Lima and Eastwood Appearances Score Touchdowns for Manufacturers;

Broderick and Seinfeld Fumble [INFOGRAPHIC]

By:

Megan on 02/21/2012

Topic:

Woonomics.

Summary (TL;DR)
If you're going to create a Super Bowl ad, make sure it's MORE than funny.

Like many of you, the CarWoo! team enjoys the Super Bowl ads just as much as (or maybe more than) the Big Game itself. Especially when some of our favorite celebrities make cameos during the ads. But how much do these commercials affect product sales?

With auto manufacturers spending 3.5 million a pop for the airspace alone, and potentially another few million on celebrities, one would expect they are hoping for a significant return on their investment. With this question in mind, we crunched the number for our latest infographic. We wanted to see which ads showed early promise of affecting sales and which ads reached the brand awareness endzone and which ads fell short of a goal.

 

It’s especially interesting that the ads with some of the most recognizable faces (Jerry Seinfeld? Matthew Broderick, anyone?) didn’t have the same kinds of immediate effects as ads that went other routes. The most successful ad, the Chevy Sonic spot, appealed to a younger crowd – the song in the action packed ad repeats “we are young” in the chorus and references a video by OK Go, a popular “Gen Y” band. The Kia ad was pretty action-filled as well.

Why is it that celebrity faces didn’t always result in huge immediate sales? For the Acura ad, the NSX isn’t even out yet, so clearly no one would have been looking on CarWoo! for that ride. But the “halo effect,” which occurs when the entire brand lineup sees an increase due to a single model’s mention, didn’t happen for Acura either. Nor did it happen for Honda.

Yet Clint Eastwood’s Chrysler spot, and Motley Crue and Adriana Lima spot for Kia did have an effect, and it probably had a lot less to do with the celebs than the writers who created the spots. We all liked to chuckle at Seinfeld’s efforts to secure the 1st NSX, but his and Broderick’s CR-V ad were much more about the funny entertainers than they were about the cars or the brands themselves.Chrysler and Kia, on the other hand, used the celebrities to enhance their brand’s message. Eastwood’s monologue was touching (and especially so because it was delivered by friggin’ Clint Eastwood!!), but it was the content of his speech, the feeling of togetherness and hard work and “hey we’re America” that Chrysler wanted viewers to take home.

In the end, the most successful commercials delivered a feeling about the brand, whether or not they were delivered by a famous face.

How We Crunched the Data:

In the “Scored a Touchdown” and ”Completely Fumbled” sections, indices for three time periods (1/5/12 through 1/12/12, 1/6/12 through 2/4/12, 1/28/12 through 2/4/12) were created based on overall lift for vehicles configured daily on CarWoo! from the following makes that didn’t advertise during the Super Bowl (Buick, Dodge, Ford, GMC, Infiniti, Jeep, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, MINI, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Scion, Smart, Subaru, Volvo). Makes that advertised nationally were compared against the daily vehicle configurations for the time period 2/5/12 through 2/12/12, for each time period against the index. The figures in the infographic represent an average of the make’s performance against all three indices. Suzuki and BMW were excluded, because they ran regional ads only.
In the “Chevrolet ads” section, the same methodology as above was used, but using the following non-advertised Chevrolet models (Avalanche, Aveo, Colorado, Corvette, Cruze, Equinox, Impala, Malibu, Suburban, Tahoe, Traverse), as the index compared to models advertised.
In the “Ford Trucks” section, we compared the trucks with all other Ford models as indices. Ford F-Series includes F-150, Super Duty F-250 SRW, Super Duty F-350 SRW. The figures in the infographic represent an average of the following: percentage lift of daily vehicles configured between the “before” periods of 1/5/12 through 1/12/12, 1/6/12 through 2/4/12, 1/28/12 through 2/4/12 and the “after” period of 2/5/12 through 2/12/12.]**

Mitt Romney Rallies Supporters in Chandler, Arizona

 

Chandler, Arizona
Wednesday, February 22, 2012GOP Presidential candidate Mitt Romney held a rally with supporters at the Tri-City Christian Academy, in Chandler, Arizona. The state holds its primary next Tuesday.
A poll released on Monday shows Romney slightly ahead of former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA). According to Public Policy Polling, Romney leads Santorum 36% to 33%, but given the poll's +/-4.8% margin of error, the two candidates are almost tied.
Romney and Santorum are in a close race in Arizona and Michigan. Both states hold primaries next Tuesday, Feb. 28.
Romney is also facing potential fallout over allegations that a campaign volunteer, Sheriff Paul Babeu, abused his office by threatening to deport a former boyfriend. The sheriff resigned from the Romney campaign over the weekend.
All four Republican presidential candidates take part in a CNN hosted debate tonight in Mesa, Ariz.

