Counterpoint: Sometimes Born from Jets ain’t so bad
I know that most of us like to bash “Born from Jets” because it seems to value flash over substance. However, take heart: We could be Mini fanatics that have to endure this advertising campaign for the new Mini Clubman:
zig, zag, zug
That’s right. zig, zag, zug. Really.
To quote Mini themselves:
“ ‘Zig, zag, zug’ allows us to position the Clubman as another member of the Mini family, and also allows us to promote all of the vehicles we have,” said marketing manager Trudy Hardy for Mini, Woodcliff Lake, N.J.
I’m sure that Ms. Hardy said this with a straight face. I’m not sure that I could do the same.
To make matters worse for Mini devotees, I became aware of this advertising campaign upon viewing a billboard along I-65 near my house that pictures a Mini Clubman S in a three-quarter rear view against a black background with the slogan “Someone’s been sleeping around.” in huge white lettering.
I don’t even know what that’s supposed to mean. I guess that it means that the Mini and some other vehicle, perhaps a wayward Honda Element, have given birth to the Clubman? I choose the Element because its doors are arranged in similar fashion to the Clubman, with the extra rear-hinged opening on the passenger side and the large upright rear opening. This is strictly on speculation; I’ve got no inside track on the sexual habits of faux English cars built by German companies.
In any event, Born from Jets looks good by comparison.
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“Zig, zag, zug” ?!? Don’t get it. To me it’s more like “Zzzzzzz ….”
I was quite surprised MINI went with the “Clubman” name given today’s sensitivities with political correctness and all. I guess “Clubperson” just don’t quite have the same ring, does it ?
LOL
I think the Clubman is more evidence of BMW’s rampant arrogance, much like the new X6. The Clubman is ugly as all heck. Back in the day it was basically a Mini utility vehicle, but trying to promote it as a consumer vehicle when it really is an eyesore with virtually no proportions remaining intact is further evidence that the boys in Munich are losing the plot.
And those Zug ads were all over a recent issue of Widing Road. Every 2nd or 3rd page, literally.
Me, I love the clubman specifically because it places utility over an “attractive” form (though I think it’s a great looking little car).
The X6 is inexcusable, but the mini line and their wacky ads have obviously been working, and I’d go so far as to call Mini one of the biggest marketing successes of the decade. Their ads are the definition of quirky and Saab would do well to produce some equally iconic ad material. “Born from jets” just sounds like juvenile bad English, not to mention the fact that is says nothing of pertinence about the cars, “Zig-zag-zug” does a great job of giving the reader an image of a fun, zippy quirky little car.
Disclaimer: Any of the products in the Mini line are also up there on the list of BMW products that could be my next car if Saab doesn’t get it’s act together and make something worth the money they want for it.
I am looking at a baseball game on tv and I see a Saab born from jets add on the wall behind the batter. I am not happy with the jets thing, but, It’s nice to see GM spending on the add and getting the word out a little more.
Sometimes i think this kind of word of mouth advertising scheme that seems to dominate Saab at the moment enchances peoples perspective of the brand (At least in my Northeast PA area). I notice people talking here and there about cars, when Saab comes up its always about their Power and very nice styling.
In a minor counterpoint to Swade, I think that BMW has done very well with Mini, and I think that even the Clubman will sell in reasonable numbers despite the unattractive proportions. I don’t want one, but I do covet the mindshare that such a small volume player has in the market.
I also like the advertising tactics — very creative. I simply think that zig zag zug is ridiculous. I aslo HATE the use of the word “position” as a verb. Speak English, will you?
BMW have the power to make whatever cars they like, people will buy them, because no matter what niche they decide to make they will still be good cars. I would buy a BMW if it wasn’t for the fact that every other house in my street has a BMW (or mini) in front of it. It’s an easy status symbol to buy. Granted, great cars, but FFS, sooooo unimaginative.
Born for jets? It’s been talked about, it’s a lame tagline, but at the moment it’s all Saab’s got. I’d much rather it was Saab who had “the ultimate driving experience”, but it’s not. We could go round in circles with the arguments FROM FANS who write here, but we can’t . All we can do is hope that sometime soon something will change.
You know something though….You know, that at the end of the day, Saab will NEVER be what it used to be under GM.
All that we can do is watch the whole shebang go down the tubes. It will never be seen as a progressive “manufacturer” under GM, so all we can do is piss and moan about what it should be - ie, competing against Audi, BMW and even Mercedes. At the moment, we’re running second to VW, Volvo and dare i even say it, now even Skoda.
Lets face it. Saab as a respected brand is gone. Born From Jets or not, it doesn’t matter. All that’s left is the heratige and that means very little when you’re looking at the price on the windscreen of a new car.
I own a 93SS, which even in the Saab community isn’t even respected, what hope has Joe Bloggs got? Do people even look at 95’s anymore? People are buying into nothing. For the same price, you could get a better car with your Audi, Merc or BMW - why would you buy a Saab unless you were a fan?
I very much doubt my next new car will be a Saab (although I’m still looking for an old ‘vert as a third car (for the summer)). It doesn’t matter about the naff slogans and taglines for me, it’s about the car, and the Saab brand is different enough to sway me to a certain degree, but geez, I see better cars out there…
I should clear something up - I love the Mini. I don’t like the Clubman at all, but I love the Mini. My wife wants one as soon as the mortgage is under control and I think she’ll have very little argument from me.
