t
Sex Sells.
/ / T
he automakers arc
smart enough to realize
that this is a market
they should try to cap
ture,” says Harry Wyman of Ethnic
Marketing Services. “There is this
great untapped market out there, and
the right celebrity can hold a lot of
credibility."
Particularly with more-impres
sionable youth who are engaged
in music and sports. That’s why a
2004 commercial for (lie Volvo S40
included a voiceover by LL C cxj I
J , and why Buick got with Tiger
Woods. T ie n there arc Snoop Dogg's
Chrysler 300 commercials with Ixe
Iacocca, “Hustle and Flow” star
Terrance Howard’s relationship with
DaimlerChryslcr Corp., and the new
Jeep Commander in Missy Elliot’s
“Lose Control” music video.
Whether it’s to shake a staid
image, polish a struggling brand, or
forage for new buyers, car companies
are aiming right for die source.
Not that the power of personal
ity is new. Even 25 years ago one
in three T V commercials used celeb
endorsements. In 1987, after Run
D M C ’s hit “My Adidas.” the athletic
shoemaker htxikcd up with the rap
group, sponsoring one of its tours.
Seven years later, when Snoop Dogg’s
“Gin and Juice” hit the charts, sales of
Tanqueray Gin rose 10 percent.
Celebs know the score too, and
will often make the first call. Rapper
Ludaeris, for example, is said to have
approached Pontiac about the fbntiac
Solstice. Though known more for
his muscle car ¡ones, Ludaeris began
appearing in .Solstice commercials last
December, aired mostly on cable tele
vision’s BET. The rapper also wanted
to associate a hot-selling car with the
video to his cut “Two Miles an Hour,”
in which he calls out “everybody that
put mo’ into they cars tlran they do
I
I
i their relationship.”
Says Mark Hans Richer, market
ing manager of lbntiac: “Pontiac has
this great, youthful personality to
it, and obviously Ludaeris is young,
credible and has a great personality.
It’s smart business, really.”
Though it’s ttxi early to tell
whether the spots work, Richer
says he’s happy with the feedback.
This isn’t Pontiac’s first foray into
the Black celeb promo biz. however.
Actor Samuel Jackson has done
VI
Celebrity Does Too
i1 ■ ■ r-
▲ Macy Gray s Heavy Duty
Hummer HZ at Shaquille
0 Neal s Annual All Car
Showdown, spnnsored by GM
-4 Derek
Luke and the
Hummer H3 at GM’s TEN event.
11
»
voiceovers and Oprah Winfrey had that
famous G(i giveaway.
Ford Motor Co. appears poised to
take the African-American star endorse
ment bit to another level. For one,
rapper Kanye West has a relationship
with Ford’s Lincoln brand. The Zephyr
- Lincoln’s first entry-level sedan - is
featured in West’s video “Drive Slow."
In turn, Lincoln sponsored West’s posh
after-gig at the Grammy Awards this
year. And, Lincoln is celebrating the
spirit of the Harlem Renaissance in a
new commercial featuring the Zephyr.
Slated to air on select stations through
June 6, the spots pay homage to legend
ary poc.t Langston Hughes, renowned
filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles, and his
toric Harlem.
What's more, 1)| and car guru
Funkmastcr Flex is touring with tricked-
out Fusions and F-150s. And with a suc
21 > JUNE/JULV ZON
WWW ONWHEELSINC COM
cessful advertising relationship on the
“Steve Harvey Morning Show,” Ford
is sponsoring prcmiercsjif Harvey’s
latest comcdie standup film. “Don't
Trip ... He Ain’t Through With Me
Yet.” 'Hie Fusion is showcased at
each premier, wliile being marketed
to urban consumers through its
grownandscxy.com Web site. ’Die
film venues also feature the FT 50 and
Explorer.
hi addition, Lincoln recently
launched a new lifestyle custom Web
site - lincolnlounge.com — that allows
visitors a chance to win a Mark LT
luxury pickup customized by NBA
legend Magic Johnson. And in April,
Lincoln started a 10-city tour with
RkB group New Edition, featuring
the Zephyr. “It is part of a broader
effort to reposition Lincoln within the
urban market,” says Lincoln brand
manager Tom Grill. “To immerse our