| The General Motors Corp. is greatly injured | | | | slogan "Red, White and Bold," and the |
| by consumers who simply refuse to purchase | | | | executives talk of the company's goal to |
| American vehicles. This is why the automaker | | | | "embody the American spirit" and to become |
| is entertaining campaigns to win over the | | | | "America's car company." |
| unfaithful. The largest American automaker | | | | |
| has decided to use its heritage to grab more | | | | But foreign automakers are waving the |
| edge in the market. | | | | American flag as well. Mark Fields, the |
| | | | president of Ford's Americas division, has |
| GM's Saturn division earlier launched its | | | | criticized the Toyota Motor Corp. for |
| 'Rethink American' campaign, "the opposite of | | | | "desperately trying to cast itself as an |
| a buy-American campaign," said Eric Hirshberg | | | | American brand" to appeal to patriotic auto |
| of Deutsch, which created the ads. "Even the | | | | purchasers. At last year's Los Angeles auto |
| staunchest American- car rejecter is rooting | | | | show, Fields said, "Americans really do want |
| for American cars," said Eric Hirshberg, the | | | | to buy American brands, as long as we're |
| president of Deutsch Los Angeles, the | | | | competitive with the imports." |
| advertising agency behind the current | | | | |
| Saturn's campaign. "They just don't think | | | | Hirshberg of Deutsch described the 'Rethink |
| they're good enough quality, or they're set | | | | American' campaign as "the opposite of a |
| against them for whatever reason. But | | | | buy-American campaign. 'Rethink American' is |
| everybody in this country has an affinity for | | | | not a patriotism campaign," Hirshberg said. |
| American cars and wants to get behind them." | | | | "It's a 'rethink your rejection of American' |
| | | | campaign." |
| Although Saturn's sales have been increasing, | | | | |
| GM will have difficulty persuading people who | | | | Saturn's ads highlight fuel economy, safety |
| have spurned American vehicles that they have | | | | features, and critical acclaim. It features |
| improved, said Jim Hossack, a consultant with | | | | the enhanced auto parts of the automaker that |
| AutoPacific in Tustin, Calif. "The stigma is | | | | include the Saturn header pipe, engines, |
| still there. Is the reality still there? I'm | | | | brakes, radiator and more. Aside from this, |
| not really sure," Hossack said. "There's | | | | the ads also concentrate on the renaissance |
| still a negative connotation coming from | | | | concept of the Saturn. |
| decades of products that proved in the end to | | | | |
| have quality, reliability and durability less | | | | At present, the division of GM is |
| than the leading Japanese imports'." | | | | entertaining a timely metamorphosis to serve |
| | | | as a catalyst in the industry. It will be |
| Hossack added that patriotism alone was not | | | | building more product lines that will cater |
| enough for GM and Ford to regain any of the | | | | to the growing needs of purchasers. The ads |
| market shares that they have lost to Toyota, | | | | are designed to wow consumers by flaunting |
| Honda and others. "Still, that they are | | | | the improved quality of its lineup since it |
| American companies could work in their favor. | | | | began selling entry-level vehicles. Saturn is |
| I don't see a whole lot of patriotism, but I | | | | also aimed at prompting people with low |
| do see a sort of rooting for the underdog," | | | | opinions of American vehicles to take another |
| Hossack said. "For decades GM, Ford and | | | | look. |
| Chrysler had such a dominant position that | | | | |
| the underdog was the imports. But they may | | | | Despite these patriotic appeals, a GM |
| have inverted their position. Detroit may now | | | | spokeswoman, Ryndee Carney, said that the |
| be the underdog." | | | | company is trying to play up its vehicles' |
| | | | amenities more than their heritage. "You see |
| GM is not the only automaker that has been | | | | more of our advertising talking specifically |
| using its American roots to lure purchasers. | | | | about the product and the brand as opposed to |
| The Ford Motor Co. tried to rally around the | | | | 'We're American,' " Carney said. |