[MicroNut]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46GEqDYtCwA

 

[spdickey]

First sighting of a smart tv commerical. This one for Bergstrom in Milwaukee with Bret Favre. Can't get any cheesier than that!


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[SmartBob]

Great! One more reason why SmartCar doesn't need to spend $$$ on advertising.(Although the Smart Tour wasn't cheap I'm sure.) People like Bergstrom will do it for them. Good commercial!

 

[Fredvon4]

I am pretty damned sure Bret Farvre was a expensive spokes person and this commercial was typically expensive for the ThanksGiving weekend

Silly marketing I think.... in fact I thnk the advertising guy at that dealer is plain stupid...perhaps not... I don't know squat about that area

But I think many folks will now go to that dealership looking to learn more or buy a Smart car...

I think many will be ticked off to learn after Idriving cross town or from a near by city that they don't have any Smart cars, and even if they did, they could not sell one...

I doubt I would be cool and look at their other cars... I would leave ticked off , leave, and bad mouth them severely

 

[SmartBob]

Good point, Fred. I'd be irritated too when I found out that I can't get one for a year. Maybe the dealer has the 3 for show or even a test car but.....they still may leave in a Huff rather than a Smart. LOL

 

[Fredvon4]

Don't know why, But I thought about the stupidity of this very expensive TV spot and I am trying to understand what motivation they have to expend this amount of cash to market a car they can't sell...

In my mind, the only thing that makes any economic sense is that that have the competing small cars like the Yaris and are banking on their sales staff to turn interest in the Smart car today into a sale of a similar small economy car...

Because so little is out there publicly for the Smart car, this might work

You and I think someone who drove cross town would be ticked off...because you and I already know they can not sell them a Smart car...

The unwary public could easily be BSed into believing that the advertising they saw was for future brands and models are about how progressive the Dealership is going-----And, oh by the way! "We are first in town with the New Yaris...

You can have one of these babies now or wait until next year for the cute but impractical Smart with it's two seats....

Very shrewd if you think about how Sales staff is full of BS any way...hummm

 

[DaveInTexas]

Why would that worry them? They sell Honda, Scion and Toyota's anyway. I had to go in to get service done on my Honda while I was on a trip to Oshkosh. They had a very good service department, a friendly sales staff, and I was able to watch the airshow at the same time.

 

[Fredvon4]

I don't think anyone would be worried... I just thought is dumb to pay Farve to hock Smart Cars when no dealer in the USA will have any for sale to the public for a very long time

As far as I know every single one of the 16-20-22-30 thousand Smart Cars in 2008 (you pick a number) is already sold--- AFAIK there is a list growing of folks hoping someone will drop out so they can get in line....

I would think any advertising for the Smart Car--- to sell Smart Cars is a waste of money....(dumb)

Here--- I acknowledge they might be piggybacking on the Smart car to get folks to come in and see their rest of their line up....Shrewd IMO

 

[propes]

According to the ad, Farve has been a long time spokesperson for the dealership, the smart is going to be a good way for people to go, "ooOOoohh" and look at their other cars, even if the smart isn't a valid option with the wait time.

I see this ad as more of a Berstrom branding ad, but using the smart. Maybe the timing is off, but I remember in Michigan how watching the Lions and Packers play on Thanksgiving was a do-not-miss event, and we're coming up on a big holiday push for (like everything else retail) cars. This'll bring 'em in, even if they don't buy a fortwo.

 

[spdickey]

You actually get tired of all the Bergstrom ads. I know I did when living in Cheeseland. And Farve is seen everywhere there.

 

[MSOEMiller]

You actually get tired of all the Bergstrom ads. I know I did when living in Cheeseland. And Farve is seen everywhere there.

Hi, from a former Wisconsinite. Just remember that Favre is pretty much second to God right now and a Packer is almost always a sure thing for advertising. Except for Mark Chmura

They'll be able to play this commerical for years to come.

 

[propes]

I remember seeing these ads all though the 70's - even after I moved away from Minnesota, I knew the damn phone number: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5vHdbY81Do

And this was one of his tamer commercials.

 

[spdickey]

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[lpingb]

Favre in commercial

Brett has been a long time Bergstrom spokesperson. They will run promotions like buy a car get a Brett Favre football. I assume he has a contract with Bergstrom that says he will cut x amount of commercials. I really dont think this ad cost them much as Bergstrom is the 800 pound gorilla for car dealers in Wisconsin.

 

[Brian7]

I think it's a good ad. I live in Milwaukee and have been watching the construction of the new smart building. We don't get a lot of Bergstrom ads and I didn't see this one, even on Thanksgiving. The commercials may be a Green Bay Area thing more than Milwaukee. Seeing Brett Favre in the ad makes me want to get the car even more. Wisconsin has many large SUV and pick-up trucks for our winters. The smart may be a harder sell. The commercial may have been done under an umbrella contract with Favre and not as expensive as people are assuming. Therefore, I think it was smart!

 

[Fredvon4]

Brian7

There are more confirmed orders for 2008 Smart Cars then there will be cars imported, even accounting for the 8~10 drop out rate... IMO any money spent advertising the Smart car is $$$ peed away...

If seeing Bret Farve in an ad makes you more inclined to want what ever product they are selling, then you are proof the celebrity advertising works.... You know he only endorsed the product because he was paid handsomely too appear...

Bret Farve and Troy Aikman or any other very good quarterback has no more knowledge of these products then anyone else...in fact I bet you know a whole lot more about a Smart car then Bret ever will....

 

[Brian7]

Fred, your absolutely right!

We really don't know why they were advertising. It may be that the market in Wisconsin is not very enthusiastic, and why build a dealership without enough customers. I like your argument. It wasn't my money spent, so I don't really care that much.

 

[SmartBob]

I assume Bergstrom is well known in that local. For them to be the first to "advertise" and to use someone as famous as Favre should mean that they are behind a great product and want the area to know that they will be the premier dealer. It won't be the first time anyone has used a "star" athlete or otherwise to promote a product they don't even own or use. As to money spent.....it's in the budget for advertising....why not use it to turn heads with a new, exciting, if not revolutionary product which we all believe in or wouldn't be here.