See The USA In Your Chevrolet

With the conclusion of the NBA Finals this past week, I thought back to the importance of purposeful advertising during big games like the Dallas/Miami showdown.  Naturally, this led me to remember the Super Bowl ads that cost $2.7 million per 30-second spot!  So, was this advertisement an effective choice for the big price Chevrolet had to pay?

I thought it was interesting that Chevrolet teamed up with the popular TV series Glee for this commercial.  In the ad, Sue Sylvester tells the glee club that she booked them for a commercial, but she secretly did it to disqualify the glee club from the upcoming Regional competition.  It features Lea Michele’s character Rachel Berry and other members of the Glee cast singing the Chevrolet song “See the USA.”  Everything in this ad is white, which is used to symbolize Chevrolet’s goodness, safety, and cleanliness.  White in high-tech products, such as vehicles, also suggests simplicity.  This shows that Chevrolet’s are easy to drive, and anyone can learn how to drive and adapt to a Chevy.  This ad illustrates a hip, new way to advertise for both Chevrolet and Glee, and I think Lea Michele sang this song beautifully.  It is upbeat and illustrates that owning a Chevrolet is something to be excited about.  I like how it tied together the Chevrolet song “See the USA” with the current slogan, “Chevy Runs Deep.”     

This was not the first time the song “See the USA” was used in a Chevrolet commercial; it was previously used in the 1950s.

I think it is fascinating that the same song can be used to advertise the same product after nearly 60 years.  This Chevy song is a classic and timeless; it can always be used to portray these vehicles.  Based on the advertisements and use of the song in the two ads, I think today’s Chevrolet-Glee ad appeals more to younger consumers and wants them to purchase a Chevrolet as their vehicle of choice.  Chevrolets are driven all over the country because of the vehicles great performance and great style. 

Initially, I would not have matched Glee with the Chevrolet advertisement.  However, after careful examination of their reasons to team up (i.e. to target a younger audience; connect the song “See the USA” with something modern; and to throw off the audience a bit) this Chevrolet-Glee ad does a great job showcasing a great, American vehicle.  This is truly a nontraditional, unique advertisement that gets the audience’s attention.