehicles from one particular manufacturer, and they often inherited such preferences from their own parents. Here in the U.S., brand perception was frequently rooted in national pride: 40 years after VJ Day, my grandparents ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1036636_joyride-in-porsche-boxster-ends-with-70-foot-plunge http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1036636_joyride-in-porsche-boxster-ends-with-70-foot-plunge Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:52:00 -0400 Speaking of advertising campaigns, Porsche might have found fodder for a new one, if it's looking to promote the safety its vehicles. In Los Angeles, a 15-year-old kid swiped his father's Porsche Boxster, grabbed a buddy, and set out for a joyride. The fun abruptly ended when the driver lost control of the vehicle, plowed through a chain-link ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1036635_adwatch-we-feel-vaguely-sorry-for-nascars-tony-stewart http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1036635_adwatch-we-feel-vaguely-sorry-for-nascars-tony-stewart Wed, 14 Oct 2009 10:44:00 -0400 We have yet to meet anyone who appreciates Burger King's recent ad campaigns. The creepy King, those crappy video games: they inspire terror, rage, and confusion, but never a desire for burgers. So it's not surprising that we feel kinda sorry for NASCAR star Tony Stewart, who's lately become a pawn for the King (see what we did there?). For ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1036539_video-cadillac-is-looking-for-a-few-good-mad-men http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1036539_video-cadillac-is-looking-for-a-few-good-mad-men Tue, 13 Oct 2009 09:09:00 -0400 http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1036219_wtf-foreign-ad-of-the-day-the-seat-ibiza http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1036219_wtf-foreign-ad-of-the-day-the-seat-ibiza Tue, 06 Oct 2009 09:31:00 -0400 We don't talk much about foreign-only models on TCC, but every so often, one of them catches our eye. Usually, that's because a variant is heading to America, or sometimes, it's because the car's ad campaign is so out there. We don't know what the Parisian agency known as Grey was thinking when they designed this muddy Photoshop disaster for ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1036140_adwatch-hangover-edition-vintage-ads-from-the-50s-60s http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1036140_adwatch-hangover-edition-vintage-ads-from-the-50s-60s Mon, 05 Oct 2009 11:58:00 -0400 Call us old-fashioned, but we approach work weeks like we approach hot tubs: we have to ease into 'em. (Only instead of bubbles, we're surrounded by expense reports. Go figure.) Our slow dive method this Monday morning: DarkRoastedBlend's collection of vintage car ads from the 50s and 60s -- including some mildly obscure European spots. You ..]]>