Fall is for football
Vicky Czarniecki
I never used to be a huge football fan. (My earliest memory of the game is playing touch football in the backyard with my older brother, being tackled into the dirt and then going off and crying to my mom.) But over the last couple years, my football loving friends have sucked me into their world, and now I can’t get enough of it. Before I decided to watch the games for love of the sport (and the good looking college quarterbacks), the only game I would tune into was the Super Bowl, and even then it was only to watch the ads that would be debuted that night.
Advertisers know that they have a captive audience in football TV viewers. With the advent of TiVo and DVR, live sporting events are one surefire way for marketers to get in touch with consumers. Tie this idea in with the fact that football is America’s game and you might come to the same conclusion as Chevy Trucks.
I saw on the Today Show that the American car company will run their commercials for their Silverado truck model during telecasts of various football games. To add to the American theme, Chevy is pairing these commercials with the new single, “Our Country” by iconic American singer, John Mellencamp.
Why all the patriotism?
Chevrolet is trying to identify with their core buyer, the quintessential American. Pickup trucks are an American automobile, and football is an American sport. Recently, foreign automaker Toyota released news of their desire to gain ground in the pickup truck segment. With competition in the back of their minds, what better way for Chevy to promote their line of trucks than with an American spin to keep their brand in the forefront of pickup truck consumers’ minds?
Numerous other car companies target this group of football viewers (count how many car commercials you see next time you watch a game), and many times car manufacturers sponsor some aspect of the game/telecast. Toyota is currently the exclusive sponsor of the NBC Sunday Night Football Halftime show, show-casing none other than the all new, full-size Tundra pickup truck and the Tacoma. They also have their vehicles showcased on the website for NBC Sports.
The big question is, can Americans be swayed to purchase other truck brands or will they stay as true to their favorite truck as they do to their favorite game? Chevy is counting on the latter.