Corvette History Through Ads: Banned Commercial

Corvette History Through Ads #11

The C6’s Banned Commercial

By Rick Tavel? 2013

Before getting into third generation Corvette advertising, as we are awash in C7 media, I’d like to take a moment and revisit a TV commercial from the first year of the beloved C6. The ad was one of several produced to introduce the next gen Corvette and air during the 2004 Summer Olympics. Several die hard Corvette enthusiasts believe that the C6 is the best of all Corvette generations and at this point I wouldn’t disagree having just taken delivery of my second C6, a new convertible. When the C6 was introduced, one of the commercials originally aired showed the daydream of a young boy behind the wheel of a red coupe and a young girl driving a silver convertible. The boy skillfully drove, jumped and even flew the red Corvette aggressively through city streets, over bridges and around industrial areas, to the accompaniment of the Rolling Stones wailing ?Jumpin? Jack Flash.?

Though the commercial received high praise, especially from Corvette fans, it turned into a public relations nightmare due to complaints from consumer groups who thought it was inappropriate to depict young children speeding through city streets in a flashy sports car. As a result, GM pulled the ad. The seven groups who signed the letter include Consumers Union, Public Citizen, Center for Auto Safety, Consumer Federation of America and Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety. The point of the commercial was to demonstrate that the Corvette is and has been the car of not only young kids? dreams but adults?, as well. This is the car that every guy wants to eventually own. The commercial ends on that note, ?The all new Corvette ? the official car of your dreams!?

So as we prepare to welcome the new C7, it is only proper for us to remember the C6 with the commercial that introduced it. Watch it here on YouTube?