GM Do-It-Yourself Viral Ads
Summary
GM planned to use viral marketing to allow
people to create their own ads for the company.
Most commercials did not benefit GM
Ads bashing GM
Accusing GM of Global Warming
Protesting the war in Iraq
Obscenities
GM website received millions of hits
Objective
To allow users to interactive with the
company website.
To bring publicity to the company in an
inexpensive way.
Promote GM vehicles
Examples
Reason
Seen as a failure due to users taking the
marketing idea and going in the wrong
direction.
The campaign became entertainment for
people.
Commercials were not created as
intended.
Purpose
Negative ads were created.
GM received millions of hits
Most positive responses
Don’t trust public to make commercials
All publicity is not a good thing.
Most hits for negative ads
Direction
For people to create their own commercial
for GM
Very little people took the campaign
seriously.
Viral marketing campaign did bring
millions to view the website.
But for wrong reasons.
Work Cited
"9 Poorly Conceived Marketing Campaigns
Business Pundit." Business Pundit:
Your Daily Dose of Smart Business
Opinion. 18 Feb. 2010. Web. 17 Mar.
2011. .
“Critics Hijack GM’s Chevy Viral Video
Campaign.” Marketing Vox. 04 April.
2006. Web. 17 Mar. 2011.
http://www.marketingvox.com/criti
Cs_hijack_gms_chevy_viral_video_campaign-