Chevy Traverse

The Setting
The third-floor conference room at Chevrolet Headquarters.

In Attendance
The creative team from mega-advertising agency Campbell Eward; the vice president of advertising for Chevy; several marketing managers; and a paralegal from Chevy's corporate legal department.

The Topic
The new multi-million-dollar advertising campaign for Chevy's new Traverse "crossover" vehicle.

The Conversation
Adman: OK, here's the idea. You're gonna love this. A 25-34 year old woman is driving down a city street in her new Chevy Traverse, silver. Suddenly some really nice shoes falls on her windshield! WOW! Shocking! Unexpected!

VP: Shoes?

Adman: Yeah, how incredibly attention-grabbing, huh? Women's shoes. Expensive ones! So she gets out of the silver Chevy Traverse and there's lots and lots of shoes falling from the sky. Like it's raining!

VP: Raining shoes?

Adman: Yeah, and then the announcer says...

Copywriter: A sudden downpour of shoes.

Adman: And then we cut to a guy eating a hotdog and he shakes his head while the woman starts grabbing shoes and throwing them into the back of her Traverse.

VP: I'm not sure I'm....

Adman: No, wait. Then the announcer says...

Copywriter: And best in class cargo room.

Adman: You see, she's able to put a LOT of shoes in the back of the Traverse, so we show just how much it will hold.

VP: How many...shoes it will hold.

Adman: Yeah!

Manager: Uh, how does she know the shoes are her size?

Adman: Um, well, it doesn't matter. They'll ALL her size!

Manager: Or that she's grabbing matching pairs?

Adman: No, you see, this is every woman's fantasy. A car full of FREE shoes. If she didn't own a Traverse, this would never happen.

VP: So we're selling the Traverse, an 8-passenger vehicle, to single women who want to own a lot of shoes?

Adman: Yes! Brilliant, right?

VP: And when are we going to run this ad in order to reach these shoe-loving women?

Media Director: During the World Series!

There is a long pause as the Chevy people look back and forth at one another. The agency people sit quietly with broad, fake, plastered smiles on their faces. Eventually all eyes go to the VP, who sits back in his chair and says:

VP: I like it!