Smart cars ..... Smart a**

[SaabKen]

Good one, LOL




http://www.neandernews.com/?p=332

[jamjr]

Not being an American auto maker the sign doesn't bother me in the least, but I would think that putting anyone down to sell a product at some point might come back to hurt you. While even Americans are torn about the countries world affairs, most are still proud to be American and would make things very difficult for a company that used this type of advertising if it did ever try to expand it's market. And if enough Americans new of the add I'd bet that even Chrysler would take a hit be it ever so small.
But hey I give it to them for creative advertising and taking a chance...

[Patrick 9-3]

Originally Posted by jamjr

Not being an American auto maker the sign doesn't bother me in the least, but I would think that putting anyone down to sell a product at some point might come back to hurt you. While even Americans are torn about the countries world affairs, most are still proud to be American and would make things very difficult for a company that used this type of advertising if it did ever try to expand it's market. And if enough Americans new of the add I'd bet that even Chrysler would take a hit be it ever so small.
But hey I give it to them for creative advertising and taking a chance...

Exactly...good luck selling that in America with that kind of attitude.

[Last_straw]

Isn't smart a big financial loss for Daimler-Chrysler, they stopped making the roadster, the 44 is an expensive copy of some Mazda(3?) and they've yet to tune a profit 8(?) years into the venture, surprised they feel they've anything to brag about

[SaabKen]

The way I read the ad (through momentary international eyes), the "American Nothing" line is not referring to the lack of US-made components in the Smart cars (at least not upfront), but rather implying the incompatbility of the Smart car philosophy with the generalized (not mine !) American attitude and way of life. Like I said, that's not my view, but the ad's view is perhaps trying to associate how Europeans and/or other nationalities can perceive Americans.

One of those ads that causes either amusement or anger. YMMV.

[eggsngrits]

Having had one very well-built Chrysler car and one that was utterly unreliable from the day that I drove it off the lot, I have been on the fence about them for some time.

Now I'm not. How DARE they? This is equivalent to saying:

"Travel England. And you don't have to eat our food!" (Picture of Indian restaurant on billboard.)

"Canadair. A safe airplane now that our workers don't drink so much beer."

"Psychology Services Corp. Nobody is too crazy, not even Muslim extremists."

Offensive. Absolutely as bad as any racism or classism anywhere.

Just because your target is the 'majority' or the 'world power' doesn't make it right. I am ripped.

Irony: GM and Ford rank #3 and #4 in the South African Market. DaimlerChrysler sold a whopping 37 smart-branded vehicles in South Africa in April. Jeep Cherokees (a quintissentially AMERICAN vehicle) outsold stable mate smart 4-to-1 in the same month.
http://www.cartoday.com/content/news/naamsa.doc
It seems that people aren't listening.

[Willy Wonka]

Automobiles under fire, by all sorts, for all sorts of issues.
Then along comes Smart, on the Ugly American ticket. DUMB DUMB D....

[Matt88S]

But this was just too funny to go unnoticed. Its Mo Hammed. I found it while wondering about on the link about the smart car, which by the way, might not have the smartest ad. We just lost two more local boys over in Iraq, if people around here knew about these ads Daimler/Chrysler sales would probably plummet like a rock.

http://www.neandernews.com/?cat=6 here at the bottom. Perhaps I just have bad taste but it really ticked me funny bone.