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Subaru crash advertising on TV

5K views 41 replies 21 participants last post by  johnre 
#1 ·
It bugged the c'hit out of me even before Marjie decided she wanted an Outback. I found those "I lived." ads totally offensive. I liken it to an implication Tesla drivers can take a nap or the current Ford ads where they take their hands off the wheel. (What 16 yr old is not going show his friends that cool trick?!) I would not be surprised to hear of an attorney playing these ads in front of a jury ...of selected, non-Subaru drivers.

What does Subaru say to those who do not qualify to make a commercial?




Jim
 
#7 ·
For decades, safety was the "third rail" of automotive advertising; today, that's changed. I see the Subaru "we lived" ads as confronting the topic of collision safety directly, presenting it as a differentiating feature.

I do join the OP in objecting to those ads that condone or promote inattention to driving ... usually of the breathless "It stopped the car for me!" variety. Ford and Nissan are two prime offenders that come immediately to mind. On the other hand, IMO, Lincoln's "Technology that helps put you in control" slogan is an excellent counter-example.
 
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#13 ·
As a car enthusiast I can see where you're coming from and even agree with this sentiment.

As a pragmatist I can't. Marketing needs to appeal to lowest common denominator. It needs to speak to people that think that vaccines cause autism, that global warming is a Chinese conspiracy, or that John Oliver is a journalist plus everyone in between.

If this advertisement convinces someone to buy a car with eyesight so they can play on their phone more that isn't a bad thing.. They're going to be on their phone anyway, wouldn't you rather having someone driving behind you with eyesight than without?

My dog was crippled by someone playing on their phone and driving into us while we were stopped. If the car had eyesight the damage would have been minor or completely avoided.

I for one welcome our all seeing all controlling benevolent overlords, they've got a better track record than us mere mortals do.
 
#30 ·
Check J.C. Whitney's web site in a few years.
I got those catalogs for years. Miss them sometimes as comical reading material. The stuffed animal for the rear window with lights for eyes that connect to the brake lights. :grin2:

But I also ordered parts from them at times. Of course with the Internet there are so many more options for parts now.
 
#9 ·
The ones where they let families of dogs drive around unsupervised might be sending the wrong message as well.
Given the skill level and attention span of some human drivers I've encountered over the years, the dogs are OK. (I readily admit that I've never seen a dog that wouldn't lose focus when a squirrel crosses the road.)
 
#17 ·
Interesting... I see these commercials taking brand-established safety-oriented features (which is why I herded my wife toward the OB) and pushing the limits to, perhaps the subconscious of a fearful consumer. Who would not want to avoid the fate of 3,000 people per day? It seems the actual stats could stand on their own, but perhaps are not visceral enough for today's busy consumer. Anyway...

Jimmy
 
#24 ·
Every car manufacture has it's strong points. Subaru has always focused on safety. From eyesight to the new SGP frame. Everybody has gone to modular platforms but Subaru put some extra thought into theirs. Very strong and robust enough so it can meet safety standards into the future. I think 2026? Now lets focus on some better engine and transmission options and I will be completly satisfied. They seem obsessed with the infotainment thing now and while I like the upgrade in 17 with Impreza, new Forester, and Ascent(8inch) I think the 2020 Outback is trying to hard. Put a base engine in it with some guts. 7 more HP and the same TQ is lame IMO.
 
#26 ·
I wrote a paper on Subaru advertising for a grad school class - their advertising reflects our own situation well, going from newly married to having kids, to now having future drivers - and the safety features are absolutely a strong sell to us. For instance, we realize our next car will be the one our kids learn to drive on, so instead of figuring out how rear facing carseats fit (I don't miss the days of two full size car seats in my husband's old RS!) we are considering the safety features for new drivers. Similarly, my parents are late 60s/early 70s and when they bought their new outback, they made sure to get Eyesight and other features (an 18 Limited, so I think it was still optional there.) It's not fully outsourcing responsibility of the driver, but react times go down with aging and having an assist is worth the money. I'd like to see the next ad feature boomers like my parents maintaining their driving independence more confidently with safety systems like eyesight. (And my folks are in great physical and mental health - currently on a month long golfing road trip in the southeast with that outback.)
 