Republican #20 in Arizona Right Now!!!!!

Ultimate Whack-A-Mole

Bob Moser

February 21, 2012

Today's Ringside Seat: The final debate approaches...

This next week, culminating in the February 28 primaries in Arizona and Michigan, could very well make or break Mitt Romney’s campaign—politically and even financially. The only feasible way he can sweep the contests, with Rick Santorum narrowly leading in Michigan and closing in on him fast in Arizona, is the same way Romney nearly won Iowa and did win Florida: Unleash colossal amounts of cash. This has largely been a Whack-a-Mole campaign: Whenever a conservative contender creeps out of the woodwork, Romney’s money machine obliterates him with multi-million-dollar attacks. His one truly impressive win so far came in Florida, where his campaign and super PAC spent more than $14 million bombarding the airwaves with negative ads and effectively stomped out Newt Gingrich’s second fledgling surge. Now the Romney treasure chest seeks to snuff out Santorum’s nascent legitimacy by deploying its full financial arsenal in Michigan—a state everyone thought the former Massachusetts governor had in the bag. But if it doesn’t work, the mole-whacking battery could soon run dangerously low. Restore Our Future, the pro-Romney super PAC, has 26 times more cash to burn than the Santorum-backing Red White and Blue Fund. But in January, Romney spent three times more than he raised. Unless the momentum moves back in Romney’s favor soon, the option of outspending his rivals into oblivion could evaporate. It would then be up to Romney to out-campaign Santorum—and despite his incomparable foliage-praising rhetoric, Romney has thus far proven himself utterly incapable of that.

So They Say

“This is not a political war at all. This is not a cultural war. This is a spiritual war. And the Father of Lies has his sights on what you would think the Father of Lies would have his sights on: a good, decent, powerful, influential country—the United States of America. If you were Satan, who would you attack in this day and age? There is no one else to go after other than the United States and that has been the case now for almost two hundred years, once America's preeminence was sown by our great Founding Fathers.”

—Rick Santorum, speaking at Ave Maria University in Florida, 2008

 

Daily Meme: Last-Chance Debate

• Dear John King: Don't mess up in Mesa.
• The debates have shaped the race … 
• … but thank God they’re almost over.
• Newt needs a "Gingrich moment, such as an attack on the debate moderator that makes Republican voters squeal." 
• For Romney, a stellar performance is a must. 
• The candidates have to prove they are the most conservative and most electable. Either/or doesn't cut it anymore.
• Gingrich and Paul get one night to show they deserve to stay in the race.

What We're Writing

• On his new Prospect blog, Jamelle Bouie uncovers more reasons we shouldn’t be holding our breath for a contested GOP convention.
• Paul Waldman, on his new blog, writes about Romney’s unlikely wingman: Ron Paul.

What We're Reading

• Four years ago, just 6 percent of GOP primary ads were attacks; this year, it’s 50 percent.
• Ron Paul’s new ad calls Santorum a “fake” conservative.
• Super-backer: Sheldon Adelson says he might give Gingrich $100 million.
• Adelson and Obama join forces in hating Citizens United.
• Calvin Trillin: “Three Scenes Inspired By the Newt Campaign.”
• Forbes charts the impact of billionaires on the 2012 race.

Health Care Law Contraceptive Rule

Feb 9, 2012

Catholic Students for Women's Health

Students enrolled at Catholic universities spoke in support of the Obama administration ruling on a provision of the 2010 health care law. It required church-affiliated employers to cover contraceptives and other preventive .. Read More

Students enrolled at Catholic universities spoke in support of the Obama administration ruling on a provision of the 2010 health care law. It required church-affiliated employers to cover contraceptives and other preventive services in their health insurance plans. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops had publicly denounced the ruling as a violation of religious liberty.

