By Robert Emslie
I can remember years ago traveling across the country and stopping for breakfast at a Waffle House in the middle of Missouri. There in the parking lot – as though sprung from some stereotype-xeroxing machine – was a guy, in cowboy boots, with one foot on the dropped tailgate of his pickup truck, and playing the guitar. It could have been out of a movie. I mean, he was doing some sort of foggy mountain breakdown, and wasn’t half bad if you like your music tinged with hillbilly.
The other thing that I remember about that particular portion of the trip was seeing on billboards and TV that Kate Jackson was hawking Lincoln Mercury products out there. That struck me as interesting because at the very same time, Lindsey Wagner – another ’70s TV veteran trying to keep up her kids’ private school payments – was doing the same thing for the Southern California Ford Dealers. And she was doing a pretty bang-up job of it too. I figured it was the former Bionic Woman’s success for the Ford dealers that drove other FoMoCo advertising departments to try out the former glory actor match ups.
Neither of those women were really what you’d call industry experts however, and some car makers have preferred to let their executives do the talking. Perhaps the most famous example of that was Chrysler bigwig Lee Iacocca telling the America that had just loaned the precipice-hanging car maker a butt-load of cash that if they could find a better car to buy it. It was a ballsy move and saved the company for another day when Daimler could buy them, and then later Fiat. The question for today is, whether an executive steeped in car culture, or aspirational celebrity whose opinion could drive your decisions, who do you think has been the best automotive spokesperson?
Image source: freep.com
Jeff Glucker
Joe Isuzu. That is all.
He killed it as Hertz' spokesman…
<img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/4dac54164bd7c8041b210000-1200/oj-simpson-hertz-1992.jpg">
I don't know… I think you're just taking a stab at it.
I disagree. Any way you slice it, that man got cars rented.
The guy knows what to pick when planning a getaway. I think that has to be why Hertz hired him, it would be the reason If I Did It.
"There's no need to search for a real killer car when you rent from Hertz. They're all great!"
Here's a picture of the dude cutting through a crowd.
<img src="http://latimesphoto.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/fa_859_oj_mendoza.jpg" width=400>
Getting away with murder, but going to jail over sports memorabilia – that Hertz!
Worked hand-in-glove with Hertz.
Why, it's the Mercury Girl, the lovely Jill Wagner:
<img src="http://media2.onsugar.com/files/2012/10/41/1/2512/25125213/82706e88d47c9bad_Jill_Wagner_10.preview.jpg">
And now back on Wipeout!
Thank you! Correct answer is here, no need to play any further.
Joe Isuzu "If I'm lying, may lightning hit my mother" !!! <img src="http://2.s01.flagcounter.com/count/8DD2/bg=FFFFFF/txt=FCFCFC/border=FFFFFF/columns=1/maxflags=1/viewers=3/labels=0/";;;;; alt="Free counters!" width="1" height="1" border="0" /> <img src="http://2.s03.flagcounter.com/count/tcRC/bg=FFFFFF/txt=FCFCFC/border=FFFFFF/columns=1/maxflags=1/viewers=Visitors/labels=1/";;;;; width="1" height="1" border="0" />
COMPLETELY OFF TOPIC!!!
<img src="http://cdn.speedhunters.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Magnus-Volvo-245-LS-Wagon-3-of-41.jpg" width=500>
The image is a link. Thank you for your time.
I'm drooling all over myself now.
I'll probably get hit with downvotes for this, but Schwarzenegger for Hummer. The brand was essentially created because he went public with his desires for a civilian version of the vehicle featured in so many Gulf War news reports, exactly coinciding with his peak as a Hollywood celebrity influencer. As Governator of California, he continued to pimp the brand whenever he could.
<img src="http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/autopia/images/2009/04/20/hybrid_hummer_2.jpg" width=500>
Thumbs up from me. You don't have to like the car or the brand to acknowledge that Arnold did a lot of heavy lifting for their image. That was a marketing match made in heaven, especially because Arnold started it, instead of GM just giving him a check and telling him to say stuff.
McBain!
Ok, I was happy with the JW answer above but then I remembered that Romanian Abarth girl…
<img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-taml-wHchtY/T1JU4p2GmcI/AAAAAAAAE1o/g-YaI08BIxc/s320/Woman+or+Girl+in+Fiat+500+Abarth+Ad+-+Catrinel+Menghia.png">
I'm pretty sure she was saying "You will need an engine rebuild at 30K and all parts are mail order only" but I still want an Abarth.
also, she undid the seemingly irreversible effect of that JLo commercial. That's power
Elon Musk, love him or hate him, is really, REALLY passionate about Tesla, and that is apparent in their cars.
It pisses me off that a guy my age is so blisteringly successful.
It coulda been me. I coulda been a contender, instead of a bum, which is what I am. . . .
If by best you mean the one that comes to mind first, for me, that would be Farah Fawcett selling the Mercucry Cougar. I was 14 then, so she could have sold me anything.
But if by best you are looking for the person who most helped the product sell, then I would say Joe Isuzu(David Leisure) and the great advertising company that brought so much attention to Isuzu thru those ads. And you can argue that Lee Iacocca was the best, since his ads simply saved Chrysler.
Chuck Norris totally rocked Datsun and Nissan trucks in Baja, and also killed bad guys around them
[youtube Milq4Z03s7U http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Milq4Z03s7U youtube]
Worst has to be Claudia Schiffer for Citroen. Just because it's usually a bad idea when your spokesmodel takes all the attention away from the actual car. I've heard there's a picture of the car in that ad, is there?
<img src="http://www.mascoche.net/web/files/2011/12/claudia-schiffer-citroen-xsara1.jpg">
Burgess Meredith when he was the voice for Honda in the 80's. I think his confident voice contributed significantly to rise of Honda in this country.
Obviously, Hal Linden for Chrysler Newport. That's why there are so many of these around to this very day.[youtube 3W3RWufcvYQ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3W3RWufcvYQ youtube]
Hal Linden over Ricardo Montelban? Brave choice.
<img src="http://www.firesports.co.jp/firesports/images/jcsv2.jpg">
Who Am I?*
*Awesome cheesy movie.
Nearly all his movies feature multiple Mitsubishis, usually wearing obviously oversized emblems.
When I was in grad school, my housemate and I watched this on HBO or Showtime three times in two days.
Jonnie Loverman MT
<img src="http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/jonny.jpg">
James Garner and Mazda. A little self deprecating humor can sell anything.
[youtube GxzCPUGSITM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxzCPUGSITM youtube]
John Houseman did some Plymouth Relient K car comercials. He could have done a great job selling Burgman scooters. "Buy a Buuurgman. You'll love the Buuuuurgman.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-uTlqmGCYQ
No mention of Ricardo Montalban for the Chrysler Cordoba? I never knew I wanted Corinthian Leather until he told me about it!
Here's a weird one…
[youtube eaW9eArDPYc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaW9eArDPYc youtube]
As terrible as the DaimlerChrysler merger was for the latter half, at least it lead to the Dr. Z ads. Or was I the only one who liked those?
If the 'Most Interesting Man in the World' told me to drive a Yugo, Why I think I would be out looking for one right now.
Of course it would have to have 'Fine Corinthinan Leather'…… Or not….