Chevy sent to the junkyard

G.M. tries to kill iconic nickname.

June 10, 2010 at 6:30PM
(The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Now that's a Chevy. Photo: AP
Now that's a Chevy. Photo: AP (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

"Had an old gold Chevrolet and a place of my own"? "Drove my Chevrolet to the levee"? "Out in the back seat of my '60 Chevrolet"? "You can scream and holler about my Chevrolet Impala"? Has any car been so immortalized in song as the Chevy?

Chevrolet employees were told in a memo this week that to promote the "consistency" of the brand, they must stop using the nickname "Chevy." "We'd ask that whether you're talking to a dealer, reviewing dealer advertising, or speaking with friends and family, that you communicate our brand as Chevrolet moving forward," said a memo signed by a couple of G.M. vice presidents. The memo adds that a "cuss jar" will be implemented, with employees who use the forbidden word required to add a quarter to the jar, whose proceeds will fund "team-building activities." Meanwhile, over on chevolet.com, a home-page banner declares "Over 1,000 people a day switch to Chevy."

The move comes a couple months after Chevrolet dismissed the ad agency, Campbell-Ewald, that created such iconic campaigns as "See the U.S.A. in your Chevrolet," "Like a rock" and "The heartbeat of America." Just a sad day for the culture.

about the writer

about the writer

Cynthia Dickison

Designer-Features

Cynthia Dickison is a features designer. She is a St. Paul native and graduate of the University of Minnesota. She has worked at the Star Tribune since 1978, starting on the copy desk. Dickison has worked in every department — news, sports, features, even a short stint on the business cover.

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