any - Made-Up cars?

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
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Wed 24 Nov 2010 10:02
any - Made-Up cars? - Berisford

Why is it that whenever a car is needed to promote a product (other than the car) in an TV/internet/newspaper advert the advertisers feel obliged to make one up, but when a van is needed they're quite happy to use a real vehicle?

Now I appreciate that there will be exceptions, but as a general rule cars are often made-up.

Edited by Berisford on 24/11/2010 at 10:06

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Wed 24 Nov 2010 10:27
any - Made-Up cars? - Armstrong Sid

I've always assumed it's because the product manufacturers (whatever it is) don't want to have a car manufacturer chasing them saying "we don't want our car associated with your product" because they think it might stereotype the car and its image.

If a particular car is seen in say, an AA advert, it implies that car always breaks down. If a car is seen in an advert for pensions, it implies that car is for old people.

It doesn't apply to vans because nobody can tell one van from another (?!) and they don't have an image to maintain in the same way.

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Wed 24 Nov 2010 13:35
any - Made-Up cars? - captain chaos

I wouldn't have thought Renault would be too happy if the AA used their products in their advertising, nor Nissan if the Micra were to be featured in advertisements for pensions.

Incoming! :)

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Wed 24 Nov 2010 15:41
any - Made-Up cars? - Berisford

Yes, I can see how dragging away a Laguna on the AA truck could upset the French but the whole thing is spreading, a bit like the blurring of number plates, even Argos invent a car to display their windscreen snow covers!

Edited by Berisford on 24/11/2010 at 15:41

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Thu 25 Nov 2010 09:28
any - Made-Up cars? - Sofa Spud

Another long-running and related mystery is why pictures of British buses in advertising graphics are so often 'flipped' so the door is on the wrong side - even though the scene is still supposed to be in Britain. Is this because so many foreigners would think it looks 'wrong' otherwise?

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Fri 26 Nov 2010 18:57
any - Made-Up cars? - primeradriver
Actually it's not always true that they "make up" cars for breakdown ads -- I have recognised a few obscure Mitsubishis and Korean cars that have been lightly modified for use on these ads.

A motor oil company (forget which one) did this with a pair of '04 Hyundai Sonatas as well (which is the only example that I can remember the details of).
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