Marketing

In Acura’s new campaign, the cars it is trying to sell are nearly secondary to the anime characters it has created — almost. In its attempt to connect with younger generations, the brand has created an anime series-based ad campaign that focuses on the story of Japanese-American girl Chiaki, who is learning how to race

WASHINGTON — Two U.S. House lawmakers who head key subcommittees on oversight and trade criticized Tesla’s recent expansion in Xinjiang, China. “Your misguided expansion into the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region sets a poor example and further empowers the (Chinese government),” said Democrats Bill Pascrell and Earl Blumenauer in a joint letter to Tesla CEO Elon

BMW will advertise in the Super Bowl for the first time in seven years. A U.S. spokesman for the German luxury auto brand confirmed the ad buy but did not share details. BMW last appeared in the game in 2015 with an ad starring Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel. It flashed back to 1994 when

Online used-vehicle retailer Vroom will return to the Super Bowl this year with an ad that highlights the company’s ability to buy cars from consumers. The ad, called “Flake the Musical,” depicts a consumer who is ready to sell a vehicle through a peer-to-peer transaction, only to have the buyer back out of the deal.

Audi of America showed that it had more Christmas spirit than the judges on “Wheel of Fortune” who said a contestant paused too long while correctly solving a puzzle. The automaker stepped in amid a social media backlash against the game show’s decision to deny Charlene Rubush an Audi Q3 in the bonus round of

ATLANTA — Porsche Cars North America has elevated two women to key leadership roles. Ayesha Coker has been named vice president of marketing, the sports car maker said. Coker, 45, succeeds Pedro Mota, who, according to a dealer source, has left to join a Silicon Valley venture capital firm. Previously, Coker led experiential brand marketing,

Laurel Cutler, a trailblazing advertising executive who later became a vice president at Chrysler, died on Nov. 28. She was 94. Cutler was named Chrysler’s first vice president of consumer affairs in 1988. She was tasked with being a futurist who could monitor customer trends, an ability she was known for in the advertising industry,

Porsche will invest more than $50 million to build a second driving track at its Atlanta Experience Center — one of two U.S. performance track centers that retailers say are helping connect consumers with the Porsche brand. The new 1.3-mile circuit, which will open in the first quarter of 2023, will be connected to the

Mercedes-Benz removed a video advertisement from a Chinese social media website, state media said, after the clip got swept up in a charged national debate over depictions of Asian-looking features by foreign companies. The video was posted on Mercedes-Benz’s official Weibo account on Saturday and later removed due to public backlash, the Communist Party’s Global

Ferrari has signed a multi-year accord with Swiss technology firm Velas Network to create digital content for its fans. Starting next season, Velas, a provider of digital products and services, will become a partner of Ferrari’s Formula 1 racing team. “In addition, Velas will be Title Sponsor of the Ferrari Esports Series, the online mono-brand

As Joni Mitchell can attest, not everyone wants jolly elves and merry reindeer in their holiday media. Some people want a good Christmas cry. For those looking for a river to skate away on, behold Chevrolet’s “Holiday Ride.” The four-minute version of the ad received 4.8 million page views on YouTube as of Thursday. The

A red flag went up last week as the 2022 season of auto industry trade shows prepares to take stage. Three auto shows in Canada were called off as the rapidly spreading omicron variant spawns a COVID-19 resurgence in Canada and elsewhere. The Montreal International Auto Show, scheduled for January, the Canadian International AutoShow in

ATLANTA — Porsche will invest more than $50 million to build a second driving track at its Atlanta Experience Center, the automaker said Monday. The 1.3-mile circuit, which will open in the first quarter of 2023, will be connected to the current 1.6-mile driver development track at Porsche’s North American headquarters campus next to Hartsfield-Jackson

Volkswagen Group of America is using Amazon shipping boxes to put virtual butts in the virtual seats of its new Taos subcompact crossover this holiday season. It’s rewarding participants with three months of premium music streaming for virtually going along for the ride. The German automaker last week revealed its Web-based augmented reality campaign to

Elon Musk wants it known that Apple doesn’t have the market cornered on overpriced accessories. The Tesla CEO urged his Twitter followers to buy the $50 stainless-steel Cyberwhistle shaped like the company’s upcoming Cybertruck electric pickup. He referenced the $19 Polishing Cloth that Apple released this fall. “Blow the whistle on Tesla!” Musk tweeted last