Senate Democrats on Health Care Law Contraception Provision

Feb 8, 2012

U.S. Senate | Office of the Majority Leader

Senate Democratic leaders spoke in support of the Obama administration ruling on a provision of the 2010 health care law that requires church-affiliated employers to cover contraceptives and other preventive services in their .. Read More

Senate Democratic leaders spoke in support of the Obama administration ruling on a provision of the 2010 health care law that requires church-affiliated employers to cover contraceptives and other preventive services in their health insurance plans. They also responded to questions from reporters.

Health Insurance and Contraceptive Services

Feb 6, 2012

C-SPAN | Washington Journal

Ed Whelan talked about the Obama administration ruling on a provision of the 2010 health care law that requires church-affiliated employers to cover contraceptives and other preventive services in their health insurance plans. .. Read More

Ed Whelan talked about the Obama administration ruling on a provision of the 2010 health care law that requires church-affiliated employers to cover contraceptives and other preventive services in their health insurance plans. The regulation raises the question as to which institutions qualify as religious and can therefore be exempted. Mr. Whelans's organization, the Ethics and Public Policy Center, which opposes the regulation, believes it violates constitutional religious freedom guarantees. As part of his argument, Mr. Whelan compared the provision to a hypothetical federal mandate that all schools participate in a national lunch program and further require that free pork be made available to all students. He also responded to viewer phone calls and electronic communications.

President Obama on Contraceptive Health Care Rule

Feb 10, 2012

White House

President Obama announced a compromise on his administration's ruling on a provision of the 2010 health care law that required church-affiliated employers to cover contraceptives and other preventive services in their health .. Read More

President Obama announced a compromise on his administration's ruling on a provision of the 2010 health care law that required church-affiliated employers to cover contraceptives and other preventive services in their health insurance plans.

Women's Health and Contraception

Feb 23, 2012

House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee

Georgetown Law Center student Sandra Fluke testified about women's health and contraception. She had been blocked from testifying at a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee the previous week on the 2010 health care law .. Read More

Georgetown Law Center student Sandra Fluke testified about women's health and contraception. She had been blocked from testifying at a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee the previous week on the 2010 health care law regulation requiring employers and insurers provide contraception coverage to their employees. Committee members noted that the previous hearing only had men as witnesses, leading Democratic leaders to call a separate hearing to let a woman's voice be part of the discussion.

President Obama at the Ground Breaking Ceremony for the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

Matt Compton

February 22, 2012
09:08 AM EST

President Barack Obama delivers remarks during the groundbreaking ceremony for the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture site in Washington, D. C., Feb. 22, 2012. First Lady Michelle Obama attended the event with the President and other participants included: former First Lady Laura Bush; Washington, D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray; Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga.; Gov. Sam Brownback of Kansas; Rev. Dr. Calvin O. Butts, pastor, Abyssian Baptist Church, New York; Lonnie Bunch, founding director of the museum; Richard Kurin, undersecretary for History, Art and Culture at the Smithsonian; Linda Johnson Rice and Richard Parsons, co-chairs of the museum’s advisory council; Dr. G. Wayne Clough, Secretary, The Smithsonian Institution; Lonnie Bunch, Founding Director, Smithsonian's National Museum of African-American History and Culture; and Dr. France Córdova, Chair, Smithsonian Board of Regents.. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

This morning, President Obama was on hand for the ground breaking at the site of the future Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
He told those assembled on the National Mall:

Just like the Air and Space Museum challenges us to set our sights higher, or the Natural History Museum encourages us to look closer, or the Holocaust Museum calls us to fight persecution wherever we find it, this museum should inspire us as well. It should stand as proof that the most important things in life rarely come quickly or easily. It should remind us that although we have yet to reach the mountaintop, we cannot stop climbing.

