Channel Marketing Capabilities Adds $400 Mil To Burnett’s Billings

You may have heard that automotive behemoth General Motors shifted its Buick and GMC truck advertising accounts to Leo Burnett without a review.

Sun Times ad columnist, Lewis Lazare, says it wasn’t a creative decision, although he despises McCann Erickson’s new tagline for Buick, “Drive Beautiful.” In fact, Lazare calls the line “horrendously stupid.”
Rather, GM wanted to establish Buick, Pontiac and GMC in one retail channel. Giving one ad agency all three car accounts allows marketing to mirror the distribution strategy. (emphasis added)
Burnett is already the AOR for Pontiac. All three accounts will be managed from Burnett’s Detroit office.