Marketing

DETROIT — Ford Motor Co. on Saturday will begin running new 30- and 60-second ads that stress unity following riots this month at the U.S. Capitol that left 5 dead. Called “Builders,” the spots focus on the ability of Americans to come together and create, featuring images of construction workers, nurses, firefighters and other volunteers.

DETROIT — General Motors is rebranding itself this week to invoke visions of blue skies ahead and promote its commitment to electrification. GM will launch a redefined corporate marketing strategy centered on EVs and will modernize its logo with a sky-blue hue and lowercase letters. “There are moments in history when everything changes. Inflection points.

TOKYO — Kia is dumping “Motors” from its corporate name as part of a global brand relaunch meant to position the South Korea automaker as a mover in electric vehicles and new mobility. In changing its name to Kia Corp., from Kia Motors Corp., the company is reaching for a new identity that better reflects

During college football’s biggest New Year’s Day bowl games, instead of running another ad about the capabilities or popularity of the F-150, Ford Motor Co. aired a spot that encouraged a renewed commitment to coronavirus safety. It’s a message that needs to be echoed at the start of a vaccine rollout that is going to

DETROIT — General Motors is launching a commercial electric vehicle business called BrightDrop and locked in FedEx Express as the first customer for a delivery van later this year. The BrightDrop brand will offer electric products, software and services, GM said Tuesday. Its products will include a commercial van known as the EV600 and an

DETROIT — The Detroit auto show, rescheduled because of the pandemic, has been canceled altogether for 2021, organizers said Monday. The show, slated for September in downtown Detroit, will be replaced this year by an outdoor, enthusiast-focused event at a racetrack north of Detroit in Pontiac, Mich. While many details have yet to be worked

This is, in fact, your grandfather’s driver’s education. The Gilmore Car Museum is offering lessons with its collection of Ford Model T’s. The three-hour class costs $125 and includes 3 miles of driving around the museum’s 90-acre site in southwest Michigan, along with a historian-guided tour. Students learn how to operate a Model T using

Ford Motor Co. is launching an advertising campaign Saturday designed to raise awareness of the new Bronco Sport crossover and help differentiate it from the larger Bronco SUV. The first of three commercials will air during the NFL playoff game between the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks. Although Ford will not advertise in this

DETROIT — General Motors, starting next week, will redefine its corporate image and marketing strategy to better align with a commitment to electrification. The new corporate marketing strategy will be centered on electric vehicles, and the GM logo will be modernized with a sky-blue hue and lowercase letters. “There are moments in history when everything

With the promotion this week of Lisa Materazzo to group vice president for marketing at Toyota Motor North America, 2015 Automotive News Rising Star Vinay Shahani has taken over Materazzo’s previous position as head of marketing for Lexus. Shahani, 46, who previously was vice president of integrated marketing operations at the company, joined Toyota in

TOKYO – Kia has unveiled a new, more modern, script-like brand logo to replace its aged oval mark and help jumpstart the South Korean carmaker’s planned brand relaunch. As part of the makeover, Kia Motors Corp. has also adopted a new slogan: Movement that Inspires. The new emblem and catchphrase were both unveiled Wednesday during

Let’s face it: Any good news in 2020 was welcome. It was a hard road. Yet stories emerged this year that highlighted extraordinary efforts companies throughout the industry took to support local communities. That should be no surprise. It’s emblematic of what happens in the auto industry; When the going gets tough, its people come

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story, which also appeared on Page 28 of the Jan. 4 print edition, misspelled Durell Smylie’s first name.  Durell Smylie’s journey to Internet fame started by popping out of the hatch of a Honda CR-V. The Honda salesman’s impromptu rap got stuck in the heads of millions of people

It’s been 31 years since Chevy Chase starred in “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.” But Ford is banking that the slapstick holiday flick carries enough relevance today to give its new electric Mustang a jolt. In a new ad released this weekend, Chase, now 77, reprises his role as the bumbling Clark Griswold. Along with Beverly D’Angelo,

“Saturday Night Live” apparently isn’t a fan of those ubiquitous year-end commercials that urge consumers to give their loved one a luxury car topped with a giant red bow. The long-running sketch comedy show took aim at Lexus‘ annual Christmastime campaign with a parody showing a family argument after the husband (“Nathan,” played by Beck

