Bad Bad BAD Advertising IDEAS - Add to the list

[Alexander Lau]

You Sir, get the “ePrice.”
What the hell is an “ePrice” anyways?
While we’re at it, what’s exactly is an “internet price?”
How does someone work in the “internet department” or an “internet sales manager” performing “digital sales?”

You sir NEED a warranty, an absolute MUST!

‘Valueless warranties’: Harrisburg car dealership (Faulkner) must refund consumers, Pennsylvania AG says
https://www.philly.com/business/har...ties-valueless-refund-consumers-20190409.html

Consumers typically paid roughly $1,000 for the allegedly bogus warranties, which were often sold to consumers who entered short-term lease agreements for new cars, the Attorney General’s Office said.

 

[ryan.leslie]

I'm not sure which agency is responsible for this campaign, but a lot of dealers across the country are using it with similar consumer feedback. These ads are not my favorite for a lot of reasons.

They say "ALL press is good press," but I'm not so sure that the evidence agrees with that in this case.

1. In my area, they made the local countercultural newspaper with this article: (DISCLAIMER: Language Warning)
https://www.riverfronttimes.com/art...lk-about-those-goddamn-frank-leta-commercials
The consumer sentiment was...um...not positive.

2. There was a protest planned at the store through Facebook events with the hopes of strong-arming the "sleazy car salesmen" into removing these ads.



The first two points are admittedly rooted in a preference. My apologies to the fine folks of Jersey, but good God Almighty, that accent when accentuated for the radio by a voice actor is just not pleasing to the ear. As one poster said, "her voice makes me want to shove pencils through my ear holes." My third point is not rooted in opinion, it is rooted in math... and maybe morals too.

3. If we can finance someone for a $30k car note that brings home just $350 a week with a single dime down, do we have the moral obligation not to? Should that indeed be the crime?

I don't expect the industry to be anyone's financial nanny, but still, enabling, or worse encouraging, terrible financial decisions can't be good for our industry. This is not my area of expertise. It does seem to me however that rolling repo after repo over the curb is not a business model that franchise stores should want to cultivate.

Some are probably thinking, "HEY, chill out Ryan, it's just an ad! Nobody is REALLY getting $30k with a dime down." If that is the case, then queue the music... bummmmm badum dum... I think we found our REAL crime.

 

[Alexander Lau]

I'm not sure which agency is responsible for this campaign, but a lot of dealers across the country are using it with similar consumer feedback. These ads are not my favorite for a lot of reasons.

They say "ALL press is good press," but I'm not so sure that the evidence agrees with that in this case.

1. In my area, they made the local countercultural newspaper with this article: (DISCLAIMER: Language Warning)
https://www.riverfronttimes.com/art...lk-about-those-goddamn-frank-leta-commercials
The consumer sentiment was...um...not positive.

2. There was a protest planned at the store through Facebook events with the hopes of strong-arming the "sleazy car salesmen" into removing these ads.

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The first two points are admittedly rooted in a preference. My apologies to the fine folks of Jersey, but good God Almighty, that accent when accentuated for the radio by a voice actor is just not pleasing to the ear. As one poster said, "her voice makes me want to shove pencils through my ear holes." My third point is not rooted in opinion, it is rooted in math... and maybe morals too.

3. If we can finance someone for a $30k car note that brings home just $350 a week with a single dime down, do we have the moral obligation not to? Should that indeed be the crime?

I don't expect the industry to be anyone's financial nanny, but still, enabling, or worse encouraging, terrible financial decisions can't be good for our industry. This is not my area of expertise. It does seem to me however that rolling repo after repo over the curb is not a business model that franchise stores should want to cultivate.

Some are probably thinking, "HEY, chill out Ryan, it's just an ad! Nobody is REALLY getting $30k with a dime down." If that is the case, then queue the music... bummmmm badum dum... I think we found our REAL crime.