…as GM appoints German outfit for European initiative
General Motors has ignored three international networks to hire an independent German agency to promote its US brands, Cadillac and Chevrolet, in Europe.
The decision to hire Buhler Flettner & Partner is seen as indicating that the car company is choosing to go for a short-term sales drive, rather than a longer-term branding campaign. The latter is believed to have been proposed by some of the other roster agencies – Lowe & Partners, NW Ayer and McCann-Erickson (MW November 8 1996). At present, GM sells fewer than 9,000 Cadillacs and Chevrolets in Europe.
“The original brief was to exploit the potential of the US cars across Europe,” says one source. “But GM was in a dilemma over whether to go for a strategy that just sold the cars it received in Europe, or create a brand.
“So, for GM to go for a local integrated agency suggests that it is going for a campaign to support the network of dealers across all markets, rather than the branding campaign others were suggesting.”
The first task for the agency will be the European launch of a new Corvette later this year, which was revealed two weeks ago at the Detroit Motor Show.
