Finally, A Smart Gas Price Ad

First, let me note that Matt, our Senior Copywriter/Associate Creative Director is drinking brandy a smoking cigars somewhere on a beach in Florida. And Alicia, our Jr. Copywriter/Training Course Developer has been in the ER for the past four days. So, I've been left alone in my office holding down the Renegade copywriting fort for the past few days, listening to Tears for Fears and other classic 80s artists to keep what's left of my sanity. So I apologize for posting only two blog entries this week, but somebody likes it when I do "billable" work.

Anyway, the spot featured in this post is at least six months old, but it's new to me if I haven't seen.

Because soaring gas prices are a hot topic, we'd been batting around the idea of recommending gas comparison spots to our clients, but didn't want to fall into a schlocky, "Gas prices got you down?" And the old, "For less than the price of tank of you gas you can..." also seems like an obvious way to go. It was a moot point, though, as many of our clients are now thinking about back-to-school concepts anyway, so we tabled that discussion.

But an extension Chevrolet's reduceuruse.com campaign fell into my lap during ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball, and I have to give kudos to Cambell-Ewald for their ingenius Gas Pumps Hate Us ads for Chevrolet.

Basically, in each of the three spots I've seen, a person pulls up to a gas pump and the gas hose takes out it's frustration with the gas-saving automobile by sabotaging it when the driver steps away, deflating a tire, locking a door from the inside or unhooking a tow hitch. "Gas Pumps Hate Us" simply appears on the screen followed by a note stating, "9 out of 10 cars Chevy sells get an estimated 30 mpg hwy or better."

Some have criticized Chevrolet, because in the age of hybrids 30 mpg isn't really that good anymore. But if you say something mediocre is actually really good enough times to enough people, the general public will eventually believe it. Just look at Nickelback. But I'm not one to talk, as just in time for the high gas prices of summer I traded in a Cavalier for a Blazer, because it's free to me if I don't have to pay for it.

Regardless of Chevy's fuel economy statements, the spots are still brilliant and uniquely tap a vein thought that is already in the forefront of consumers' minds. Unfortunately, I couldn't find more of these spots on any sites I didn't have to be a member of to view, so if you find anymore of these gems or similar concepts, please pass them along.

--Captain Awesome, Copywriter