Slightly more on the pickup push of 2006.
GM and Toyota Bet Big That Pickups Pick Up - WSJ.com
General Motors Corp. and Toyota Motor Corp. are both about to bet hundreds of millions of dollars that even during a downturn in full-size pickup truck sales, they can attract more buyers.Big pickup trucks make up the single largest segment in the U.S. auto industry. Some 2.4 million were sold in 2005 -- about one of every seven light vehicles. But this year sales are down 14%, hurt by high gasoline prices and a slowdown in the housing market that has caused contractors and builders to delay new purchases.
In the midst of this slump, both GM and Toyota are now launching redesigned versions of their big rigs. The Chevrolet Silverado started reaching dealerships this month, while the all-new Toyota Tundra, which is being assembled in a new plant in San Antonio, is expected in February 2007.
Created by Campbell-Ewald's office in Warren, Mich., Chevy's advertising is meant to play on patriotic sentiment. It's ground that Chevrolet has trod before with its current “American Revolution” ads.The first commercial shows snippets of events from the last 50 years and how Americans rebounded from challenges such as the Watergate scandal and Hurricane Katrina.
Probably skips over the Bush Administration disaster though, and probably doesn't mention the 2007 impeachment proceedings.
Tags: automotive, /GM
