What's the point of all the commercials?

[Volusiano]

I actually think their new Zero commercial is pure genius.

You can't unsee that prego's belly... how does that make someone want to buy an electric car?

I guess they're going for the mature market.

I think the round (like a Zero) pregnant belly is their clever play of the new Zero emission in the literal sense (of being round) against the symbolic sense of it representing the round earth/environment and also against the symbol of protecting our future (in the sense of protecting the unborn baby from having to pay for the price of environmental problems that we create). It has meaning on so many levels and is a play on "nothing" vs "everything".

 

[AndyH]

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/persuaders/

 

[TRONZ]

Ratz, my iPad won't load that.

 

[SteveInSeattle]

The Prius has increased sales of non-hybrid Toyotas by creating a brand image of innovation and eco-values. Subaru advertises "zero land-fill assembly plants" in Indiana-- the Leaf ads are the same thing. In my opinion the Leaf wasn't designed to seel Leafs, it was designed to sell Nissans. Think how many brands there are-- they are hard to differentiate, the Leaf helps to do that. Nissan, "We belive in the power of zero"-- that and selling more Armadas!

 

[thankyouOB]

Lose the climate-change denier market? hard to figure that one. Deniers drive their SUVs and Hummers and four-wheel drive trucks as a bumper sticker for their lifestyle.

 

[HIOJim]

Lose the climate-change denier market? hard to figure that one. Deniers drive their SUVs and Hummers and four-wheel drive trucks as a bumper sticker for their lifestyle.

My subjective observations lead me to believe that most people are motivated most by financial influences when it comes to buying 'green' autos. A local Toyota dealer told me that his Prius sales had a direct correlation to the price of gasoline. So whether one believes in climate change or not, if the price of fuel goes up past a certain point cars like the Leaf will become more attractive.

This is not to say that there aren't passionate EV advocates that would buy one for ethical reasons. Heck, I put myself in that category. But our numbers are not that great...

 

[cardw]

When we did our LEAF gathering at the Roseville Earth Festival on April 16 there were still a lot of people who had never even heard of the LEAF. I was asked if it was a hybrid and who made it. There was genuine surprise that a major car maker was offering a pure electric vehicle.

There was a person who said they were a selfish ecologist, which, to them, meant they believed we need to help reduce pollution, but also save money doing it. I think I might be more in that category since my purchase has really saved me money. My payment on the car is less than I was paying for gas even at $3.00 per gallon. It looks like my maintenance costs will be less as well. My situation will allow me to use the car for a long time because my range needs are met even as the battery ages and looses capacity.

Since the car has a limited range it doesn't fit everyone's needs, but when it does meet one's needs the savings are considerable particularly with the tax credits and state refunds.

Right now it takes a fairly complicated analysis to see if the car works for you and that takes education of the public about the car and how to use it. As the range increases and the time to charge goes down and battery durability increases many of these complications will disappear, but until then there is still a lot of education that needs to happen.

 

[cardw]

Not so sure i agree. It seems to have been aimed very much at the environmentalists, possibly alienating other groups such as climate-change deniers,

Lose the climate-change denier market? hard to figure that one. Deniers drive their SUVs and Hummers and four-wheel drive trucks as a bumper sticker for their lifestyle.

I have been using the "be free of foreign oil" argument. Go USA!

I'm tired of sending so much money to big oil as well.

 

[gbshaun]

Not so sure i agree. It seems to have been aimed very much at the environmentalists,

LOL, You say that like it's unimportant?!? You must be a seperate special someone who does not need to breath air or drink water. If you hadn't noticed, Environmentalists fight to make these things clean for EVERYONE (even the people that still believe the world is flat). Nissan is just eloquently showing EVERYONE, EVERYTHING we have in common. But hay, some people can even turn the top view of a merry-go-round into a wedge issue. Too funny.

TRONZ I don't think you need to be defending environmentalist as i don't believe anyone here is challenging them/us. However, for EV's to realize their full potential benefits on our air and water it's going to be necessary that they make huge sales well beyond this segment of the community. Making personal financial sense is ultimately the holy grail, but probably the biggest hurdle for now (I wonder how many of us even would still be buying at $33k). A European-scale gas tax would help. However, even before they can stand on their own two terminals, EV's are already attractive for other reasons. I remember receiving a questionnaire from Nissan delving into what my motivating factor was for making a reservation. National security happens to be one that is important to me, and I believe that buying a Leaf helps us in that regard.
As we're all highly-potential or actual customers, every one of our comments (ad likes/dislikes) are 100% valid.