#28 ·
We are in our 70s. One reason we bought our 2017 OB limited with eyesight was the technology and safety features. I will be considering a 2020 touring XT because of the newer safety features including a front camera, lane centering and driver's focus.
 
#33 ·
Man people love to complain. Don't like the "They lived" commercials. Well you're due your dislikes and I will respect that. Me... I am one of those commercials. Sitting in my Outback with my wife at a stoplight and here comes a Ford F-250 not even slowing. I had time to yell Sit back!" to my wife then slammmm! Didn't even slow down. Blew out the entire back half of the car. Luckily my kids were not in there! When they hit us it surprised them because they must've hit the pedal thinking it was the brake because they slammed us again. We were pushed into the car in front of us and ended up totaling their Volkswagen. When all settled my wife and I got out of the car. The people in the Volkswagen, they didn't. They ended up getting taken to the emergency room from their injuries (They weren't faking because i helped the driver who started vomiting)



Kicker... when the police and the tow truck company arrived, they both said to us "They lived, now I get it". Commercials hit home sometimes and become a staple of things. I attribute a lot of the walking away with minor issues to everything from the car build to the way it reacted in the accident to the support of the seating. Me, I dig the commercials because it's more than just me or my kids hitting someone and think that it brought a lot of light on the safety of the brand.
 
#34 ·
Me... I am one of those commercials.
I likewise have a story to tell. I was hit from behind at perhaps 50 MPH by a 4,000 lb. Jeep Cherokee while stopped at a stoplight in my fisrt OB, a 2005 Gen 3. My car jumped forward 70 feet, and both the driver and passenger seat backs broke - that's how hard we were hit. But I got out and walked away; my passenger likewise, although he had a few facial cuts from glass flying forward from the shattered rear window.

More details of damage here:

https://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/...ml#post3633682

Another driver who saw it all and stopped to help had a similar reaction like that of the police with the previous poster - and in fact he explained that he had a teenager starting to drive, he was starting to look for an extra car in the family, and he would be heavily influenced by what he had just witnessed.
 
#36 ·
I spent 15+ years driving Saabs and the #1 reason I always gave for "why do I drive them" was safety. I can't remember the number of stories I have heard of how a Saab saved someone's life ... and keep in mind, this was before all the current tech (Saab died in 2011).

I have to admit that when I started looking at Subaru again (I was trying to buy an Outback when I first got into Saab), I completely forgot about their safety ratings.

In my 35 years of driving, I have been involved in 2 accidents; the first I was rear ended and the Saab totaled (I had a trailer on the back) and the second was a minor accident where I rear ended another car in slippery conditions (almost made it to a stop). But I am glad that I am again in one of the safest cars out there!!!
 
#38 ·
I used to work with a guy that only drove Saab's. When I asked about his love for them, his answer was because he only lived 2 miles from a Saab mechanic. :grin2:
 
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#41 ·
I have no issue with Subaru, or any car manufacturer citing the crash survivability of their vehicle; it is definitely a factor to consider when looking to buy a car.

WRT non-human drivers...

Animals: Nope!
Computers: Well, let me say this... "Boeing 737 MAX". Mistakes will be made in the programming, people will be hurt. The same humans whose driving skills we have no faith in are the same species as those programming the computers. Humans are fallible in whatever they do.

As for a good driver being better because of Eyesight. Perhaps in some situation that I haven't encountered yet; but my experience so far has been annoyance over distracting warnings about crossing lane markings while I'm purposely avoiding ostacles, or the car ahead has moved - but the light is now red. I really like the adaptive cruise control, but still keep my feet near the pedals, ready to take over control, not out the window.
 
#42 ·
Computers: Well, let me say this... "Boeing 737 MAX". Mistakes will be made in the programming, people will be hurt. The same humans whose driving skills we have no faith in are the same species as those programming the computers. Humans are fallible in whatever they do.
The metric for whether computers or humans do better is only about the overall safety records of each - not individual anecdotes of spectacularly stupid accidents.

Yes, computers will still do stupid things. And then, once this is examined, their code will be fixed to make them better. If they are like the airline industry, discoveries will have to be shared with everyone. All this at the same time that the average human driver skill set may be becoming atrophied.

Insurance companies will only look at this bottom line. And this is the way it probably should be.
 
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