A man. A man and his truck. A man and his truck -- and a bovine love story?
General Motors' Chevrolet will use the giant ad stage of Fox's telecast of Super Bowl XLVIII to send up its own painfully earnest Silverado commercials with a new spot called "Romance," according to Tim Mahoney, Chevrolet's global chief marketing officer.
The new 60-second commercial created by Leo Burnett, Detroit, starts off with the familiar "A man and his truck" refrain we've seen in previous purplish spots about hearty Silverado owners taking their sons camping or searching for a lost calf despite the danger from impending storms.
We see a ruggedly handsome cattle rancher picking up a young stud-bull, then hauling him across Texas in his Silverado HD. That's when Mr. Mahoney and Leo Burnett will pull a switcheroo on millions of TV viewers.
Turns out the the man and his truck are transporting a "very eligible bachelor" as the 1975 hit, "You Sexy Thing," by the British group Hot Chocolate plays in the background. When our four-legged Romeo arrives at his destination, he gives the eye to four lonely-heart cows. "Hello Ladies," thinks the bull as he licks his chops in anticipation.
The humorous spot is Budweiser-ish in its use of animals and humor. Mr. Mahoney thinks it will surprise viewers looking for a good laugh at Super Bowl parties.
"It builds slowly. You almost think, 'Well, OK, this is another Silverado spot.' And it is. But the twist is obviously a new one," Mr. Mahoney said
Chevrolet will air another new 60-second spot from Leo Burnett, Detroit, in the first quarter of Fox's game telecast Sunday night. But Mr. Mahoney declined to comment on the spot, saying GM prefers to keep the surprise intact until game-time. But Chevy will give away its new Silverado High Country pickup truck to the Super Bowl MVP. So High Country is a strong contender for the other spot.
Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne told a roundtable at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit that the Detroit car-maker will air a spot in the Super Bowl. But Chrysler has kept mum on the details since.
