Ad of the Day: Chevrolet

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