Holden’s Latest Ad Says “We’re Here To Stay”: Ad Break
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Last week’s GM-Holden announcement regarding plans to shut down manufacturing operations in Australia by 2017 and lay off nearly 3,000 employees wasn’t pleasant news for anyone, especially Holden employees, stakeholders, or GM-Holden executives. And to put it mildly, we imagine that the announcement also didn’t win Holden any favors with the Australian car-buying public. To address the elephant in the room, Holden has just released a new commercial — its first ad since making the production announcement.
Entitled “We’re Here To Stay”, the spot follows the “Think About This” theme and speaks directly to the Australian consumer. After a series of shots of various Australians stating “we’re here” and “here”, a narrator states:
“Holden has been here for over 100 years. And while in the future, we’ll no longer make cars in Australia, we’ll always be committed to making the best cars for Australia. That’s something that will never change.”
“Because we’re here to stay”, the ad closes with (what appears to be) a GM-Holden design center employee.
Hat tip to David.
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I really don’t blame GM for leaving Australia. The Australian government hasn’t made any effort to make manufacturing affordable. One of GM’s goals at this point is to globalize manufacturing so that vehicles travel the shortest possible distance to the customer. If they leave a giant island that is 2,000 miles from the nearest continent, something else is up.
This ad reminds me of a owner of a sports team that tells his coach that he has no intention of firing him and then does just that!
Start waving bye buy by Australia!
It seems like a small, medium, and large pick up, utility style, would have had a better chance of being made, sold, and bought in Australia.
Although I don’t like this move by GM, the move out of Australia makes sense, if one looks at the auto makers perspective. When the workers union adamantly oppose any kind of pay, and benefit, cuts: the manufacturer has no choice but to move. Michigan, and other Midwest states, have learned this painful lesson already.
I don’t like it, but it’s the age of a global economy. My not liking an unfettered global economy, probably comes from an American value, that self sufficiency and independence is the highest valued ideal, and quite possibly the worlds. I know the same is true for Australians, because all one needs to do is listen to the lyrics of Australia’s national anthem, (Waltzing Matilda), and you will understand that Australians are not any different than Americans.
Self sufficiency is synonymous with freedom, because one cannot be free, while being dependent on some other country, or someone, else. My empathy goes out to Australians, because they just lost a little of their freedom.
And I don’t blame out government for sticking by their guns and not handing over any more money. GM haven’t stood up to the promise they made the previous Gillard government, which was to keep building cars in Australia until at least 2022 (this is in WRITING, mind you). GM did the wrong thing there, just like GM, Ford and Toyota all did the wrong thing by hitting the government up for money when import tariff increases of about 30-45% would’ve been much more effective. But at least Ford was realistic and didn’t make any false promises, which is why there hasn’t been such a backlash about them ceasing local manufacturing in 2016. Although they do have better imported cars to fall back on (the worst made would have to be the Ranger, but even that isn’t as bad as any of the Korean “Holdens”).
Are GM trying to come across as being premature ejaculators to the Australian public? Because that’s pretty much what they’ve done. They’ve LOST Australia now. Pulling out of Australia was a corporate greed decision.
They dish up poorly-made crap which are meant to be world cars (which haven’t really worked for Holden in the past – ie. Camira, RB Gemini, both cars marketed as the Cruze, Epica, etc.), the poor quality of the Captiva is starting to come back to bite them (their front ends have massive alignment issues) and people are starting to wake up to the fact that Holden largely equals poorly-made cars from South Korea. The only non-Australian built car in the current Holden lineup that’s anywhere near reasonable is the Colorado, and I still wouldn’t get one, as I’ve found the D-Max is a much better drive since the three litre is a lot more smoother than the 2.8, plus the D-Max also doesn’t look like a wannabe Silverado. I can guarantee the Malibu will end up being a massive flop, much like the Volt is (AU$60,000 for a car that’s the same size as a Corolla with the poor build quality of a Cruze/Captiva = useless in the Australian market). In Australia, if you dish up crap, you won’t sell a thing, which is what the majority of the Holden lineup is – crap! The ONLY current Holden models I’d buy myself minus any HSV product would be a Calais 3.6, SV6 or Caprice V, but I don’t have the money for a brand new car at the moment.
