Saab Oz still Grrrrrreen

Posted by swade on October 14th, 2007 11 Comments Printer-Friendly

The Green party in New Zealand recently stopped Saab from using the substance of the “Grrrreen” advertising campaign - the claim that their cars are carbon neutral because Saab purchased a 1-year carbon offset for each car sold in 2007. Saab Australia are still promoting the campaign, though the carbon-neutral claim is now ditched in favour of the simple statement that all cars attract the 12 month offset.

There were arguments on both sides. On the pro side: well, Saab are doing something practical and in doing so are going one step further than most other car companies. The cons see it as a cynical exercise in cashing in on green popularity.

Whichever way you see it, Saab are still promoting the main thrust of it, and well they should. The carbon offset is a start, and with the official release of the 9-5 BioPower here in Australia last week they have a green statement to make.

So with the help of the new, more aggressive 2008 9-3, Saab are staking their Grrrrreen claim here in Australia with some new energy. Richo caught sight of this new billboard in Sydney today. Click to enlarge.

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1985 Gripen said:

It must be a strange balancing act for that Parveen guy (isn’t that the name of the guy in charge of GM Premium in Australia?), having to sell both Saabs with the Grrrreen campaign alongside HUMMERs. How do you not look like a big hypocrite while doing this?

-October 15th, 2007 at 3:49 am
turbin said:

I’ve thought about that:

He works for GM…

-October 15th, 2007 at 6:17 am
turbin said:

BTW that billboard image can be found on the front of the Saab Oz site.

-October 15th, 2007 at 6:18 am
1985 Gripen said:

I wonder what the HUMMER to Saab sales ratio looks like. I would think that each HUMMER contributes magnitudes of scale more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere than each Saab though. So for all the good Saabs do, HUMMERs just undo that good…

-October 15th, 2007 at 6:20 am
denvernewbie said:

maybe GM can begin a Grrrrrrreen Hummer campaign —-
‘buy a Hummer today and in order to offset the carbon emissions of the Hummer we’ll throw in a free Biopower 9-5!’
Maybe??
well, it’s an idea…

-October 15th, 2007 at 6:44 am
turbin said:

Gripen,

Saab sales in Oz this year will max out at maybe 1800-1900. They expect to sell maybe 1200 Hummers a year. I’m not sure what the margins are but I bet Hummer is better. Especially with all the accessories available.

From the Saab-Hummer salesman’s point of view it is not about magnitudes of carbon-dioxide but magnitudes of margin. Therefore I expect more sales energies will also go into Hummer than Saab. So even presales CO2 ouput will be higher for Hummer than Saab before either hit the road. : P

-October 15th, 2007 at 7:47 am
turbin said:

Nice one, denvernewbie.

Not quite as funny as it first sounds though. I believe Oz dealers have already pretty much given away their 9-5s, no need to buy a Hummer.

-October 15th, 2007 at 7:49 am
TimJ said:

I can hear Kermit singing while driving a Saab:

“It’s not that easy being green
Having to spend each day the color of the leaves”
“When I think it could be nicer being red, or yellow or gold
Or something much more colorful like that . . . “
[as he drives by Hummers in those colors]

-October 15th, 2007 at 9:38 am
Jeff said:

I sure wish Saab USA would put up billboards around where I live.

-October 15th, 2007 at 9:42 am
Gunnar Heinrich said:

Did they clear that ad with Tony The Tiger?

-October 15th, 2007 at 11:38 am
dmr said:

Jeff, there used to be huge ( I mean huge…the entire side of a 10 story brick building was painted) mural of the Born From Jets ad. On my most recent visit to New York, I noticed that it was replaced with a CTS ad Now, I am a big fan of the new 2008 grille of the CTS, but I felt a personal loss.

-October 15th, 2007 at 12:11 pm