Click to enlarge.
Chevrolet (NYSE: GM) revived “Heartbeat of America,” an advertising campaign from the 1980s and 1990s. The time around the turntable the sounds of The Red Clay Strays, a rock band from Mobile, Alabama, intermingle with images. More than 90 years ago, Chevrolet offered its first factory-installed radio to customers.* [To listen to the song click HERE – AutoCrat.]
“Heartbeat of America has always celebrated Chevrolet’s connection to the people and communities that shape this country,” said Steve Majoros, chief marketing officer of Global Chevrolet. “Chevrolet owners have always been the people that show up, the DIYers, the helpful neighbors – the true heartbeat in their communities. This campaign honors our customers.”
Chevrolet claimed in a release that “the Red Clay Strays and Chevrolet are a natural fit – both sharing the same values of hard work and building community. The band’s sound spans across country, rock and soul, and that range helps strike the balance of a modern sound while still honoring the nostalgia of the original.” The group released their new album, “Grateful,” earlier this month.
Scenes for the commercial were filmed in Texas and in Maine, and include the Chevrolet Bolt, Trax, Equinox, Equinox EV, Traverse, Colorado, Silverado and Silverado HD.
The “Heartbeat of America” revival is part of the brand’s America 250 initiative – a year-long campaign that “honors the people, places and values that continue to shape the nation. With more than 115 years in the U.S., and nearly 3000 dealers across the country, Chevrolet is woven into the fabric of America.”
“Earlier this year, Chevrolet collaborated with country music artist Brooke Lee to re-imagine ‘See the USA in Your Chevrolet’ song. That campaign also marked Chevrolet’s third time placing a vehicle on top of Castleton Tower in Moab, UT. This summer, the brand also reintroduced ‘Baseball, Hotdogs, Apple Pie and Chevrolet’ as a social campaign, inviting fans to create and share their own content with the classic characters. Chevrolet also launched a special Stars & Steel edition available across five U.S.-assembled nameplates: Corvette, Silverado EV, Silverado LD, Silverado HD and Colorado. For every Stars & Steel vehicle sold, Chevrolet will donate $250 to nonprofits supporting veterans and military families,” Chevy said.
The “Heartbeat of America” song performed by the Red Clay Strays is now available on all major streaming services, and the campaign’s broadcast advertising begins airing today.
*AutoInformed on
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
Annals of Marketing – Chevrolet Heartbeat of America Revived
Click to enlarge.
Chevrolet (NYSE: GM) revived “Heartbeat of America,” an advertising campaign from the 1980s and 1990s. The time around the turntable the sounds of The Red Clay Strays, a rock band from Mobile, Alabama, intermingle with images. More than 90 years ago, Chevrolet offered its first factory-installed radio to customers.* [To listen to the song click HERE – AutoCrat.]
“Heartbeat of America has always celebrated Chevrolet’s connection to the people and communities that shape this country,” said Steve Majoros, chief marketing officer of Global Chevrolet. “Chevrolet owners have always been the people that show up, the DIYers, the helpful neighbors – the true heartbeat in their communities. This campaign honors our customers.”
Chevrolet claimed in a release that “the Red Clay Strays and Chevrolet are a natural fit – both sharing the same values of hard work and building community. The band’s sound spans across country, rock and soul, and that range helps strike the balance of a modern sound while still honoring the nostalgia of the original.” The group released their new album, “Grateful,” earlier this month.
Scenes for the commercial were filmed in Texas and in Maine, and include the Chevrolet Bolt, Trax, Equinox, Equinox EV, Traverse, Colorado, Silverado and Silverado HD.
The “Heartbeat of America” revival is part of the brand’s America 250 initiative – a year-long campaign that “honors the people, places and values that continue to shape the nation. With more than 115 years in the U.S., and nearly 3000 dealers across the country, Chevrolet is woven into the fabric of America.”
“Earlier this year, Chevrolet collaborated with country music artist Brooke Lee to re-imagine ‘See the USA in Your Chevrolet’ song. That campaign also marked Chevrolet’s third time placing a vehicle on top of Castleton Tower in Moab, UT. This summer, the brand also reintroduced ‘Baseball, Hotdogs, Apple Pie and Chevrolet’ as a social campaign, inviting fans to create and share their own content with the classic characters. Chevrolet also launched a special Stars & Steel edition available across five U.S.-assembled nameplates: Corvette, Silverado EV, Silverado LD, Silverado HD and Colorado. For every Stars & Steel vehicle sold, Chevrolet will donate $250 to nonprofits supporting veterans and military families,” Chevy said.
The “Heartbeat of America” song performed by the Red Clay Strays is now available on all major streaming services, and the campaign’s broadcast advertising begins airing today.
*AutoInformed on
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.