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Closing frame by Sterling D. Allan, Executive Directory of PES Network Inc. and founder of New Energy Congress.

Make Your Own SUV Ad ! !

GM ran a contest where you make your own ad for the Chevy Tahoe. They let you pick the pictures, add the text and music. Some green-thinkers had a bit of fun with this.

Note

GM has removed these from their site. Some of the links, though, are housed elsewhere and are still available. (Aug. 1, 2006)

Tahoe Ads

Archives

• http://www.it-is-law.com/tahoe/ - archived copy of some of the best Tahoe ads that were made

Individual Ads of Note

Links Still Live

• http://youtube.com/results?search_query=%22tahoe+ad+by%22 - 50 entries
• Ultimate Padded Cell (http://youtube.com/watch?v=4oNedC3j0e4&search=Chevy%20Tahoe%20SUV%20God%20humor%20commercial)
• Dance with the Devil (http://heavyonthechevy.crispynews.com/article/show/1385)
• Something doesn't belong (http://it-is-law.com/tahoe/tahoe.php?movie=8) new

The ultimage padded cell

• (YouTube (http://youtube.com/watch?v=4oNedC3j0e4))

Frightening Reality

• (YouTube (http://youtube.com/watch?v=XA6dLFrAFlI))

Chevy Tahoe SUV God

• (YouTube (http://youtube.com/watch?v=foR3sfWu5IQ))

Links Dead

Chevy has removed these from their site.

• Them (http://www.chevyapprentice.com/view.php?uniqueid=0b183c9c-157f-1029-98eb-0013724ff5a7)
• SUV God (http://youtube.com/watch?v=foR3sfWu5IQ)
• Behold the Beast (http://www.chevyapprentice.com/view.php?uniqueid=f8c40a22-123a-1029-98eb-0013724ff5a7)
• The New Terrorists (http://www.chevyapprentice.com/view.php?uniqueid=72bddc44-13a9-1029-98eb-0013724ff5a7)
• Climate control (http://it-is-law.com/tahoe/tahoe.php?movie=3) new
• Big American Booty (http://www.chevyapprentice.com/view.php?uniqueid=391d8fc6-156a-1029-98eb-0013724ff5a7)
• Drive like a Heedless Jerk (http://www.chevyapprentice.com/view.php?uniqueid=ed9acefc-1185-1029-98eb-0013724ff5a7)
• Comfortable Ride (http://www.chevyapprentice.com/view.php?uniqueid=f6baa86c-1226-1029-98eb-0013724ff5a7)
• Ah, Greenland (http://www.chevyapprentice.com/view.php?uniqueid=bd3b5cf2-14cf-1029-98eb-0013724ff5a7)
• Overdraft (http://www.chevyapprentice.com/view.php?uniqueid=e14f5092-168e-1029-98eb-0013724ff5a7)
• Global Warming or Bust (http://www.chevyapprentice.com/view.php?uniqueid=93b271ea-14f2-1029-98eb-0013724ff5a7) - by Sterling D. Allan
• Bigger is better? (http://www.chevyapprentice.com/view.php?uniqueid=6804779e-1224-1029-98eb-0013724ff5a7)
• You hit deer with this (http://www.chevyapprentice.com/view.php?uniqueid=00cf76f4-123e-1029-98eb-0013724ff5a7)
• Weapon of Mass Destruction (http://www.chevyapprentice.com/view.php?uniqueid=d9073a36-1192-1029-98eb-0013724ff5a7)
• Edit your view (http://www.chevyapprentice.com/view.php?uniqueid=a1289d46-1249-1029-98eb-0013724ff5a7)
• What will you tell your kids you drove? (http://www.chevyapprentice.com/view.php?uniqueid=238ee5de-122b-1029-98eb-0013724ff5a7)
• Show me the pictures, Daddy (http://www.chevyapprentice.com/view.php?uniqueid=75763356-1254-1029-98eb-0013724ff5a7)
• Nature, a Sacred Thing (http://www.chevyapprentice.com/view.php?uniqueid=2b67faec-124a-1029-98eb-0013724ff5a7)
• Phallus in Wonderland (http://www.chevyapprentice.com/view.php?uniqueid=8514ed70-117d-1029-98eb-0013724ff5a7)
• What's Missing? (http://www.chevyapprentice.com/view.php?uniqueid=40a895fc-10eb-1029-98eb-0013724ff5a7)
• Coyote Tahoe (http://www.chevyapprentice.com/view.php?uniqueid=21bdeec0-1600-1029-98eb-0013724ff5a7)
• Brokeback Tahoe [1] (http://www.chevyapprentice.com/view.php?uniqueid=e4bc984a-10e2-1029-98eb-0013724ff5a7)
• You wouldn't understand [2] (http://www.chevyapprentice.com/view.php?uniqueid=91e6e588-158f-1029-98eb-0013724ff5a7)
• Turn on your blinker! [3] (http://www.chevyapprentice.com/view.php?uniqueid=a2ba6b12-1244-1029-98eb-0013724ff5a7)

Make Your Own Ad

• Go to ChevyApprentice.com (http://www.chevyapprentice.com/apprentice.php?country=us) - link dead

Tips

- Just drag and drop the image or color, then click on edit text to enter your text for the image.

