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General Motors Says ‘Rethink American’

General Motors is increasingly embracing patriotism and the fact that the company sells American-made cars as a selling feature, writes The New York Times.

This spring, GM has been running three marketing campaigns based on its American roots. GM’s campaign for its Saturn brand leads with the slogan, “Rethink American.” The campaign, from Interpublic Group’s Deutsch Los Angeles, is meant to persuade consumers that Saturn has improved considerably since it began selling vehicles in 1990, and that people with low opinions of American vehicles should take another look.

The Chevrolet Silverado campaign’s patriotic spots are set to music from John Mellencamp titled Our Country, which tie into Chevrolet’s tagline, An American Revolution.

During a Memorial Day sale, Buick, Pontiac and GMC dealers ran a promotional campaign that thanked American soldiers and offered to collect letters for the troops. In the fall, GM partnered with conservative radio host Sean Hannity for the Great American Car Giveaway.

GM faces a tough challenge in persuading people that American vehicles have improved, and patriotism alone probably won’t do the job, says Jim Hossack, a consultant with AutoPacific in Tustin, Calif. But the fact that GM is an American company will still work in its favor. Too, people like to root for the underdog, and Detroit may now hold that position in the minds of consumers, he says.