Reinvention

This weekend, I saw the GM reinvention ad for the first time. I’m not sure how long it’s been out, but they seemed to be running it everywhere, as I saw both US and Canadian versions on several channels. I wasn’t able to detect much in the way of differences but I expect at least the wording was adjusted for the different markets. At the very least, different URLs were shown at the end of the ad.

My first impression was “Wow, they are actually admitting that they made a mistake. That’s brave.” The images used were dramatic and emotive — some current, some historical — and the language was conciliatory. It began with “Let’s be completely honest, there was a time when…” which certainly sets the tone for acknowledging that things are different today. Overall, they did a good job of picking the right tone and the right words and images to communicate their message.

I hadn’t thought much more than that until I read today’s paper. Terry O’Reilly, host of CBC’s The Age of Persuasion, wrote an editorial in the Arguments section. He makes the connection between an image of boxer Joe Louis and the comeback of GM. It was an interesting commentary. And it illustrates that an audience can infer a great deal about your organization from a single image — a good argument for thinking strategically about how you market.