- Don't hit your back button or you will lose your work.

- You can't change the sequence of your images.

- Email yourself a copy when you're done, to get the url.

- If you come up with a good one, post it below for others to see.

How to Permanently Save Your Ad

See this page to view or contribute to the discussion.

Directories of Ads

• TreeHugger.com (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/03/make_your_own_s_1.php)
• TotalTactics.com (http://totaltactics.org/archives/2006/03/30/heavy-on-the-chevy/)
• WorldChanging.com (http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/004255.html)
• CrispyNews.com (http://heavyonthechevy.crispynews.com/)
• Eco Geek (http://www.brian-fitzgerald.net/blog/archive/000021.html)
• Grist.com (http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2006/3/29/122054/644)
• Network-CentricAdvocacy.net (http://www.network-centricadvocacy.net/2006/03/you_must_try_th.html)

Contests

• AlaskaAction.org (http://alaskaaction.org/tahoe) - $150 for ad with the most honesty

In the News

• Google News > Tahoe Ad SUV (http://news.google.com/news?q=tahoe+ad+suv)

• Spinning the Chevy Tahoe ad campaign (http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=2843) - Much good discussion has come out of the GM/Apprentice ad campaign for the Chevy Tahoe that generated thousand of remixed video ads. (ZDNet Blog; Apr. 6, 2006)
• Open Media Backfire (http://www.alwayson-network.com/comments.php?id=14643_0_5_0_C) - (Always On; Apr. 6, 2006)
• Chevy contest has plenty of ad-itude (http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/journalgazette/business/14277478.htm) - (Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, IN - Apr 6, 2006)
• Online ads blast Chevy's Tahoe (http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060404/BUSINESS07/604040569/1020/BUSINESS) (Detroit Free Press, United States - Apr 4, 2006)
• GM User Created Ad Contest Backfires (http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/topnews/wpn-60-20060404GMUserCreatedAdContestBackfires.html) (WebProNews, KY - Apr 4, 2006)
• SUV Haters Vent In GM's Make-Your-Own Ad Contest (http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=184428387) (InformationWeek, NY - Apr 4, 2006)
• Create Your Own Anti-Chevy GM Ad (http://www.crankyconsumer.org/archives/000358create_your_own_antichevy_gm_ad.html) (Cranky Consumer, CA - Apr 3, 2006)
• Online public trucks to Chevy Tahoe site (http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1144101012611&call_pageid=968867495754&col=969483191630) - In just two weeks, more than 21,000 ads have been created. Visitors have emailed them to others 41,000 times. There have been 250,000 unique visitors to the site and over 2.4 million page views. Most significantly, the average visit lasts more than nine minutes, which means that people either have dial-up, are learning about the truck or are playing with the technology. (Toronto Star, Canada - Apr 3, 2006)
• GM SUV spoofed by environmentalists (http://news.com.com/GM+SUV+spoofed+by+environmentalists/2100-1024_3-6056692.html) - An online contest to promote Chevy trucks and the TV show "The Apprentice" has instead been used by environmentalists to condemn General Motors for building vehicles they believe contribute to global warming. (CNET; March 31, 2006)

Chevy Response

• Spinning the Chevy Tahoe ad campaign (http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=2843) - Much good discussion has come out of the GM/Apprentice ad campaign for the Chevy Tahoe that generated thousand of remixed video ads. (ZDNet Blog; Apr. 6, 2006)

The 2007 Tahoe is capable, refined and responsible. In fact, in the area of responsibility Tahoe outperforms all of the competition (Toyota, Ford, etc.) in fuel economy with 22 mpg on the highway thanks to Active Fuel Management technology that turns off 4 of 8 cylinders when you don't need them. The Tahoe is also E85 compatible, which means that it can run on ethanol, a renewable fuel source. Which reduces greenhouse gases and our dependency on foreign oil. The Tahoe has achieved the segment's highest safety ratings and is an excellent vehicle for those with large families.

While some people point to this campaign as an example of the failure of viral marketing and social computing, I think it points to a great success. Our definition of social computing is when technology results in power shifting from institutions (like Chevy) to communities (like customers). By losing that control over the brand experience, Chevy actually brought more people into it — witness the debate over the campaign itself. The environmental and SUV fuel economy debate has always existed outside of the Chevy experience, but by bringing it into chevyapprentice.com, Chevy has harnessed it into a promotional benefit.

See GM Blog (http://fastlane.gmblogs.com/archives/2006/04/now_that_weve_g_1.html) where the above response was posted.

See also

• Fuel Efficiency
• Directory:Engines

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