Chrysler Buys Ads Thanking You For Tax Money, You Get Pissed, Chrysler Censors You
Here's a sad little saga. After convincing our government that it was responsible enough and commercially viable enough to deserve a multi-billion-dollar bailout, Chrysler spent some of the money taking out full page ads in The Wall Street Journal and USAToday, thanking America for its money. They also posted these ads proudly on their blog. The reaction from actual Americans was, um, harsh.
The blog post in question had been gathering comments up until, we can only assume, it was pulled after becoming popular on Digg about 6 hours ago.
Thankfully Google has a cache of the page, so you don't have to miss it.
Here's a sampling of the sentiments people were expressing before Chrysler pulled the page:
- What a total waste of money. That useless ad money could have been put into research and development to make better quality and fuel efficient vehicles. This has got to be the most expensive thank you card ever written, providing better products would be just as sufficient.
- Way to blow hundreds of thousands of dollars on a useless ad campaign that will surely only worsen your public image. We weren't buying your cars before because they are all gas guzzling, unreliable, uninteresting cars that look like they were styled by the coleman plastic cooler division, inside and out. So then you steal our money through the government so you can waste more of it on useless ads, and you have the audacity to remind us all about it. Go to hell Chrysler. I was not going to buy one of your vehicles before, and I certainly am never going to do so after this.
- I signed up just to add comments in response to your ad of properly slapping the American public in the face with insensitivity and pride. Money that was "taken" from the American people wasted on advertising thanking the people the money was taken from is audacious. I don't know whether to loathe you for your insensitivity in the matter or praise you for your boldness. Clearly the move this advertising campaign was dreamed up and approved by individuals who has no contact with the average American. The problem with your company and that of many American companies is the ridiculous financial separation of upper management from that of the average middle income American. Your outrageous income and ability to choose to isolate yourselves mentally, financially, and emotionally from the consumer you serve has lead to the financial ruin of your company. However, I'm sure this is of no concern to you or your upper management team because even if your company fail, you will have your golden parachute stitched with the money taken from the pockets of people who are loosing their homes, their jobs, and their ability to provide for their family (some of these people work for your company).
- We were forced to help you. Thank us by acting responsible for a change. This ad is the equivalent to salt poured on an open wound. If you had any common sense, you would be ashamed.
- Depending on placement, full page ads placed in the Wall Street journal can cost over $200,000, not to mention the other publications where this ad was placed. So, at least a quarter of a million dollars of our money was spent on an ad thanking us for our contribution. A contribution that the majority did not want to make. This ad screams "Hey, look what we are doing with your tax dollars, lol." This ad is yet another example of frivolous and clueless spending. Thank us by using OUR money to make your company profitable, not with a meaningless ad. As the old saying goes,"Actions speak louder than words."
- It wasn't enough for you to run Home Depot into the ground, you had to take down a domestic auto manufacturer down too? Nardelli, you're a piece of work, I often wish American culture mirrored Japanese culture in the generational shame brought about by a family member.
- I'm boycotting you. My whole family is boycotting you. My mother and my father, my brothers and sisters, my sons and daughters. Just thought I'd let you know.
- You are NOT WELCOME! What an insult upon injury. Chrysler is morally bankrupt, proven by this ad thanking the very people they've stolen from. There is nothing that could ever tempt me to buy your product and it appears much of America feels the same.
- Dear Chrysler: I don't like to pay for things twice, so since I've already paid to bail you out of your mess, I won't be buying any of your vehicles. Yours Truly, A great great grand nephew of Walter P Chrysler
- You are not welcome, thieves. Your shitty, ugly cars will now sell even less, thanks to your ignorance and hubris. You better hope the government keeps printing money for you, because you aren't getting any of ours anytime soon.
- You are not welcome! Shame on you, Mr. Nardelli! Shame on all the morally bankrupt greedy, overpaid deadbeats at Cerberus! I feel sorry for the employees at Chrysler, but the fact is they do not build products that the public wants to buy. It is certainly not the fault of most of these employees, that most of the public does not want to buy these products, but life is not fair. Chrysler should be put out of its misery and Chrysler employees will have to find other jobs, just like other hardworking Americans do. It isn't easy. But hey, life sucks. Just like Chrysler products.
- If it comes down to Chrysler or walking.......we'll walk. I'll put my kids on a mule before I'll put them in a Chysler. Suck it, you parasites.
