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Take a look at this classic Chevy ad from 1969 showcasing the division’s two heavyweight muscle cars, the restyled Camaro and the Mako Shark inspired C3 Corvette. The Bowtie boys were on a roll in the late ’60’s selling 2.5 million cars a year and grabbing 25% of the US auto market. 1969 was a banner year for Chevy performance and management wasted no time getting the word out. The slogan, “We’ll take on any other two cars in this magazine..” perfectly captured the swagger Chevy had during this era.
Created by ad agency Campbell-Ewald, the magazine spread features a Camaro SS/RS and a big-block ‘Vette roped off in a barn with a pretty gal saddled up between them. Chevrolet was keen on reminding the public that the Camaro was infused with Vette DNA and took this opportunity to debut the new ’69 model alongside it’s legendary big brother.
The ’69 Camaro was more than able to stand on its own and as we all know, went on to became muscle car legend. It featured new styling, a V-shaped grill and optional hideaway headlights. The interior was all new as well and there were fourteen engine options ranging from a 6 cylinder to fire breathing big blocks. The Corvette was still fresh from a ’68 restyle, so a new 350ci small-block and minor styling revisions were the updates for ’69.
If you’re listening Chevy, why not reconstitute this campaign and start pitching the new Camaro and the ‘Vette in the same way? A little of that 60’s trash talk might put the industry on notice that Chevy’s mojo is stronger than ever.
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