As he considered what the museum will mean and the history that it will cover, the President talked about what he wants his daughters to experience:

I want my daughters to see the shackles that bound slaves on their voyage across the ocean and the shards of glass that flew from the 16th Street Baptist church, and understand that injustice and evil exist in the world. But I also want them to hear Louis Armstrong’s horn and learn about the Negro League and read the poems of Phyllis Wheatley. And I want them to appreciate this museum not just as a record of tragedy, but as a celebration of life.

The National Museum of African American History and Culture was approved by the Smithsonian Board of Regents in 2006, and the new building is scheduled to open to the public in 2015. The museum will sit on a five acre site, between 14th and 15th Streets N.W. -- near the Washington Monument.

Photos: First Lady Michelle Obama Surprises White House Visitors

Posted by Megan Slack on February 17, 2012 at 12:57 PM EST

Yesterday, First Lady Michelle Obama surprised White House visitors during a tour.
Watch a video of the unexpected meet and greet here, and check out the images below
 that capture the some of the visitors’ reactions.

First Lady Michelle Obama greets members of the general public as they enter the Blue Room during their White House tour, Feb. 16, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy) 

First Lady Michelle Obama greets members of the general public as they enter the Blue Room during their tour of the White House, Feb. 16, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy) 

A girl pets Bo, the Obama family dog, as First Lady Michelle Obama greets members of the general public in the Blue Room during their White House tour, Feb. 16, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy) 

First Lady Michelle Obama greets members of the general public as they enter the Blue Room during their White House tour, Feb. 16, 2012 (Official White House Photo by Sonya N. Hebert) 

Women react in the Red Room after meeting First Lady Michelle Obama in the Blue Room during their White House tour, Feb. 16, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

President Obama Sings "Sweet Home Chicago"

Posted by Matt Compton on February 22, 2012 at 10:53 AM EST

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama host, “In Performance at the White House: Red, White and Blues” in celebration of blues music in the East Room of the White House, Feb. 21, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Last night, President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama hosted an incredible group of performers for a night of blues music as part of the PBS "In Performance at the White House" series. After a little encouragement from the legendary B.B. King, the President took the mic from Mick Jagger, and sang a few lines from, "Sweet Home Chicago."
In welcoming the crowd to the White House, President Obama talked about the origin of the blues:

This is music with humble beginnings -- roots in slavery and segregation, a society that rarely treated black Americans with the dignity and respect that they deserved. The blues bore witness to these hard times. And like so many of the men and women who sang them, the blues refused to be limited by the circumstances of their birth.
The music migrated north -- from Mississippi Delta to Memphis to my hometown in Chicago. It helped lay the foundation for rock and roll, and R&B and hip-hop. It inspired artists and audiences around the world. And as tonight’s performers will demonstrate, the blues continue to draw a crowd. Because this music speaks to something universal. No one goes through life without both joy and pain, triumph and sorrow. The blues gets all of that, sometimes with just one lyric or one note.

King and Jagger were joined by Jeff Beck, Trombone Shorty, Keb' Mo', and a host of others.
Here's the full set list:
1. “Let the Good Times Roll” (Ensemble)
2.. “The Thrill Is Gone” (B.B King)
3. “St. James Infirmary” (Trombone Shorty)
4. “Let Me Love You Baby” (Buddy Guy, Jeff Beck)
5. “Brush With The Blues” instrumental (Jeff Beck)
6. “I Can’t Turn You Loose” (Mick Jagger)
7. “Commit A Crime” (Mick Jagger, Jeff Beck)
8. “Miss You” (Mick Jagger, Shemekia Copeland, and Susan Tedeschi,)
9. “Beat Up Guitar” (Shemekia Copeland, Gary Clark, Jr.)
10. “Catfish Blues” (Gary Clark, Jr.)
11. “In The Evening (When The Sun Goes Down)” (Gary Clark, Jr.)
12. “Henry” ( Keb’ Mo’)
13. “I’d Rather Go Blind” (Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks, Warren Haynes)
14. “Five Long years” (Buddy Guy, Jeff Beck, Gary Clark, Mick Jagger)
15. “Sweet Home Chicago” (Ensemble)
Other "In Performance" events have honored Motown, country, and a concert celebrating the Hispanic musical heritage.
The entire concert will air on PBS next Monday, February 27.

Watch: