Chevy Makes Fun of F-150’s ‘Man Step’ in Throwback Silverado Commercial

There was a time when real men didn’t need steps to access the truck bed of their Silverado, as Chevy once pointed out.

Things change quickly in the automotive world. Just take this old Chevrolet Silverado ad from 2009, for example. Back then, the Ford F-150, as it does today, came with a step built into the tailgate to make climbing in and out of the bed an easier endeavor. But instead of doing something similar with its pickups, Chevy chose to mock the F-150’s “man step” in a rather humorous way.

The commercial, which recently resurfaced at GM Authority, stars NFL hall of famer Howie Long, who is of course driving a Silverado, as well as another guy who plays an F-150 owner. As the Ford guy exits the bed of his pickup and begins to walk away with the step still extended, Long quips “hey buddy, you left your little man step down.”

Then, an ominous voiceover asks – “would you rather have a Ford F-150 with a man step, or a Silverado that backs you for a hundred thousand miles or five years of unbeatable coverage and unbeatable value?” Well, any real man knows how to answer that question, right?

This commercial is undoubtedly humorous, but certainly hasn’t aged well. As everyone is well aware, the modern-day Silverado is loaded with “man steps,” integrated into its bumper, bed, and Multi-Flex tailgate. And prior to when this commercial was made, Chevy had already offered its own man step in the old Avalanche. Chevy also offered various versions of its CornerStep before and after 2009.

These days, Chevy has completely changed its tone on man steps, and was quick to tout both the Silverado’s Multi-Flex tailgate and GMC Sierra’s MultiPro unit in its more modern ad spots. It’s quite ironic that the automaker went from making fun of these handy features to leading the market in that regard, but that’s show business, we suppose.

Personally, we give the automaker credit for biting the bullet and changing course to keep pace with consumer demand. But at the same time, we also love looking back at these hilarious commercials of old and remembering that there was a time when real men didn’t need fancy steps to get in and out of their truck beds.

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Brett Foote

Brett Foote has been covering the automotive industry for over five years and is a longtime contributor to Internet Brands’ Auto Group sites, including Chevrolet Forum, Rennlist, and Ford Truck Enthusiasts, among other popular sites.

He has been an automotive enthusiast since the day he came into this world and rode home from the hospital in a first-gen Mustang, and he's been wrenching on them nearly as long.

In addition to his expertise writing about cars, trucks, motorcycles, and every other type of automobile, Brett had spent several years running parts for local auto dealerships.

You can follow along with his builds and various automotive shenanigans on Instagram: @bfoote.