There was a time in the US & Canada where people depended on getting the scoop on the latest in cars though TV advertisements. Thanks the power of YouTube, these ads are able to watched again. And let me tell you something, I wish they had the 80s ads back!
Lets start with Chrysler. Chrysler of course was going through a Renaissance thanks to Lee Iacocca. "Chrylser K-Day"
http://www.youtube...atch?v=pws4c9FAY80 "50 Dollars for a test drive"
http://www.youtube...atch?v=mmA_X6F8Tg4 "Can't cut the mustard"
http://www.youtube...atch?v=yQDH7M6QYxg I always liked Iacocca as Chrysler's Corporate Straight Man...I think that's what GM needs now.
Next we have the Caravan & Voyageur, which introduced a brand new body type that made the entire industry freak out because there was something better than the station wagon "Dodge an American Revolution"
http://www.youtube...atch?v=T3XneSMf0GU "The Magic Wagon"
http://www.youtube...atch?v=joE9juKuWSY "Plymouth Voyageur"
http://www.youtube...atch?v=K1xguY2LZeU While the first one is more stereotypical of the car ads of the period, but the 2nd while cheesy, does illustrate the point. And its why the Caravan is still the best selling van in the world.
Next is a more bizarre Chrysler ad for the Plymouth Turismo Duster. It aired during the 1985 MTV Music Awards so be prepared... http://www.youtube...atch?v=1ZGwGFpjFxI Wow. I remember hearing about this commercial in some retrospective of MTV for their 20th anniverary but I never saw it until recently. And I have to tell you, I need to buy a round of beer for the ad genius who somehow came up with actual lyrics that rhyme with "Plymouth Turismo Duster" and imagined to put in every 80s music video cliche into it. And I love the reverse glass smashing at the end!
Interesting tidbit on the ad; The lady is a gal named Finoria Hughes who was on ABC's General Hospital at the time, Apparently she actually cannot sing that good so there was speculation that they had Celine Dion who was an rising star in Quebec to do the vocals. Speaking of her, this leads to my next segment.
From what I have been told, the Quebec car market was pretty much treated like the Anglo-Canadian market except the ads were in French. However, again Chrysler changed that with Celine Dion who was a regional sensation at the time. http://www.youtube...atch?v=StQmf3zqmAc Celine Dion I have to say (she was not a fruitcup yet at this time) does make the LeBarron convertable look good. Considering that most cars at thet time didn't have digital dashboard, a CD Player or anything else shown, it was a decent car. And interesting tidbit, this ad showed in France too but with a different car she hops into and I can't remember what car that was, but I had "avec Chrysler" stuck in my head for the longest time when I lived over there.
http://www.youtube...atch?v=3by-1w6Kpyg Apparently too what I have been told when this ad campaign came to the air, that Chrysler sales skyrocketed and I dunno if its true or not still but Chrysler had a hold in Quebec because of it and it actually made Chrysler also tried another regional market...the Latino segment in the US where they had the infamous Selina do Chrysler ads on Univision.
http://www.youtube...atch?v=v5BWAxt1pxg This one for the Colt 200 kills me because for this other than Nostra or Nismo who are bilingual here, there's a lyric in here "C'est la Colt 200 et elle a pas peur" which means "It's the Colt 200 and she ain't afraid"
And this one is for Nostra who will get a kick out of this Quebec Chrysler ad: http://www.youtube...cI&feature=related Yup, I'm amazed the car well went up to 7000 RPMs and didn't explode
This concludes Part 1...stay tuned for next time when do Part 2 on "Renault/AMC: Our Misunderstood Friend"
