Chevrolet to give away 10 Cobalts

[ragingfish]

Quote »Chevy kicks off '05 lineup with New Year's Eve blitzThe promotion includes giving away the automaker's new small car, the Cobalt.By Ed Garsten / The Detroit NewsGeneral Motors Corp.'s Chevrolet brand -- bidding to keep its sales momentum on track -- will unleash a multimedia promotional blitz on New Year's Eve, including the giveaway of 10 new Cobalt cars on live television.The latest campaign kicks off exactly a year after the introduction of Chevrolet's new advertising slogan "An American Revolution," which replaced the longtime "Like a Rock" theme.Chevrolet's U.S. sales are up 4 percent this year, and the new campaign is designed to introduce several new models to its lineup, including the Cobalt small car and Uplander minivan."We chose New Year's Eve as a platform again this year to express the ongoing revolution in a high impact and effective way," said Kim Kosak, Chevrolet's general director for advertising and sales promotions.The new round of commercials featuring the Cobalt, Malibu and Uplander will debut during New Year's Eve television programming.The big splash will be the giveaway of 10 Cobalt models during "America's Party" with Ryan Seacrest on the Fox network.Two of America's most popular destinations for New Year's revelers -- New York City and Las Vegas -- will play important backdrops for the new promotion.Rolling footage of Chevy vehicles will be displayed on jumbo video screens in Times Square, and advertising will cover the Las Vegas Cloud, a 600-foot canopy in front of the Fashion Show Mall.GM declined to disclose how much it is spending on the campaign, but it has invested more in advertising than any other automaker in recent years.In the first half of 2004, GM spent $1.2 billion on advertising, up 8 percent from the same period in 2003, according to Nielsen Media Research.Chevrolet is in a pitched battle with Ford for the best-selling automotive brand in the United States."We've had a good year, and the race is closer than I'd imagined," Chevrolet General Manager Brent Dewar said. "We're within about 30,000 vehicles, but we definitely don't want to get ourselves locked in a one- or two-way race."Through November, Chevrolet trailed Ford by 35,233 vehicles, according to Autodata Corp.In early December, GM launched a major year-end sale to draw showroom traffic and jumpstart its sluggish 2004 sales, which are down about 1 percent through November.The new Cobalt -- a replacement for the Cavalier -- is just arriving in dealerships now and is a critical component of Chevrolet's sales push. Chevy is introducing several versions at once, including a high-powered SS model that begins arriving next month.Chevy also is using a special lease program with monthly payments of $159 to lure Cobalt shoppers.While the Impala has been Chevy's passenger car sales leader, the Cobalt was crafted to create some new excitement for the brand.As the Cavalier's popularity faded, small car buyers switched to the Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Volkswagen Jetta and Toyota Corolla. The Cobalt is GM's play to reclaim a fair share of that business, says Lori Queen, GM's small car vehicle line executive."We want people to recognize we want to get back in the small car market," Queen said.With a starting price of $14,190 for a base sedan, the Cobalt is priced higher than the Cavalier, leaving the Korean-made Aveo as the lowest-priced car model in Chevy's lineup.The pricing strategy could be a stumbling block to the Cobalt's initial success."They've tried to take it toward a premium price position," said Erich Merkle, senior analyst with IRN Inc. in Grand Rapids. "But I don't think the market is ready to make that leap with Chevrolet because they've been giving away Cavaliers for so long."Later this year, the retro-looking HHR crossover vehicle, a Z06 version of the Corvette and updates of the Impala and Monte Carlo will go on sale as Chevrolet continues to freshen its product lineup. A new line of full-size pickup trucks and SUVs is more than a year away.The Ford brand also is in the midst of a product blitz with the new Five-Hundred sedan, Freestyle crossover vehicle and new Mustang this year. The new Fusion, about the same size as the Pontiac G6, will arrive in 2005."Chevrolet may get close to tying Ford but will have a difficult time pulling away from them in 2005 based on product," Merkle said.But Chevy's Brent Dewar is confident the brand's product line is strong enough and deep enough and is counting on the big New Year's Eve promotion to help sustain sales momentum well into 2005."We've been on a pretty good tear."You can reach Ed Garsten at (313) 223-3217 or egarsten@detnews.com.

[Stang2Vibe]

Huh. So you mean that a major stunt with Oprah isn't involved this time?