LOOSE LIPS SINK ‘VETTES
The new Corvette will make its debut at a special event in Detroit on January 13th, and between now and then I can assure you that we will be inundated with videos, “sneak” images and other pertinent attacks of Internet information from here on out, all designed to make enthusiasts salivate at the prospect of the first new Corvette in years.

And it will be all wrong, and on so many levels too.

The prevailing mindset proffered by sparkly image wranglers these days (and when I say “image wranglers” I am referring to advertising, marketing and PR operatives) is: 1. You must manipulate the playing field. 2. That means that absolutely nothing can be left to chance. And 3. Only we know the what, where, when, why and how of it all, and we will orchestrate to a fare-thee-well in order to accomplish our mission.

But do you really need to beat the anticipatory drums for one of the most iconic sports cars in the world? Do you think there’s a chance that A. Someone with even a shred of automotive curiosity wouldn’t have heard something about a new Corvette coming? Or that B. It wouldn’t be instantaneous news across the mediasphere the moment it was unveiled?

But if I were tasked to lead the launch of the new Corvette, I wouldn’t allow any teases of any kind. That means no early discussion of its content, no hints at what it will or won’t do, no emblem reveals, no engine spec disclosure, no design reveals in the shadows, no n-o-t-h-i-n-g.

Remember, this is the Corvette we’re talking about here. It is one of exactly two automotive nameplates in this business – the Ford Mustang being the other – that transcend all consumer groups in this country. Nearly everyone has some sort of personal Corvette story, or a remembrance of the car from some point in his or her lives.

I would venture to guess that if Chevrolet operatives had completely kept a lid on the new Corvette and released zero information of any kind, the resulting media frenzy would be spectacular, and if the new Corvette lives up to its billing, even more so.

Let this be a forewarning to the enthusiasts over in Dearborn who are feverishly at work on the next-generation Mustang. Pay attention to how Chevrolet is setting the table for the new Corvette and use it as a road map on how not to do it.

Remember that creating excitement does not mean controlling every last shred of information.

It means letting people’s imaginations and emotional connections run wild with anticipation.