Last October, Commonwealth//McCann introduced its focus group approach for Chevy with the spot “Focus Groups” promoting the Chevy Colorado, which claimed to feature “Real People, Not Actors.” Now the agency has extended the approach with a series of online spots promoting a wide range of Chevy vehicles.
At the center of the effort is “Woodchipper,” which promotes the 2016 Cruze’s 4G LTE WiFi. The leader of the focus group asks for participants phone, claiming that it’s to prevent them from posting about the focus group to social media. He then brings out a woodchipper and (seemingly) destroys their phones. People react about how you would expect, with some just expressing shock and others getting up in an attempt to stop the phone massacre. After revealing that he didn’t really destroy their phones, he asks them how they felt about the loss of connection before revealing the Cruze and its connectivity prowess.
We’re not sure we buy the “Real People, Not Actors” bit, but regardless we’re not sure how the stunt is really the best way to promote the vehicle. A YouTube homepage takeover features “Woodchipper” and seven other spots, which take a similar approach but suffer from an even more tenuous connection to the vehicle they’re selling, such as when they decide it’s a good idea to trap people in an elevator. 30-second versions of “Woodchipper” and the Equinox-promoting “Think Fast” will make their broadcast debuts tonight.
Credits:
“Woodchipper” Credits List
Creative Chairmen: Linus Karlsson
Chief Creative Officer, North America: Gary Pascoe
Executive Creative Director: Duffy Patten
Executive Creative Director: Bob Guisgand
Associate Creative Director: Mike Palese
Senior Copywriter: Melissa Gessner
EVP, Global Director of Content: Jeff Beverly
Executive Producer: Kelly Balagna
Producers: Adam Davis, Adam VanDyke, Stuart Moutrie, Vanessa Nikolic
Account Directors: Rebecca Chow, Jacqueline Redmond
Director /MAKE: Zach Merck
Executive Producer/MAKE Founder: Dana Locatell
Supervising Producer/MAKE Partner: Tim Mack
Executive Producer/ Spotwelders: Carolina Sanborn
Senior Producer/ Spotwelders: Lisa English
Editor/ Spotwelders: Livio Sanchez
“Time Capsule” Credits List:
Creative Chairmen: Linus Karlsson
Chief Creative Officer, North America: Gary Pascoe
Executive Creative Director: Duffy Patten
Executive Creative Director: Bob Guisgand
Associate Creative Director: Gary Wise
Associate Creative Director: Scott Lenfestey
EVP, Global Director of Content: Jeff Beverly
Executive Producer: Kelly Balagna
Producers: Adam Davis, Adam VanDyke, Stuart Moutrie, Vanessa Nikolic
Account Directors: Rebecca Chow, Jacqueline Redmond
Director /MAKE: Zach Merck
Executive Producer/MAKE Founder: Dana Locatell
Supervising Producer/MAKE Partner: Tim Mack
Executive Producer/ Spotwelders: Carolina Sanborn
Senior Producer/ Spotwelders: Lisa English
Editor/ Spotwelders: Paul Sabater
“Elevator” Credits List
Creative Chairmen: Linus Karlsson
Chief Creative Officer, North America: Gary Pascoe
Executive Creative Director: Duffy Patten
Executive Creative Director: Bob Guisgand
Associate Creative Director: Gary Wise
Associate Creative Director: Scott Lenfestey
EVP, Global Director of Content: Jeff Beverly
Executive Producer: Kelly Balagna
Producers: Adam Davis, Adam VanDyke, Stuart Moutrie, Vanessa Nikolic
Account Directors: Rebecca Chow, Jacqueline Redmond
Director /MAKE: Zach Merck
Executive Producer/MAKE Founder: Dana Locatell
Supervising Producer/MAKE Partner: Tim Mack
Executive Producer/ Spotwelders: Carolina Sanborn
Senior Producer/ Spotwelders: Lisa English
Editor/ Spotwelders: Kevin Zimmerman
“Think Fast” Credits List
Creative Chairmen: Linus Karlsson
Chief Creative Officer, North America: Gary Pascoe
Executive Creative Director: Duffy Patten
Executive Creative Director: Bob Guisgand
Associate Creative Director: Mike Palese
Senior Copywriter: Joel Wescott
EVP, Global Director of Content: Jeff Beverly
Executive Producer: Kelly Balagna
Producers: Adam Davis, Adam VanDyke, Stuart Moutrie, Vanessa Nikolic
Account Director: Rebecca Chow
Director /MAKE: Zach Merck
Executive Producer/MAKE Founder: Dana Locatell
Supervising Producer/MAKE Partner: Tim Mack
Executive Producer/ Spotwelders: Carolina Sanborn
Senior Producer/ Spotwelders: Lisa English
Editor/ Spotwelders: Paul Sabater
“Pitch Black” Credits List
Creative Chairmen: Linus Karlsson
Chief Creative Officer, North America: Gary Pascoe
Executive Creative Director: Duffy Patten
Executive Creative Director: Bob Guisgand
Associate Creative Director: Mike Palese
EVP, Global Director of Content: Jeff Beverly
Executive Producer: Kelly Balagna
Producers: Adam Davis, Adam VanDyke, Stuart Moutrie, Vanessa Nikolic
Account Director: Rebecca Chow
Director /MAKE: Zach Merck
Executive Producer/MAKE Founder: Dana Locatell
Supervising Producer/MAKE Partner: Tim Mack
Executive Producer/ Spotwelders: Carolina Sanborn
Senior Producer/ Spotwelders: Lisa English
Editor/ Spotwelders: Ting Poo
“Personal Space” Credits List
Creative Chairmen: Linus Karlsson
Chief Creative Officer, North America: Gary Pascoe
Executive Creative Director: Duffy Patten
Executive Creative Director: Bob Guisgand
Associate Creative Director: Mike Palese
Senior Copywriter: Melissa Gessner
EVP, Global Director of Content: Jeff Beverly
Executive Producer: Kelly Balagna
Producers: Adam Davis, Adam VanDyke, Stuart Moutrie, Vanessa Nikolic
Account Director: Rebecca Chow
Director /MAKE: Zach Merck
Executive Producer/MAKE Founder: Dana Locatell
Supervising Producer/MAKE Partner: Tim Mack
Executive Producer/ Spotwelders: Carolina Sanborn
Senior Producer/ Spotwelders: Lisa English
Editor/ Spotwelders: Erin Nordstrom
“Doors” Credits List
Creative Chairmen: Linus Karlsson
Chief Creative Officer, North America: Gary Pascoe
Executive Creative Director: Duffy Patten
Executive Creative Director: Bob Guisgand
Associate Creative Director: Vic Quattrin
Senior Copywriter: Scott Wolf
EVP, Global Director of Content: Jeff Beverly
Executive Producer: Kelly Balagna
Producers: Adam Davis, Adam VanDyke, Stuart Moutrie, Vanessa Nikolic
Account Directors: Rebecca Chow, Bill Wilt
Director /MAKE: Zach Merck
Executive Producer/MAKE Founder: Dana Locatell
Supervising Producer/MAKE Partner: Tim Mack
Executive Producer/ Spotwelders: Carolina Sanborn
Senior Producer/ Spotwelders: Lisa English
Editor/ Spotwelders: Ting Poo