The Road Ahead: Automaker Ads Tiptoe Around Face Masks and Other COVID Signifiers

Some of the signifiers are subtle For instance a Lexus ad called quotThe Road Aheadquot asks quotOf all the places you39re looking forward to where will you go first Wherever you go Lexus will welcome you backquot There39s no mention of COVID there doesn39t have to beamp8212it39s assumed The ad is supremely vagueamp8212it features the open road a driver and possible passengers you can39t quite see and a Lexus making fast progress to somewhere It39s not going to be overtaken by events watch the video aboveThe message has pivoted from quotwe39re in this togetherquot without specifying what quotthisquot is and featuring first responders to quotwe39re going to keep you safequot and now with motorists perceiving their cars as sanctuaries from the virus the open road beckons It39s actually a tweak of how automakers market SUVs even without COVIDamp8212the quotfreedomquot appeal of the whole category means that visions of empty roads and outback trails are frequently included A recent discussion with Toyota marketing people at the launch of the new Venza crossover reveals that the imagery is analyzed carefullyAccording to Angie White senior manager for crossovers at Toyota Marketing quotWe want to communicate that life is normalizing but we have to work within the current realities and don39t want to go too far So no family reunionsquotamp8212a known way to spread the virus along with crowd scenesTo that Ed Laukes group vice president at Toyota Marketing adds that the internal discussion at the company included whether to show or not show people in masks There39s no worry with the cars but a lot of questions around the people shown driving them Masks One person or two Kids in the backLaukes emphasized that all Toyota ads have to conform to CDC guidelines And he pointed out that buying a car is aspirational Consumers are going to want to see vehicles under consideration potentially enriching their lives not being scary quotIt can39t just be this particular moment in time which will pass eventuallyquot he said Since the COVID situation is fluid Toyota has looked at ads for cars like the new Highlander in different versions reflecting positive or negative virus situationsAutomotive News notes quotDonning masks is a polarizing issue in some circles and it appears auto retailing is one of themquot Matt VanDyke Ford39s director of US marketing told the News that some dealers are balking at masks and others demanding them quotWe shared with our dealer association groups some new creative that we have developed and literally about a third of the group said 39If you show people in the showroom of a Ford dealership and they don39t have a mask on I can39t or won39t use it39quotOther dealers said face mask imagery would scare their customers and is wrong for their markets It39s a challenge to strike the right balance with the tone of the advertising and the visuals VanDyke saidpampgtThe Virginiabased ad agency Tier10 which has used quotLife is Betterquot as the base for its Honda ads now creates two different ads for auto dealers and carmakersamp8212one with masks one without According to Scott Rodgers chief creative officer at Tier10 quotI just spent the week in Detroit filming more television and online campaigns that we filmed both ways Originally in an effort to conserve production budgets we tried to 39future proof39 our campaigns Now it39s just normalquotRodgers said the dual tracks are thorough quotWe are creating both versions video and still photography to run AB Tests to see how consumers respond to the images Does it really matter Ultimately we stand by our main objective during this time which is being authentic What you see on TV or online is what you see when you walk into our brand39s dealerships or when someone comes to you to pick up or drop off your vehicle This is a fluid situation and your advertising and online content needs to be fluid as wellquotBack in February Toyota39s Laukes had led the launch of a new Highlander campaign with the message quotBecause Life is Better When You39re All Togetherquot One ad centered on quota family featuring four generations and baseball legend Jim Robinson celebrates togetherness baseball and their proud family legacyquot That obviously had to be tweaked when COVID descendedIt39s interesting that a major target for the Venza according to Ryan Matsumoto a Toyota marketing planner is quotboomers and empty nesters who no longer need a larger vehicle with a lot of passenger spacequot So the ads that work for them during COVID might be quite different from an effective Highlander campaignBehind the scenes the need for social distancing while filming commercials has no ambiguity to itamp8212crews are being tested and temperature checked and smaller crews with mandatory masks are the order of the day States have varying rules for masking and gathering obviously but the auto industry is trying to keep everyone safe wherever they39re filmingI couldn39t actually find an auto ad with face masks in the creative though General Motors and others certainly publicized that they were making the COVID coveringsClick the social buttons to share this story with colleagues and friendsThe opinions expressed here are the author39s views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet

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The Road Ahead: Automaker Ads Tiptoe Around Face Masks and Other COVID Signifiers

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Jim Motavalli

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The Road Ahead: Automaker Ads Tiptoe Around Face Masks and Other COVID Signifiers

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