The General Starts Over

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It opens with the sun rising over New York and what looks to be Los Angeles with a shot of Detroit in between. The first shot of a car shows up 18 seconds in, after a shot of a train. The everyman voice over explains no one wants to go through bankruptcy (without saying the word,) but that times have changed and their business model broke and now it has to be fixed.

The General Motors Reinvention ad on GMreinvention.com, planned for broadcast on major networks Wednesday night, is old news to anyone paying attention, but fairly blunt at the same time. “General Motors needs to start over to get stronger,” says the voice. Multiple brands and cost structures must be cut, and new thinking must take shape. Chevrolet, GMC, Buick and Cadillac survived the cut and must carry the banner for the world’s once most dominant automotive player.

Hybrids, plugins and fuel cell will power the cars of the near- and long-term future. “Reinvention is the only way we can fix this, and fix it we will,” as a sculpture of a fist seemingly flies toward the viewer.

As the ad ends, the voiceover makes a word play of the bankruptcy, “Because, the only chapter we’re focused on...is chapter one.” The intent may be to push the reset button, in the manner of many recent movie franchises. Hey, if it’s good enough for Captain Kirk, it’s good enough for the General.

-- Doug Stewart

Video credit: You Tube