Brand MarketingAd of the Day: ChevroletHe can't drive just yet, but this boy already loves his SilveradoBy Emma Bazilian|October 6, 2011ShareBy Emma Bazilian|October 6, 2011Share It looks like the auto industry might be getting just as tired of the usual macho pickup-truck commercials as the rest of us. First, there was Toyota's silly spot for the HiLux pickup, featuring schlocky music and a man's undying love for his car. Now, the Chevrolet Silverado gets its own unusual ad. But instead of going for funny, it's trying to pull at dads' heartstrings. Too bad it's sort of weird. "Like Father, Like Son," from Goodby, Silverstein & Partners in San Francisco, stars a very cute little boy with a very active imagination. Aided by his toy truck and a playroom's worth of (Hasbro) goodies, he acts out (and narrates) a child's version of what men do with their pickups: hauling lumber, rumbling over rough terrain, aiding helpless ladies, launching rocket ships, greeting their wives—the usual. Soon, the boy's father pulls up in his real-life Silverado (which, says the narrator, is "built for work, and everything you work for"), and the kid runs off excitedly to greet him. Cue the misty-eyed dads. Clearly, the spot is supposed to make us all sentimental about a little boy idolizing his father. But its strange cast of inanimate characters really dampens the endearing factor. A kid playing with his toy truck is fine enough, but the haphazard collection of action figures and dolls become more creepy than cute. The ultimate effect isn't so much Hallmark as Action League Now (which, for those of you who didn't watch a lot of Nickelodeon in the late '90s, was a slightly disturbing children's show starring talking toys). Then again, at least we didn't have to watch a truck drive through the mountains while some guy talked about horsepower, right? CREDITS: Client: Chevrolet Spot: "Like Father, Like Son" Director, Advertising and Sales Promotion: Kevin Mayer Group Manager: Rich Martinek National Advertising Manager, Chevy Trucks: Heather Stewart Agency: Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco Co-Chairman/Creative Director: Jeff Goodby Partner/Creative Director: Jamie Barrett Executive Creative Director: Hunter Hindman Associate Creative Director: Chris Roe Copywriter: Matthew Bottkol Art Director: Todd Eisner Director of Broadcast Production: Cindy Fluitt Executive Producer: Hilary Coate Senior Producer: Jon Drawbaugh Assistant Producer: John Riddle Group Account Director: Todd Grantham Account Director: Tanin Blumberg Account Manager: Carolina Cruz-Letelier Assistant Account Manager: Phong Tran Operations Director: Paul Brennan Senior Brand Strategy Director: Ben Parker Brand Strategist: Will Burroughs Junior Brand Strategist: Ralph Paone Production Company: Anonymous Content Director: Mark Romanek Director of Photography: Jeff Cutter Executive Producer: Eric Stern Producer: Scott Kaplan Editorial Company: Arcade Editorial Editor: Paul Martinez Executive Producer: Damian Stevens Producer: Amburr Farls Postproduction/Effects: Airship Flame Artist: Gavin Miljkovich Producer: Marguerite Olivelle Telecine Company: Company 3 Colorist: Dave Hussey Music: Beacon Street Studios Producer: Adrea Lavezzoli Adweek Adweek