For some unknown reason auto makers continue to make advertising decisions based on desire rather than reality. Take the Nissan Sentra—please. According to the agency TBWA/Chiat/Day, the Sentra is a “deal car.” Smart people buy the car for price/value, not to make a lifestyle statement. As such, the car is purchased by “a 49-year old suburban woman smoking brown More cigarettes.” Ah, but for some strange reason, Nissan
does not want this woman. Nissan wants MySpace, YouTube, urban youthful 20-30 somethings to purchase the car. This is the same damned demographic every car maker is pitching with mixed success. Hint: Mom is still paying for this purchase--so appeal to her. Anyway, Nissan has decided to mount a $ 40 million plus campaign featuring a 30-year old comedian named Marc Horowitz living inside his Nissan Sentra for a week. Marc blogs and podcasts about his experience at
7 Days in a Sentra. The approach is intended to support the product tagline: “The next generation Sentra. You could pretty much live in it.” This is probably a wonderfully clever campaign, but
Marketing Blurb doubts it will change the existing buyer demographic.
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