GM's Super Bowl robot ad draws criticism from suicide prevent group

[PM_Mama00]

Originally Posted by PeppyGPhiB

It was a TERRIBLE ad, but not because of the suicidal robot. GM should NOT be making light of the tens of thousands of its workers that are getting laid off. PEOPLE are getting laid off, and they have the nerve to run a "funny" ad about a nightmare a machine has about getting the boot from his factory job? It was really poorly thought out, and I can't imagine it passing any focus groups. It was flat-out insulting, and in no way made me think more favorably of GM.

Thank you.

I have a feeling that if any of you lived in Detroit and have watched your friends almost go homeless because of the layoffs... to lose their job without notice... you'd feel differently. It may be a fantasy robot, but it's a reality in our area. Really sad that GM came up with this, since they just let a large amount of their factory workers go, my friend being one of them.

[PeppyGPhiB]

Originally Posted by shinerbock

Another sign this country is way too PC and overly sensitive. Also, reminding people of lay offs may be a poorly thought out advertising idea, but its not insulting. People get laid off. Its business.

Hopefully in the future the government will just give everyone a specific job and provide for all their needs.

The whole ad focused on layoffs. That's the problem.

I know what I'm talking about...I work in advertising and PR. There were way better ways for GM to talk about quality, which is what the spokesperson says they were trying to do with that ad (?)

ETA: furthermore, it is a business reality that when companies make poor decisions they have to lay their workers off, but it is not "business" to turn that into a funny ad campaign. If they were even going to mention the people at GM (which is probably a topic they should avoid altogether), they should've done a Thank You ad or something that honors and focuses on their loyal workers. Not an ad that makes fun of the nightmare that is being laid off from your job of, say, 40 years. GM's products are what got them into the mess they're in right now, but it's their reputation that will be the death of them. And until they start understanding and getting a hold on their reputation, they'll just continue to go down the crapper...this ad is just another example of how out-of-touch GM is with what American people are looking for.

[Munchkin03]

I don't even see why people buy GM anymore.

[macallan25]

Originally Posted by Munchkin03

I don't even see why people buy GM anymore.

Yeah, why would anyone want to by Chevy/GMC Trucks and Tahoes/Yukons.

[shinerbock]

I thought it was an ad where he got fired because he screwed up on the line. I was drunk and only saw it once, so maybe I missed the point. If it was entirely about layoffs, I think your point is valid. I was under the impression it wasn't, but it might remind viewers of lay offs. I'll have to look it up and watch it again.

[PeppyGPhiB]

Originally Posted by shinerbock

I thought it was an ad where he got fired because he screwed up on the line. I was drunk and only saw it once, so maybe I missed the point. If it was entirely about layoffs, I think your point is valid. I was under the impression it wasn't, but it might remind viewers of lay offs. I'll have to look it up and watch it again.

Technically you're right...the robot lost his job because he dropped a screw. But does GM really expect people to remember WHY he lost his job? I actually missed the first few seconds of the ad, so i missed the dropping of the screw. The bulk of the ad focused on how crappy his life was after he lost his GM job, and of course it's ridiculous to suggest that anyone would lose his/her job at GM for dropping a screw anyway, so it seems weird they'd want to suggest that. In the end what people are left with is the general impression and feeling after seeing an ad, and layoffs were the first thing everyone in my house thought of when they saw the ad. All I felt was sadness for this ROBOT who had lost his job...and the song they used really added to the sadness...i'm sure there are a lot of people who have lost their GM jobs who feel alone and lost.

If you go on to YouTube now, not only have a lot of people commented on the ad, they've started to add their replies, too...like this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvQWsvkKEgY

On the other hand, I thought Chevy's two ads during the Superbowl were great, for a change!

[shinerbock]

Yeah I mean I can agree with you that the ad was probably poorly thought out. My only frustration is when people try to make such things into some argument against big business.

[PeppyGPhiB]

Originally Posted by shinerbock

Yeah I mean I can agree with you that the ad was probably poorly thought out. My only frustration is when people try to make such things into some argument against big business.

Yeah, I'm not even an incredibly PC person, and the response I had, and my family had, to this ad wasn't "PC." My boyfriend, who's from Michigan, knows several people that have been laid off from GM and Ford and have had to leave the state to find a new line of work. He was furious when he saw that ad.

Ads can say whatever they want to, but that doesn't mean the people watching it will listen to what is literally said. People interpret ads in so many different ways, and when you're putting an ad on the Superbowl, which reaches practically every demographic in this country, companies better make sure the message is singular and clear. This one wasn't, because obviously it's had different responses. Some people think it's funny, some think the robot is cute, some people just feel it's a bummer, some don't like the suicide bit, and some don't like the You're Fired angle. I have a hard time believing that the major ad agency that produced the ad didn't hear all of these responses in their focus groups (which I guarantee you they used for this spot), so I also find it just an idiotic decision to air this ad as it is.

It's also weird that the bit about the warranty at the end isn't even brought up in the ad...Oh, a great warranty, tell me all about it! Oh, you're not going to? OK.

[Kevlar281]

Originally Posted by Munchkin03

I don't even see why people buy GM anymore.

You do understand that there are parts of the country where families define themselves as either being GMC or Ford owners don’t you?

[jon1856]

Up-date on the status of the ad:
GM to cut robot's jump from TV ad
Automaker heeds outcry from advocacy groups to remove suicidal scene from Super Bowl commercial.
Eric Morath / The Detroit News
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll...368/1148/rss25

[RU OX Alum]

i'm not a PC person either....iLove iMac