 

[TRONZ]

TRONZ I don't think you need to be defending environmentalist as i don't believe anyone here is challenging them/us.

Don't mean to creep you out or anything but there is no shortage of anti-environmentalists on MNL. In fact, there are a couple of notable ones in this thread.

What makes me laugh is these BS artists have spent years saying " Prius (sic)" like it was a bad word, now really need one... but can't, because of the Eco-Image stigma they've worked so hard to create for it?!?! LOVE IT!!! Or better yet, now, a LEAF! And YES, NOT for the environment, but for very selfish personal reasons (gas$$$$$). After all, heaven forbid accidentally doing anything good for the " environment (sic)". So yes, I am fine with Nissan possibly offending the Drill Baby Drill crowd with beautiful images of our world and the Environment. In fact, clear a path while these folks run screaming to the back of the adoption line. While waiting, they might just get over it and learn to say Environmentalist with respect. That would also solve their little Eco-Image problem.

 

[TomT]

I guess such things simply don't work on me. I'm no more or less likely to buy a Nissan now than I was before the Leaf. Likewise a Toyota because of the Prius... I might add that I've never owned a Nissan before and only one Toyota (a 1988, bottom of the line - Convenience Package only, 4 banger, 5 speed pickup).

The Prius has increased sales of non-hybrid Toyotas by creating a brand image of innovation and eco-values. Subaru advertises "zero land-fill assembly plants" in Indiana-- the Leaf ads are the same thing. In my opinion the Leaf wasn't designed to seel Leafs, it was designed to sell Nissans. Think how many brands there are-- they are hard to differentiate, the Leaf helps to do that. Nissan, "We belive in the power of zero"-- that and selling more Armadas!

 

[AndyH]

TRONZ I don't think you need to be defending environmentalist as i don't believe anyone here is challenging them/us.

Don't mean to creep you out or anything but there is no shortage of anti-environmentalists on MNL. In fact, there are a couple of notable ones in this thread.

What makes me laugh is these BS artists have spent years saying " Prius (sic)" like it was a bad word, now really need one... but can't, because of the Eco-Image stigma they've worked so hard to create for it?!?! LOVE IT!!! Or better yet, now, a LEAF! And YES, NOT for the environment, but for very selfish personal reasons (gas$$$$$). After all, heaven forbid accidentally doing anything good for the " environment (sic)". So yes, I am fine with Nissan possibly offending the Drill Baby Drill crowd with beautiful images of our world and the Environment. In fact, clear a path while these folks run screaming to the back of the adoption line. While waiting, they might just get over it and learn to say Environmentalist with respect. That would also solve their little Eco-Image problem.

Really TRONZ! You're among friends that care about your well being. Don't feel as though you have to self-censor or keep it in! :lol:

In the slight off-chance it helps, here's a quote from an obviously far-far left organization from 2003:

...With inadequate preparation, the result [of abrupt climate change] could be a significant drop in the human carrying capacity of the Earth's environment...

Which commie-pinko group published this nonsense? A think tank hired by the US Pentagon.
http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf&AD=ADA469325

I'll put some of my government-ese translation skillz to the test here. "Drop in the human carrying capacity" roughly translates into "In the event we hit an iceberg en route, you'll want to get to the lifeboats as quickly as possible because there are 7 billion of you and only enough lifeboats for 4 billion. Have a nice vacation!"

 

[thankyouOB]

TRONZ I don't think you need to be defending environmentalist as i don't believe anyone here is challenging them/us.

Don't mean to creep you out or anything but there is no shortage of anti-environmentalists on MNL. In fact, there are a couple of notable ones in this thread.

What makes me laugh is these BS artists have spent years saying " Prius (sic)" like it was a bad word, now really need one... but can't, because of the Eco-Image stigma they've worked so hard to create for it?!?! LOVE IT!!! Or better yet, now, a LEAF! And YES, NOT for the environment, but for very selfish personal reasons (gas$$$$$). After all, heaven forbid accidentally doing anything good for the " environment (sic)". So yes, I am fine with Nissan possibly offending the Drill Baby Drill crowd with beautiful images of our world and the Environment. In fact, clear a path while these folks run screaming to the back of the adoption line. While waiting, they might just get over it and learn to say Environmentalist with respect. That would also solve their little Eco-Image problem.

Bravo, Tronz.
If those fools want to keep driving their SUVs, they will. It is not just an issue of what pencils out for me, but also what pencils out for the earth.
I am able to switch transport modes so that we dont pollute, have cleaner air, have less need for the blood-for-oil wars, put less money in the pockets of the oil gang. that is my motivation. does it pencil out? of course!!!