Holden would’ve only made this ad because Detroit TOLD THEM to! I can pretty much guarantee that there will not be a Holden brand (at least not a GM-owned Holden brand) once 2018 comes along (picture people going into Holden dealerships at midnight on New Years’ Day swapping Holden badges for Chevrolet ones and swapping all signage over).
GM should sell Holden to a company like TATA who could use an established brand in Australia, and who would also do the brand and the heritage it holds some justice.
I USED to be a MASSIVE Holden fan, and have owned many in the past (a number of first generation Commodores VC-VL, a VN Calais and my current Statesman, but also at one stage had a 2005 VZ SS – last of the LS1 engined SS’s – brand new as a company car) but once my 2001 WHII Statesman is sold in the new year, I’ll never buy a Holden again, unless it’s made pre-1986 (up to VK/WB). One thing’s for sure – GM won’t get any more of my money when it comes to purchasing a new car!
In short, my next new car will most likely be a FORD or Isuzu, unless either GM change their minds, or Chrysler start importing the Ram in all configurations!
If your not ever going to buy a GM car or truck then I have one thing to say to you!
Get off my lawn!
Your Not Welcome anymore!
If you don’t like GM cars and trucks then why are you on this site?
But they just said they’re leaving? There is a difference in staying in Australia and providing thousands of jobs for its people, and staying to siphon the money off of them. The first option is highly more honorable, of course, but Greedy Motors fights for profits… again. Why won’t they learn that converting customers to loyal followers is better than short-term profits?!
In short, this commercial sickens me and is unacceptably hypocritical.
GM tried to make you happy and you still complained so GM got tired of you flip flop on your loyalty!
Let’s talk loyalty, it means that you never leave hint the word loyal!
I’m loyal I have never left GM!
Im an operator at the Elizabeth GMH vehicle plant, for the next 4 years anyway. Hmmm wonder why the Elizabeth plant wasn’t shown in the Ad? Oh thats right because Holden are not going to be making cars in Australia. Good to see that at least the “Design Team Employees” will still have a job.
No, GM put their hand out for more money, being the greedy corporation they are, then acted like a spoiled child when they were told no. Re-read my previous comment to discover the TRUTH, not the veiled bullshit that GM have put into your head.
So you accept GM’s inferior products over something like a Falcon or Ram which are both totally AMAZING? Like I said, I’ve OWNED a number of Holdens (also had one as a company car), more than what I’ve had Fords or any other brand, but after this, you won’t see a Holden in my driveway anymore, that’ll be reserved for cars manufactured by a company that HASN’T gone back on it’s promises because!
In short, get the facts!
I think you forgot that ford is leaving Australia to!
As for my loyalty to GM, do I except their inferior products! I am a GM fan threw good times and bad! Unlike you!
I love my parents, my wife, my kids, and all their flaws I don’t run to the other side of the street because a cute younger blonde moves in down the street!
I don’t jump ship when things are bad I stay with it! I’m sure your wife would love to know that you are going to bail out if she starts to look different or a younger model comes along!
It’s called character and I can tell you have zero of it!
YFDM!
If that ugly, 4 pot, front wheel drive, Chinese made piece of garbage is what they are going to pass off as a Commodore, Holden can pack up entirely and disappear. I certainly will NEVER buy another Holden/GM vehicle. Neither will any other self respecting Commodore owner, who would be insulted by this.
Aaron… “In short, get the facts”.
I don’t know if any of us ever get, or have, the real facts Aaron. I do know that anger, sadness, then healing… follows death.
The silver lining, is that Australia’s economy, didn’t, and doesn’t, hinge on GM, or Ford, and Chrysler for that matter.
If, what I fear happens… Australia will be inundated with American soldiers money, because a company can break its word more easily than a country can… and there are those of us, that will make sure our country keeps its word to Australia… Just be sure to hide your women.
Please explain why Germany doesn’t have this problem then?
Germany, in fact the European Union as a whole, doesn’t have such an issue due to import tariffs being a reasonable rate in order to protect domestic manufacturers somewhat. They also get much more government monetary assistance and produce cars in much higher numbers that Holden’s current factories, or even all of their factories they have had combined, could ever produce. They also have parent companies (ie. Volkswagen Group, PSA, etc.) which believe in producing vehicles in their homeland, and stand by that. GM has not done this in relation to Holden, which as a long history before GM even became involved.
