Creative Gary Topolewski and the production team at Leo Burnett Detroit must still be cleaning themselves off after GM vice chairman/head of marketing Bob Lutz basically shat on their new Buick spot in a web chat with Automotive News on Monday. Lutz’s unfavorable comment reads:
“Let me put it this way: That Buick commercial tested very well, which is not the same as saying that it’s an effective ad. … I think you will very quickly see a drastic change in the tone and content of our advertising. And if you don’t, it will mean that I have failed.”
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Despite Lutz’s declaration to make “drastic” changes in “tone and content” of GM advertising moving forward, his ambitious move isn’t resonating with commenters like Theateticus, a one-time shareholder, who says:
“I’ll buy a GM car when I am no longer angry about how I was treated as a shareholder. Giving my property to the UAW for their support of Obama is being hit twice with the same club. Oh wait, make that thrice with the same club, my taxes are going up to pay for the money Obama is using to buy future UAW votes.”
Leo apparently wasn’t the only agency that took a lashing though, as rumor has it now that Lutz is cancelling ad agency contracts after a disappointing walkaround review, where he was supposedly giving people “the eye”. Maybe he just forgot his oatmeal. If you have any info about this review, please email us at agencyspy at mediabistro dot com.
Update: Writes a spy, “That new Buick spot that Lutz dissed is LESS about Leo Burnett and more about the Marketing VP on Buick who used to be the Marketing VP on Cadillac. Topolewski isn’t on staff at LB Deroit or LB Anywhere..He has his own company. But Leo was FORCED to work with Gary because of the client. Gary presented this idea to GM. GM loved it. So Gary and Leo teamed up to produce this new campaign. Of course, it sucks, and all fingers point at LB Detroit, not the Client and Topolewski. And if Lutz is going around with stink eye, he better look inside his own company. Seems nothing has changed in the New GM. Old, misguided allegiances and backwards thinking are still in place.”