Buick takes part in National Military Appreciation Month
As a gesture to America?s men and women in uniform, Buick has partnered with the organization A Million Thanks in an effort to express gratitude to those serving in the military. Three General Motors divisions ? Pontiac, GMC and Buick ? are involved in National Military Appreciation Month, with the goal of collecting one million ?thank you? letters at various dealerships. Upon compiling the notes, A Million Thanks will handle distribution to soldiers, marines, sailors and airmen/women all over the world.
?The reaction we?ve received from the military who have been reached by our efforts has been so rewarding,? said Shauna Fleming, founder of A Million Thanks. ?The support of Buick, Pontiac and GMC will allow us to greatly expand our ability to reach out to members of the armed forces around the world, exactly at a time when they need our support the most.?
Last year Buick partnered with the VFW National Home for Children, providing over $3 million to the support network for military families requiring assistance.
Source: General Motors media
Buick Enclave bursts into public sight
For a dynamic new vehicle such as the full-size Buick Enclave SUV, the introduction had to be out of the ordinary. A drawing of curtains just would not suffice. So Buick called on long time company endorser Tiger Woods to make the Enclave?s first ?drive? memorable. With General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner riding in the passenger seat, Woods actually drove the vehicle through a 35-foot video wall at the Art Center College of Design, a prestigious automotive design studio, in Pasadena, California. Of course, Tiger has a knack for executing never-before-seen drives.
In front of the media crowd, Woods commented on the Buick Enclave?s interior and exterior beauty. ?I?m really excited for Buick and what the all-new Enclave means for the division and GM,? he said. Buick General Manager Steve Shannon echoed the sentiment, remarking, ?Enclave is the new face of Buick and everything we want in future Buicks. It?s an absolutely stunning, high-quality crossover SUV that delivers all the product attributes that define the new Buick: a confident ride, relevant technologies, more luxury features, elegant design and a quiet, comfortable and well-crafted interior.?
Source and image: General Motors/Buick media
Design preview: 2008 Buick Enclave full-size SUV
Buick is set to officially show off the production version of the full-size Enclave SUV on November 28, 2006 at the Los Angeles Auto show. Buick?s new crossover utility vehicle (CUV) first appeared in concept form at the 2006 North American International Auto Show in Detroit this past January. The company sees the Enclave as an important step in defining the ?new vision of Buick style.?
?This is a new expression of Buick design,? remarked Ed Welburn, General Motors vice president of global design. ?It is youthful and acknowledges the romanticism of classic Buick designs.? Due a recent perception that only silver-haired customers pilot Buicks, the brand is seeking a new identity among young and middle-age buyers. The vehicle?s name is meant to convey the emotionally pleasing and private sensation of retreating to a hidden ?enclave.?
A V-shaped hood with integrated Buick-signature portholes, classic ?waterfall? grille, smoothly-penned swept back headlights, chrome accenting and chiseled wheel wells housing 21-inch rims define the Buick Enclave?s exterior statement. Muscular refinement aptly characterizes the sheetmetal.
Three-row seating inside includes six individual chairs upholstered in leather. A huge skylight runs the length of the roof, creating a feeling of openness within the cabin. Curved elements dominate the dashboard, again referring to Buicks of old. Throughout, precise craftsmanship renders the vehicle luxurious, while four separate DVD screens create personal areas of entertainment. ?There is a romantic, engaging feel inside the Enclave,? said Michael Burton, interior design director. ?It?s also a personal environment, like that of an executive jet, with amenities that allow passengers to be more interactive during a drive.?
Source and images: GM/Buick media
Perceived YouTube bootleg video actually Buick marketing strategy
Last Thursday, November 9, 2006, a video appeared on the popular website YouTube showing Tiger Woods apparently filming an upcoming commercial with the never before seen Buick Enclave full-size SUV. At first the footage seemed a product of stealth camerawork, supported by the poor audio, grainy images and handheld camera movement. At the end, a security guard ?discovers? the cameraperson and places his hand over the lens. By Thursday night the 60-second clip had been viewed 9,500 times, and as of Tuesday morning 9:45 EST has been seen on 14,764 occasions.
Many viewers became suspicious, however, accusing Buick of generating the footage itself. The most apparent clue was a Buick logo that appears just above the YouTube icon at the end. Buick readily admitted that user ?tigerstyle25? who uploaded the video was actually the company itself, and the tactic was intended to generate buzz before the vehicle?s official release at the Los Angeles Auto Show on November 28. "We knew we weren't going to fool anybody,? said David Darovitz of Buick. ?We just wanted to do something different that would create buzz."
Analysis: Although many viewers who responded via YouTube?s comment tool seemed put off by Buick?s viral marketing campaign, the effort managed to capture the attention of automotive blogs and internet-savvy car enthusiasts. While an ?authentic? spy video would be more intriguing, Buick?s strategy nonetheless generated a lot of hype, a positive quality for the General Motors brand.
Source and image: YouTube via The Detroit News
