A series of post-premiere campaigns combined luxury with attributes of solidity and valorization to promote the Chevrolet Monza in Colombia.
PUBLICRONICA No. 56.
By Camilo Ernesto Hernández Rincón, automotive historian.
Special for THE COLOMBIAN CAR.
In 1986, a year had passed since the premiere of the Chevrolet Monza In Colombia, and at an and marketing level, the product entered a support phase. The spectacular nature of the previous year, with the campaign of “A movie car”of the daba paso a grounded arguments in the midst of a market that was about to evolve.
That was the final year of Renault 18before being relieved by the R21. Mazda, for its part, had positioned its 626 range in the stage known as “New race”, and so it would go until 1988, when the 626 Asahi arrived. Faced with these evolved competitors, Colmotores also had an ace up his sleeve for 1987: the now called Monza Classiccon automatic gearbox.
This innovation came to Colombian production for the second time, after the Dodge Dart of the previous decade. This change came along with minor details such as the body color grillenewly designed low-relief mesh cups, side trim with handwritten legend, and eye-catching gold and silver metallic colors.
Chevrolet Monza: real attributes in
As it was said, after its first year, the of the Chevrolet Monza became more rational and appealed to the virtues of solidity, support and reliability that he could offer. It was the time of thirtieth anniversary of Colmotoreswhich left its emblem in the advertisements drawn on metallic glitter airbrushthe same one that styled the word “Monza” since its premiere and that It was a trend of graphics in the eighties.
The composition was rather basic: vehicle image on top, texts in the middle and description of its attributes in the form of two-column lists. Some of them, in capital letters and with blue headings. The usual closing wore the mark with quoted text in gloss, and the Chevrolet bowtiewhich this time acquired the prominence that it did not have at the premiere of the car.
Indeed, it was an appeal to justify an investment that Renault and Mazda did not justify likewise. With the arrival of the Classic, almost at the same time as the R21, began to become more sophisticated. place the car in high luxury environments. The messages also placed him in that atmosphere of exclusivity, and as if that were not enough, the typography was also adapted to the segment.
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Both the name “Monza”, as well as the headings and flag phrases, were no longer in such solid and heavy fonts, but in handwritten or low-thickness sans-seriftype Eurostyle. inheritance of Renault 18 GTXthe 1.8 engine changed to 2.0 litersand the “2.0” emblem was another visual argument.
another approach
The slogan of “A movie car” gave way to other phrases. The “Perfect integration between you and the machine”, inherited from Brazilian , remained a little longer. But the elementary “a Monza is a Monza”reiteration of “Ford es Ford” o “Toyota es Toyota” from other times, became proverbial.
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“Class apart” It was another good keeping argument in the public mind. Even the traditional slogan imposed by the old Packard, “ask someone who already has one”was taken up in the eighties by the Chevrolet Monza.
was appealed to luxury and economic opulenceplacing the Monza in a polo game, using silhouettes in exclusive restaurants, sailing or jazz music, and with sexual sublimation on television.
were also used the columns of the National Capitolseat of the Congress of the Republic, as a background for the decrease in occupants with drivers and Valet Parking at night. But the arguments of valuation and reliability in the marketdid not decrease.
Secondly, there was room for humor for commercials that talked about the facilities to acquire the vehicle. That’s how it went the campaign of “Trick”in which an unwelcome character in a suit with a trench coat and a Santafereño accent, constantly interrupts the salesman at the dealership.
actors like Manuel Busquets y Santiago Bejarano they reinforced that nod to the smile in the commercials, selling a product aimed at rather serious and conservative buyers.
high recall
In short, the of the Chevrolet Monza after its launch, called by advertisers and marketers “sustaining”, was the product of professional management and elementary decisionsbut correct.
Said conclusion, in light of the corresponding moment: a Colombia still with an economy closed to foreign tradeand with only two competitors whose arguments surpassed it in technology and design.
His life in the market was so satisfying as to still be remembered, already passed a complete generation. The arrival of the Economic Opening, in 1992, marked the end of your cycletaking its place the Mexican Chevrolet Cavalier and somehow the Pontiac Grand Prix, which did not enjoy the same success.
Chevrolet Monza in Colombia: Video Commercials
1986
1989
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKON-ZtsJFY
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CREDITS:
- Texts and research: Camilo Ernesto Hernández Rincón.
- Special thanks: Omar Johannes Pulido, Marcelo Correa.
- Text edition, digital reconstruction of images and General Direction: Óscar Julián Restrepo Mantilla.