A television advertisement that aired in metro Detroit featured the Chevrolet Detroit logo superimposed over footage of the Austin, Texas skyline. The spot, part of a broader national campaign, has since
been changed.
The 30-second ad aired on TV channels like WDIV and was shared on social media. The spot stemmed from an advertising campaign called “Heartbeat of America,” a revival of a popular ad from the 1980s and early 1990s that General Motors aired in honor of America’s 250th. Chevrolet said it distributed footage to local marketing associations across the country to edit for regionally specific ads.
Chevrolet told the Detroit Free Press on Thursday, Aug. 20 that, in the case of this local spot, Detroit-area Chevrolet dealers used national end tag footage that included the skyline filmed in Austin and added their local branding, “Chevy Detroit,” as they do at the end of every one of their campaigns. Late Thursday the ad ending had been changed to feature trees.
The Detroit Free Press reached out to the local Chevrolet dealership association, Chevy Detroit, which did not immediately return calls for comment. Chevy Detroit represents 38 Chevrolet dealerships in the metro Detroit area, according to their website.
The story was first reported by the Detroit News.
According to Chevy spokesman Chad Lyons, reporting requests from the Detroit Free Press brought the matter to Chevrolet's attention. The company reached out to the local group to fix the advertisement.
“This was a standard regional execution of a national campaign, not a Chevrolet corporate ad representing the Detroit skyline,” Lyons said in a statement before the ad was changed. “To avoid any confusion, we are updating the end of the ad for regional use going forward.”
Lyons also said local dealer associations can choose how they use the supplied end tags, including whether to retain the national footage or fade to black before adding their local branding.
Staff Photographer Eric Seals contributed to this report.
Jackie Charniga covers General Motors for the Free Press. Reach her at jcharniga@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Chevy ad depicting Austin skyline not a mistake, company says
