Looking to restore the Chevrolet Volt’s public image after a two-month long safety investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, General Motors has launched a new marketing campaign for the range-extending hybrid.
GM kicked off the new advertising blitz with a full-page newspaper ad that ran in 19 major papers, including the New York Times and USA Today. Penned by GM CEO Dan Akerson, the ad labeled the Volt as “the most significant step in GM’s history to give customers a choice beyond oil” and called the plug-in “a technological ‘moon shot’â€.
Akerson, fresh off an appearance in front of Congress to defend the safety of the Volt, added that he “couldn’t be prouder†of the car.
In addition to the full-page ad, GM will also run a commercial featuring the Volt on the Fox News channel, according to Automotive News. Much like Chrysler’s “Imported from Detroit†spots, the commercial touts the Volt’s Detroit roots.
Damage control
Following a two month safety investigation by the NHTSA over fire concerns, GM desperately needs to build back consumer confidence in the Volt. GM missed its sales target of 10,000 Volt sales last year by more than 2,000 vehicles, and dealers have begun to shy away from ordering the plug-in. GM hopes to sell as many as 45,000 Volts in the U.S. this year, but will need a quick recover from the NHTSA’s investigation to achieve that goal.
