Banned Corvette Commercial

[Charles P.]

Good to see that GM's stock price has rebounded today to over three dollars a share. It got me to thinking again about why GM never much advertised their marque product that we all know and love.
Here is a link to a C6 commercial that someone sent me that was supposedly not acceptable. Too bad as I thought it authentically captured the freedom, the kid in all of us and romance of America's only true sportscar, the Chevrolet Corvette. Make sure you turn the sound up on this one.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6554113395008761927&q=corvette

[Greg L.]

Re: Banned Corvette Commercial

I remember that one from when it was still on TV. I heard it was banned because it might give some kid the idea to steal one for a joy ride.....

Seems you can make "anything" out of "anything" these days.......

[Steve F.]

Re: Banned Corvette Commercial

Don't worry, Yours isn't the only country where a small group can stop a really good ad. We had one he recently that was similar & a few people said it gave the wrong idea to kids & wanted it banned. In my opinion, a load of rubbish.

Steve

[Stuart F.]

Re: Banned Corvette Commercial

I think it was banned due to it's sexual content - the interchange between the young boy and girl while passing each other in flight. Then again, we had a group of kids here in central Florida take a hot BMW for a high speed ride down a private runway (no, not John Travolta's) that ends with about a 100' drop off. I guess the car flew pretty well, but the landing (in a tree) was kind of messy. Wonder where they got such an idea?

Stu Fox

[Paul H.]

Re: Banned Corvette Commercial

Great commercial. I remember it during it's brief run before the political correctness police axed it. Too bad.

[Terry M.]

Re: Banned Corvette Commercial

This ad had a brief run. It was pulled due to "child advocates" objections that it encouraged inappropriate behavior in children. Their main thrust was the child driving.

We all have dreams (I think) and encouraging youngsters to dream -- the title was A Child's Dream -- is a good thing. That is one of the things that motivates them. What a shame that a few were able to burst the bubble of many.

I think this ad received some awards. The producer was married to Madonna at the time the ad was made. If I was more up on those people I could tell you who he is, but I would have to ask my daughter those kinds of questions.

It is hard to beat "Jumping Jack Flash" by the Stones to get the beat going.

[Jay G.]

Re: Banned Corvette Commercial

Great commercial. Does harken back to a dreams. Most gear-head kids have. You're only young once. Let a kid be a kid. We all doodled cars in science class on our books. Hope that daydreamin remains. Jagger/Richards Tune "Start Me Up" might worked well too.

[Bob D.]

Re: Banned Corvette Commercial

Terry hit it right. The soundtrack for that commercial is great to get your foot into it. Just watching that commercial reminds me of wanting to get in a Vette back in '57 and go for it! Great commercial

[Tim L.]

Re: Banned Corvette Commercial

One of my all time favorite car commercials! I put that on my computer right after they banned it. Reminds my of myself dreaming of a Corvette when I was that age...had photos and drawings of Corvettes all over my room!!

[Stuart F.]

Re: Banned Corvette Commercial

It is very easily recognized by people of all ages that it is a fantasy - a dream, and I doubt anyone could take it for anything else. The one done W/ Kevin Harvick in a Z-06 for Nationwide Insurance is, on the other hand, something else. Someone doing donuts in a Cul De Sac in close proximity to a Woman and some Children on the sidewalk is very bad suggestive behavior - and they continue to play that!

Go Figure!

Stu Fox

[Paul J.]

Re: Banned Corvette Commercial

Absolutely great commercial! I can't believe it was banned.

[Wayne K.]

Re: Banned Corvette Commercial

Great commercial. Does harken back to a dreams. Most gear-head kids have. You're only young once. Let a kid be a kid. We all doodled cars in science class on our books. Hope that daydreamin remains. Jagger/Richards Tune "Start Me Up" might worked well too.

When I was going to college in the late 60's I worked at a Shell station where the owner was into sporty cars. We had customers with hemi's and Corvettes, a Yenko Camaro, big block Nova, a real Cobra, etc. One of our customers drove an old Biscayne but his son ( about 10 ) was really into muscle and while the Biscayne was filling up he'd always come in the shop to look around. I had a Sunbeam Tiger at the time that I gave him a ride in once. It wasn't terribly fast but it sounded real nice. He said he heard me coming from the stopsign at the corner of his church on sunday mornings on my way to work and always checked his watch hoping I'd be going through as he liked hearing me go past the church. The next sunday when I came to the corner I noticed all the church windows were open as well as the front doors. I rounded the corner after the stopsign and eased it up to 3 grand and just as I was passing the front doors I put it to the carpet. After church his family stopped to gas up on the way home and when he saw me he had a grin that went from ear to ear and I just gave him a smile. Nothing was said but we both new were the bear **** in the buckwheat. I wonder if his interest in cars ever materialized. The things we don't forget.

[Jay G.]

Re: Banned Corvette Commercial

Great story Wayne. This year at a car show A buddy of mine brought his 6 yr old grandson. Dale has a Choice 55 Nomad. His grandson went ga-ga over our 67L-79. So let em sit in it. He goes 'Really?' said yeah its just a car. There's a kids who'll be hooked for life. Friend of mine in H.S had a 65 Sunbeam. I think w/ a 260 CI. Very cool rides. Now worth a bundle.

[Sandra H.]

Re: Banned Corvette Commercial

That commercial is really great.....hard to imagine anyone would think that is anything more than a kid with a 'wanna be a grown-up and drive a Corvette' dream.
If anything, it seems it would help foster an interest in cars.....With apparently too much time on my hands, I've taught some of the kids in the family to do dumb stuff like shift a 4-speed without using the clutch. Or donuts in the snow (or mud). Observing all safety concerns, of course. Even something like that goes a long way with them.
Cheers, Sandy

[Terry M.]

Re: Banned Corvette Commercial

When my daughter was in elementary school, about the 4th grade I think, she insisted one year I drive her to school in the Corvette on the first day. School is all of three blocks from our house, but I gave in.

I still remember all the boys lined up against the fence on the playground mouthing the word "Corvette" as we pulled up. At that point the car was about twenty years old.

How would pre-adolescent kids know what a 20-year old Corvette looks like? I'm sure it has something to do with brand identification, and all that high falutin' stuff. It would be a shame to squander all that, but it sure looks threatened.

BTW: My daughter got me to drag the Corvette down to her college when she was an under-grad as part of a scavenger hunt. That story made The Restorer, and was a paper for one of her writing classes. That is a whole other story.