Like I have previously stated, GM have pulled the spoiled kids act and walked away because the government could afford to hand over any more money. GM have lost money because they have very few reasonable products available on the Australian market (Commodore derivatives and Colorado). If they hadn’t been trying to flog poorly-made South Korean crap which is designed to be cheap, and looks it, just because that was what really got Hyundai going internationally then they would be turning a decent profit. Hyundai was EXPECTED to be crap, but have proven to be a much better product that those coming out of GM’s South Korean facilities.
Australians expect much better from Holden, especially since the previous products were so good, albeit expensive to service and repair (Opel Corsa/Holden Barina, Opel/Holden Astra and Vectra), but were good vehicles to drive (my previous employer had a 2002 TS Astra City 1.8 manual as an errand vehicle). All GM had to do, was produce and market better quality vehicles, instead of throwaway crap like the current Barina, Captiva, Malibu, etc. seem to be. Most Australians still like to get a fair bit of life out of their cars, way past the warranty period of five years. Why do you think Australia has so many Falcon taxis? Because they go forever and a day, servicing and refuelling is cheap (especially the E-Gas models) and you can get 500,000km out of the engine before any major work needs to be done! Commodores have been used as taxis for a lot of the same reasons, except that you can only get about 400,000km out of the Alloytec before any major problems (still a decent figure by any stretch of the imagination).
So I’m not saying Holden products are crap, just most of the imported ones!
If you’re addressing me Josh… Its a mistake to say German, Australian, American, etc. problem.
A corporation is a country unto itself. It’s a new phenomenon that corporations are now mobile. If they don’t like what A government is doing… Sayonara Amigo. America alone… has lost millions of jobs, and there is nothing the American government, or people can do about it. In fact… the free have finangled codification of tax write offs for companies to relocate to China, or any other 3rd world slave market country. In essence… Paid companies to remove jobs from America.
Our government is bought, and paid for by extremely wealthy entities… Loyalty to the people died.. . when knights of honor died.
If you’re addressing me Josh… Its a mistake to say German, Australian, American, etc. problem.
A corporation is a country unto itself. It’s a new phenomenon that corporations are now mobile. If they don’t like what A government is doing… Sayonara Amigo. America alone… has lost millions of jobs, and there is nothing the American government, or people can do about it. In fact… the free traders have finangled codification of tax write offs for companies to relocate to China, or any other 3rd world slave market country. In essence… Paid companies to remove jobs from America.
Our government is bought, and paid for by extremely wealthy entities… Loyalty to the people died.. . when knights of honor died.
If Australian’s love holden then why don’t they back GM?
GM Does own holden!
Ahh!
If you guys can hold off on the pissing match and take the time to look at the photo’s in the photo at the top of the story may be seeing a future SS/Commodore/Buick Alpha?
GM has a habit of letting you see the future without really telling you.
As I see it by the comments above it is much like the Einstein Quote.
“The difference between Stupidity and Genius is Genius has it’s limits”
I don’t blame the Aussies for being PO’d. I would be a well.
I’m disappointed at GM’s decision to cease manufacturing in Australia but I understand it completely. The reality is both GM and the Australian Government have made poor decisions which have led to this fate. Let’s not forget that during GMs bankruptcy, GM Holden managed to stay afloat and viable without any assistance from GM.
For its part, GM had been slow to respond to the changing conditions in Australia. It was a wise but late move to shift Cruze manufacturing here, but greater local design content should have been afforded. That was reflected in Cruze sales.
The Australian Government has been reasonably generous in recent years with co-investment, but its biggest mistake here was not to sufficiently tie that investment to outcomes. Its biggest mistake though, has been its moves to embrace so-called ‘free-trade’. Australia has the lowest tariff automotive sector in the world and when you combine that with a strong currency and high cost of labour, the recipe is perfect for devastation. Four of the most popular utes sold in Australia (Holden Colorado, Isuzu D-Max, Ford Ranger and Mazda BT-50) are manufactured in Thailand and exported here. No problem with that – they make good vehicles. But the unique-to-Australia Ford Territory, if exported to Thailand would have incurred a 70% tariff. How is this free trade?
GM, no longer encumbered with manufacturing in Australia needs to make sure it gets the mix of vehicles right. Australians are very sceptical of anything built in China.