When Christenson Chevrolet went away last year, so did Santa Claus. The dealership in Highland, Ind., near Chicago, had put up a 20-foot fiberglass Santa every year for decades. It even started bringing him out of storage for an annual “Christmas in July” sale. But that stopped after the Christenson family sold their store to

There’s no Operation Warp Speed for national distribution of electric vehicles. Every brand is on its own, and how each goes about it says as much about the brand’s relations with retailers as its commitment to cleaner personal transportation. At issue is who should pay for facility upgrades required to sell and service EVs. Last

The newest Jeep Wrangler Rubicon has a button-operated steering system and a powerful axle-articulation suspension. It also might break if you step on it. It’s the first-ever Jeep model from Lego, made of 665 pieces and designed in partnership with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to replicate some features as closely as possible. It’s available starting in

The pandemic has caused great disruption in the auto industry, but retailers and automakers posted massive third-quarter profits. How can this be? Less inventory. Consumer demand rebounded quickly after the initial shock from the pandemic. Supply, however, has been slower to return as factories had to reduce production because of COVID-19. The reduction in inventory

Toyota Motor North America will promote a longtime marketing executive to group vice president for Toyota marketing, succeeding Ed Laukes, who announced his retirement in November. Lisa Materazzo, 52, vice president of Lexus marketing for Toyota Motor North America, will succeed Laukes on Jan. 4. She will be responsible for Toyota Division’s market planning, advertising,

Hyundai Motor Group on Thursday said it is launching a brand dedicated to its hydrogen fuel cell system in a move meant to boost that business. Hyundai Motor Group, which includes Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Motors Corp., said the name “HTWO” stands for the hydrogen molecule, H2, as well as “hydrogen” and “humanity.” The South

With the hiring of former Jaguar Land Rover and Aston Martin marketing veteran Laura Schwab, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe is banking on his growing cadre of seasoned automotive industry professionals to deliver him a smooth launch of the company’s first vehicles. This year, Scaringe has filled his executive roster with at least a half-dozen senior

Polestar’s vegan upholstery earned the electric vehicle brand a starring role in the 40th anniversary celebration of the country’s biggest animal rights group. A Polestar 2 is the top item up for bid in an online auction being held this month by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. The car’s seats are covered in

The new year won’t magically wipe away the coronavirus or erase the political strife of 2020. But the mere changing of a numeral on the calendar at least brings hope that the next 12 months will be different, and Kia Motors America is seizing on the rare moment of optimism in otherwise dark times. Kia

DETROIT — General Motors has corrected an online advertising campaign that overstated the capabilities of its Super Cruise driver-assist system. This week, ads for the system, available on a growing number of Cadillac vehicles, appeared with a headline that said “Cadillac Super Cruise – Experience Autonomous Driving.” But the system is not autonomous. It always

Editor’s note: Kia CEO Ho Sung Song said EV “price parity must be considered in terms of total cost of ownership area.” A previous version of this story misquoted him in this sentence. Since taking the wheel of Kia Motors Corp. in April, CEO Ho Sung Song has been positioning the South Korean automaker for

Last March, Manheim was set to host a large event at its Pennsylvania namesake site to celebrate its 75th anniversary. There was to be an overview of the auction’s history, a special sale with more than 600 vehicles, and company leaders would be on hand to discuss the vital role the used-car market plays in

Ford Motor Co. reached outside the auto industry for its next global chief marketing officer, installing former eBay North American CMO Suzy Deering in the position.  Deering, 51, left eBay in mid-October after five years. She joined the online marketplace after being CEO of Atlanta ad agency Moxie. Before that, she logged time in marketing

McLaren Automotive will call its upcoming plug-in hybrid the Artura, the latest detail to be revealed about the supercar. The electrified vehicle was previously referred to as the P16, its code-name. A McLaren spokesman said Artura is a newly created name that “represents the art of design and future technology.” McLaren released an image of

Tara Rush will take over the chief marketing officer role at Audi of America, moving up from her current position as chief communications officer. She assumes many of the duties performed by vice president of marketing Loren Angelo, who is departing the automaker after a 12-year stint in which he held various marketing roles. Rush,