DETROIT — Ford Motor Co., in partnership with Salesforce, is launching a field service tool for businesses that it hopes will help differentiate its new Ford Pro commercial unit and help generate recurring revenue. The new tool, called Viizr, is meant to provide business owners with software to do everything from digitize work quotes and

Nissan Motor Co. will advertise in the Super Bowl for the first time since 2015 with an ad starring Brie Larson. The 60-second spot will plug the automaker’s forthcoming electric Ariya crossover, as well as the 2023 Nissan Z sports car, Nissan confirmed to Ad Age, an affiliate of Automotive News. Previous to the 2015

Volkswagen Group of America said it will use the sides of Amazon boxes this holiday season to put virtual butts in the virtual seats of its new Taos subcompact crossover, and reward participants with three months of premium music streaming for virtually going along for the ride. The German automaker revealed its new Web-based augmented

Genesis quintupled U.S. sales in October compared with last year and has filled a trophy case with industry awards over the past five years. But now it needs a big push to raise brand awareness, Claudia Marquez, COO for North America, told Automotive News. “Growth year-over-year has been outstanding,” said Marquez, just six weeks into

DETROIT — General Motors on Friday said customers who buy vehicles that are built without heated or ventilated seats because of parts shortages can have the features added later, potentially as soon as the middle of next year. GM provided the update a week after informing dealerships that it had to eliminate the features temporarily

At Dodge, it’s time to make the donuts. The “Brotherhood of Muscle” brand said it’s seeking an enthusiast “who embodies the spirit of the founding Dodge brothers” to serve as an ambassador. The job comes with a Hellcat to drive, $150,000 salary, a wardrobe and business cards with the title “chief donut maker.” (To be

The 996-generation 911 that Porsche turned into a swan was certainly no ugly duckling. The German luxury brand is celebrating 20 years in China by taking the car, with an inflatable head and wings, on a tour of art galleries and museums across the country. The idea to turn a 911 into a swan came

Mazda has a new “pride point” in the U.S. with its Huntsville, Ala., plant, which will start producing the made- for-America CX-50 crossover in January, Mazda North America CEO Jeff Guyton told Automotive News. After ending U.S. manufacturing nearly a decade ago as part of Mazda’s breakup with Ford Motor Co., the Japanese automaker hopes

The Dodge brand’s path to its electric future is trying to appeal honestly and accurately with two distinct camps: consumers who are excited about the brand’s EV push and naysayers who fear the muscle-car brand is abandoning its identity. Tim Kuniskis, the brand’s CEO, is using digital marketing to appeal to both groups. Dodge’s two-year

Even Barbie is going electric. Mattel used a prime press conference slot at the Los Angeles Auto Show to unveil a sparkly two-seat convertible built on the chassis of a Fiat 500e. The company will be selling a toy version of the car at Walmart for $30. It will likely be more profitable than the

After more than a century of being humble, SAE International is starting to brag a bit by launching a “Meet SAE” ad campaign. SAE hopes the campaign will help increase membership and participation in events and on technical committees. The target market for these ads includes people working on advanced mobility technologies such as electrification

DETROIT — Stellantis is dishing out rewards to drivers through a smartphone app that also serves as an exploratory tool into new revenue streams. The Stellantis Miles app is incentivizing travel of all kinds, whether driving, using ride-sharing services, biking or just taking a jog. The accrued miles can be redeemed at Stellantis dealerships for

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ appearance at a Honda dealership in Brandon, Fla., to sign legislation prohibiting COVID-19 vaccine mandates was widely seen as a nod to a euphemistic insult of President Joe Biden. But the head of the dealership group that owns Brandon Honda says he made “zero connection” in advance of the Republican governor’s

Suburban Detroit’s experimentation with an outdoor automotive festival showed plenty of promise for next year and beyond, but it also served as a reminder why auto shows traditionally have been held in climate-controlled convention halls. Bad weather forced organizers to cancel one of two media and industry days at Motor Bella, the enthusiast-geared car event

General Motors’ GMC brand announced a three-year partnership with the Marcus Graham Project to foster diverse leadership in advertising, media and marketing, and marks the organization’s first contractual, multi-year commitment with a brand. The financial commitment from GMC is earmarked to support the nonprofit’s annual iCR8 Boot Camp program, which trains aspiring marketers from non-traditional backgrounds.