And Wayland, your comment has indicated to me that we’ve quite possibly been a little too introspective about the 9-3 SS. It’s had its foibles early on but the fact that you, an owner, think that the car lacks respect in the Saab commuity is a sign to me that we’ve taken things too far. Can it be improved? Absolutely. But in 2008 the Saab 9-3 is one heck of a good car and people need to know that a little more.
Sometimes we don’t appreciate things until they’re gone.
I hear ya, Swade, but c’mon, let’s face it, the 93SS isn’t really what Saab enthusisats want. It’s not going to change anytime soon either is it?
Don’t get me wrong though, as a car, I would fight you anyone the death if they did anything to my beloved “Samson” (sad name, but true).
Not being a previous generation (or beyond) Saab owner, I can’t pretend to be part of the Saab heritage that I’d actually like to be and that this website is founded on. It’s a shame, but. I think the line was drawn in 2000. I only joined the Saab community in 2005.
Steven, I’ve got a big rant about this, perhaps not the best forum to be spouting on - especially as this is supposed to be about the Mini Clubaman tagline. I’ll mail you, dark clouds and all…
Looking forward to it. And I didn’t get my first Saab until around 1999 or 2000. The heritage thing is just a matter of appreciating it or not, which is an individual thing.
btw, I do hope everyone’s going to buy GTAIV, Out today!
c’mon, the more you buy, the closer I get to buying the car I want…
…will it be a Saab?
Wayland, do you work for the company producing GTAIV or are you a Blockbuster Employee trying to hit sales quotas (I was one, for 7 years… then I quit last week because I’m a service guy not a salesman)….
Zig Zag Zug seems like a cheap spin off of Mazda’s Zoom Zoom Zoom….. but I’ll give them one thing, as sad as it is giving them one… It’s better than Pontiac’s new “Car Is” campaign. That campaign just makes me soo mad!!! Bad english, ridiculous slogan and to a car company that used to be good…. The Solstice and the G8 are holding it alive, and they sure has hell don’t deserve a horrible advertising campaign like “Car Is”.
/rant …. ::tripped over soapbox::
so that’s where I put that soapbox
:O Wayland, dude, give me your gamertag so I can kill you and get that “Kill a Rockstar Dev” achievement!!! Or are you not a dev? Please be a dev, I don’t want to hunt people for that acievement. Do you know if it’s viral?
zig zag zug iz almozt az ztupid az zoom zoom zoom. I HATE that slogan. I like Mazdas, but whoever thought up that zoom zoom zoom crap can BURN IN MARKETER’S HELL.
Jeff: lol!
“Like a rock” is my personal worst. It combines two things that I like least in music: Bob Seger and years of repetition.
I’d like to see one that really captures the essence of the Cadillac brand, like “Born from boats”! Captain Bob, are you listening?
For what it’s worth, a 16-year old guy from church did nothing more than walk past the front of my “new” (used) 2004 9-3 SS and said to me, “Born from Jets, huh?” I don’t think he necessarily knows anything about Saabs, but apparently the advertising is working well enough for him to a) immediately recognize the car as a Saab and b) tie it into the slogan, so something’s working right to reach a new potential customer base!
Biz: I agree that there’s nothing wrong with Born from Jets per se, it’s just that it hasn’t been accompanied by the right focus.
Wayland, you are over-generalizing. I am a Saab enthusiast and the 9-3 SportSedan is precisely what I want. On the other hand, a hatch is definitely not what I want.
Let us not assume that all people who like Saabs want them to come as 5-door models just because 50 people online say bring back the hatch. Saab posted record sales in 2006, with not a single hatch in their “proper” model lineup (yes, they had the 9-2X aka the Saabaru).
I like the classic Saabs, and I would love to see the new 9-1 hit production lines, but surely Saab’s main problem is not the lack of a hatchback model.
Kroum - It’s not a problem from a sales standpoint, it’s a problem from an image standpoint. Of course, that doesn’t really matter to anyone but Saabisti, soooooo it doesn’t really matter at all :p
Eggs - I liked “Like a Rock”, but yeah, that song was really annoying. The slogan on its own is up there with “tastes great, less filling” as far as recognizability, though.
MarkS - The first Cadillac was smaller than the first Chevrolet and had a one-cylinder engine, so it wasn’t much of a OH I SEE WHAT YOU DID THAR U R FUNNY HA HA HA.
First, the CTS is the same size as a Kia Optima. Now, how can you call that a boat? As for the STS and DTS, well, some people don’t want a speedy little car. Some people want comfortable highway cruisers with lots of room inside. Deal with it.
Hey Jeff, have you ever driven a Cadillac, big or small? As you said, they’re geared for “comfort” and give you that feeling of being out on the open water. Well, that and the fact that most of them over the years have been the size and shape of a garbage barge. They may have started with a 1-cylinder engine but by the ’30’s were using 12 and 16 cylinder monsters. Anyway, to each his own I guess….
That and the supposedly perfect CTS has been slammed in every C&D test where it isn’t going up against ES300’s and the like. They say that while it’s a great high-water mark for Cadillac, it’s still no sport sedan. The steering and shifter feel are two big areas that they don’t like about it, sound familiar?