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Gm’s 'transformers' Extends Beyond Big Screen

General Motors Corp. is setting free four of its powerful cars to invade Paramount Picture's upcoming summer action flick "Transformers." The opportunity will be used by the automaker to promote its excellence in manufacturing notable product lines.

"We are the stars of this movie," said Dino Bernacchi, the manager of branding and entertainment for GM in North America. "This put us right at the forefront and lets us showcase the leading designs we have out there now." The largest American automaker partnered with Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Pictures, the producers of the film of the popular Hasbro toy franchise, to have four of its cars as the film's lead characters.

Chevrolet, Hummer, Pontiac, and GMC brands are prominently featured as ordinary vehicles that transform into gigantic two-legged, talking robots. They will be playing as heroes of the action flick. The Chevrolet Camaro plays Bumblebee, a main character in "Transformers," which is set to arrive in theaters July 3.

The Camaro starts as a retro '70s muscle car but transforms into the new model. The Camaro returns to Chevrolet's lineup in 2008. The Camaro may not be having a Chevrolet Tahoe ignition coil, but it features lots of equipment to make it more than just desirable. Other GM lines with starring roles are the Pontiac Solstice, starring as the "autobot" Jazz; the Hummer H2 as Ratchet; and the GMC Topkick pickup as Ironhide.

The Detroit automaker has also offered a sale, through July 9, of select 2007 and 2006 models to the movie. The promotion, dubbed as "Transform Your Ride Sale," is loaded with visuals from the action flick. The sale is supported by 30- and 60-second versions of an umbrella spot from Interpublic Group of Cos.' McCann Erickson, Birmingham, Mich. The “Transformers†Director Michael Bay helmed the television promotion for the automaker. The promotion includes radio, print, gaming and online ads.

GM goes beyond the big screen to promote its product lines. With such a big role in the movie, Chevrolet, GM's biggest vehicle division by unit sales, is taking the lead on co-promotions. The division is offering an online video game on Chevrolet.com that lets visitors create an autobot from several of its other models and then wage war against visitors.

Additionally, Chevrolet is heavily touting the effort with "transforming" banner ads on science-fiction and gaming sites, where the GM division does not traditionally advertise, said Phil Caruso, Chevrolet's promotions manager. "This gets us engaged with an audience who normally wouldn't engage with us." Chevy is also backing the online game in 40 markets with an in-theater spot. The game will continue "through and beyond the movie," said Bernacchi.

Pontiac based much of its "Transformers" link with Maxim magazine. Maxim.com is now showing toymaker Hasbro's first generation and current Transformers from the movie. Hasbro toy designer Aaron Archer explained on the web site why the first-generation Jazz character got changed. "The G1 version of Jazz transformed into a Porsche race car, complete with number and sponsor decals. For the flick, we kept him sporty, but went with a Pontiac Solstice," said Arches.

Also, Pontiac and the menn's magazine have also teamed for an online promotion at Pontiac.com, offering entrants the chance to go to the movie premier in Los Angeles and meet cast member Megan Fox.

Neither Bernacchi nor Caruso would disclose how much GM is spending for the promotion venture. But Bernacchi said that GM did not pay for the product integration, but the automaker did provide Bay with a pair of exceptional Camaros for the movie, as the new production Camaro will not be produced for about a year.

About the Author

Anthony Fontanelle is a 35-year-old automotive buff who grew up in the Windy City. He does freelance work for an automotive magazine when he is not busy customizing cars in his shop.

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