Chevrolet Attacks Ford’s Aluminum Construction Head On
What would you do if you were caught in a room with two cages, one made of aluminum and one made of steel, and a 700 lb grizzly bear was let loose? Obviously, you would cower and hide, but in which cage? That’s one of the ways Chevrolet is taking the fight to Ford and their aluminum construction in a series of new videos.
In the tradition of their other “Real People. Not Actors” commercials, the main one featuring the bear shows guys in an empty room with two cages. Each of the ten men are individually asked what they think about when they think of aluminum and steel. Then, the bear is let loose.
https://youtu.be/vIC7Fw1rFF4
Predictably, the men choose the safety of the steel cage for protection instead of the aluminum one.
In a second video, a bunch of passionate comic book fans are brought into a hotel conference room to be a focus group for a new superhero. That superhero is named The Almighty Aluminum Man. The audience is then asked for their opinions about the character.
One of the audience members asks, “Is this a joke?” Apparently comic book fans, or at least the ones Chevrolet invited to the focus group, really don’t have a high opinion of aluminum.
Predictably, all of the members prefer a stronger material for their superhero (though not all suggest steel as the alternative).
The host of the focus group then shows a prototype of the costume, made of aluminum, with a little LED light in the center. Some of the comic book fans nearly lose their minds at the sight of the costume, because it’s so cheesy. The video finishes with the caption, “Some things shouldn’t be made of aluminum.”
Ouch.
In Chevrolet’s last video, they bring a bit more scientific testing into which truck is better constructed; the 2015 Chevrolet Silverado or 2015 Ford F-150. General Motors hired AMCI Testing to determine which trucks are easier to repair, and how long the trucks were out for repair.
https://youtu.be/tLFe8g7E2sc
The testing procedures that AMCI Testing employed mimicked a common work-site crash; a bigger truck backing into your truck. They then took the Silverados to Chevrolet dealerships for repair, and took the Fords to Ford dealerships authorized for aluminum repair.
The results? On average, the Ford F-150 was $1,755 more expensive to fix, and the truck was out of service for a staggering 34 more days that the Silverado.
Chevrolet is quick to point out that the F-150 does use steel for the frame, and that the Silverado does use aluminum in certain areas, such as the hood. But Chevrolet points out using “tried and true” methods that have been proven when it comes to building their trucks.
Chevrolet has long touted the benefits of the steel used in their trucks. But now, they’ve decided to tackle some of Ford’s claims head on. With an aluminum Super Duty on the horizon, now is as good time as any for General Motors to launch this attack.
Do you find these videos effective? Let us know in the comments or over in the forums!
