Is there a shelf life for automotive slogans? Are they really that important in getting warm bodies into dealership showrooms? Well, after a year of hand-wringing and an incredible amount of time and money studying the idea of a new slogan, Chevrolet must have found the new roads it was looking for. Now it has what the brain trust there feels is a sure bet to attract new car buyers: “Together Let’s Drive.”

According to Steve Majoros, the Chevrolet Marketing Vice-President, after sit-downs and research spanning over a year, “what emerged was a sense of respect and admiration for trusted institutions and a focus on friends, family, and community.” With all of that, this is what they came up with. But he says there is more to the slogan than face value. 

What emotion is the new Chevrolet slogan supposed to convey?

Chevrolet buyers want more than just a car, they are “longing for togetherness” everywhere. “I think it’s something that everyone deep down feels because it’s easy to criticize how things are today. But deep down, what people told us is that’s not me. That’s not my family, that’s not my community, that’s not how I feel,” he said. 

But rather than Nissan’s “Innovation that Excites” or Honda’s “Power of Dreams,” which don’t sound like Toyota’s “Let’s Go Places,” the “Together Let’s Drive” slogan does. It just seems like Chevrolet got something so little for so much, don’t you think? While none of the above seems like it really reverberates with the car-buying public, some from the past still do.

Weren’t car advertising slogans better in the past?

Like Ford’s “Built Ford Tough.” Or how about Chevy’s own “Baseball, Apple Pie, and Chevrolet.” Maybe the best of the bunch was BMW’s “Ultimate Driving Machine.” That was a real winner, which BMW should still be using. At least it is better than the current “Sheer Driving Pleasure.” 

We can go on, especially outside the automotive sphere, like Nike’s “Just Do It.” Or what about Disneyland’s “Happiest Place on Earth.” It makes a bold statement but also brings a smile. Anything with “happiness” in the line does that. Maybe Chevrolet could have used it for a slogan like “Happiest Car Owners for Over 100 Years.” But that gets a little wordy.

Is “Together Let’s Drive” better for a golf course?

Two-word mottos seem to be more popular today. Subway has its “Eat Fresh.” And there is Coke’s “Open Happiness.” The four-word slogans seem to be the number of words of choice for fast food restaurants. Ones like “Have It Your Way,” from Burger King, or “It’s Finger-Lickin’ Good,” and Taco Bell has its “Think Outside the Bun.” Even Air Asia is into the four-word motto of “Now Everyone Can Fly.” Maybe Chevrolet could have done a twist on this with “Chevrolet, Everyone Can Drive.” 

Together Let’s Drive could be a slogan for a metro bus company or a golf course. There’s not much of a car relationship to it, don’t you think? And definitely not much emotion, either. But by putting this post together, you come to the realization that some things from the past really were better, like mottos and jingles.