Saturn Ads Blocking Your Vue? Total Landscape Domination In Los Angeles

Saturn hybrid ads are invading the City of Los Angeles in a big way. The LA campaign, which begins today, increases the number of Saturn billboards in town sevenfold and promotes the gasoline-electric vehicles on 400 buses, 329 gas stations and 500,000 coffee-cup sleeves. The billboards proclaim that with a Vue or Aura hybrid you can drive to San Francisco on one tank of gas. Signs in planter boxes of grass placed atop pumps at the gas stations say, "We thought hybrids shouldn't be the only thing we do for the environment." As for the coffee sleeves, they show pictures of the cars and the words: "135 more safety features than this 205 degree cup of coffee."

Will these signs cut through noise and help Saturn gain some traction in a notably import friendly market or does something like Ford's "Swap Your Ride" resonate more? I propose a campaign called "We Stole Your Ride, Now Buy One Of Our Cars" but I don't think there will be any takers. Or how about billboards for the Bay Area: "Congrats, you made it from LA to San Francisco on one tank of gas. Now go back home." I kid. I kid. We San Franciscans love our brother and sister Angelinos.

Yes, the billboard above is from Utah and not LA and it isn't even for a hybrid. Furthermore it's hawking the Ion, arguably the worst Saturn that ever prowled the streets. It's ACATT's Monday morning stab at being kitschy. Saturn really is on the mend and their new products are quite nice, so forget about the Ion and it's leopard skin roof rail trim kits. Please.

source: la times