- Nardelli screwed up Home Depot. Now his incompetence is at the helm of Chrysler. Is he putting any of his 222 million golden parachute from HD on the line at Chrysler? I just bought an Xterra, made in the USA. Sorry Jeep
- I'm rolling over, but I've had to do that a lot lately. Posted Jan 2, 2009, 9:54 AM by Thomas Jefferson
This is a test using rich text formatting and html links. It's the generic "company" ad that should appear on all posts with the Company category if they don't have an ad attached to a specific company.
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Comments:
Well, using some of the money for marketing is a great idea. Market new cars, with new features, get the word out on financing. I know some would disagree. I am bitter about the bailout, but since they got it, I'm ok with them using it on marketing, because it's an intergal part of them building their company back up.
Now with that said, that AD is just absolutely stupid. Thanking us for something 63% of us were against.
They should have used that money for showing off a new car.
At the end of the day, you should direct your anger at the government for giving these neophytes a bailout.
Look at that, government economic neophytes giving private sector neophytes money. Who is the biggest group of neophtes? Us. For re-electing the same people who supported the bailout when America was very clear on how they felt.
@Bladefist: Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.
The worst part is, Cerberus Capital Management didn't want to invest their own money into the company turnaround, even though they have the money to do it. Not worth the risk of their own cash, but apparently it's worth the risk to ours.
Just wait until the next round of bailouts. The gov't will take a stake in the company, and the UAW will basically be government workers. They'll be getting money and benefits forever, you'll never get rid of them then.
@1stMarDiv: American cars have improved a lot lately. After only owning Japanese cars, I am seriously looking at a Ford as my next purchase.
The issue was that another blog slammed the ad. A bunch of the same comments wound up there. Some actual Chrysler product buyers went there and disputed the slams and were bounced. The mob then went to the Chrysler blog and slammed it (almost word for word). These weren't actual Chrysler buyers, just troublemakers. CU never found a Mopar it didnt slam anyway so since the Consumerist is now owned by them, I see the lineage.
This just shows you how out of touch these people who are running the car companies are.
We are out of money... lets take our private fleet of jets to Washington for a meeting...
Hey we got some money - lets waste some saying thanks in which will do nothing to help our business.
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What do car companies need to do: New leaders.
Leaders who's pay reflect how the company is doing. If the company rebounds and makes big profits, then the leaders of the company can have big pay checks. If the company is doing poorly and not making money, then the leaders should get less money. (NOW - They get more money in the hopes they can turn things around....) FAIL
Chrysler Buys a Starring Role in Terminator 4.. ?? !!
( Flushing sounds ) ''''''
As from Fox news . [www.foxnews.com]
Wow there goes the $$ again...
I'm sticking with my Mercedes. Made in Sweet Home Alabama, providing tax income to my state to pay for schooling, roads, and growth.
I was against the Bank "Bailout", I was against the Car "Loans" and I'm starting to hate the TARP program as a whole.
Screw You, Chrysler, AIG, BoA, and all you other losers.
Yeah as you say "they are not Chrysler buyers" but yet they still had to pay for its bailout, it makes it even worse, you fail.
@Telekinesis123: Yeah, they paid for it with dollars loaned to the US from China by banks bailed out by the US with 30 times the cash. I guess the banking system is thanking us every day. No thank you note from them, not even a loan.
@downwithmonstercable: no they haven't improved at all. I think you may be falling for the repetition trick. Automakers and their "friends" keep saying "American cars have improved a lot lately" and it keeps getting bounced around in every article and tv news report until it seems like the truth. It is not.
You can go ahead and refresh yourself:
2006:
No top 10 car is american
From 10 days ago:
The 10 Most Reliable Car Brands VS Your Preconceived Notions - Spoiler - No American brands on top 10 most reliable list.
@Tmoney02: Ouch, I have been thoroughly owned. There is overwhelming supporting data to show the reliability of american cars has improved. Throwing two charts that consumerist posted from Consumer Reports doesn't really give you much of a platform to stand on. Those same charts say that Korean cars are better than all European cars. Right.
@Sorentso: Yep. I'm from Michigan and several family members worked for GM. I tried two; one died (admittedly I bought it used), the other was brand-new and a lemon in the most horrifying fashion - its brakes repeatedly failed. And they never successfully fixed it.
My third car was Japanese and never broke down and got 40mpg on the freeway. I had to sell it when I moved to Manhattan. I miss it!
I've never been censored and I've said some pretty horrible things in the past.
@Tmoney02: [www.consumerreports.org]
Consumer Reports JUST admitted that Ford's reliability is now on par with Toyota and Honda. And that's from a publication that has been more biased against American cars than any other recently. JD Power's quality studies have shown American brands like Mercury, Lincoln, Buick, Caddy, and Ford in the top 10 and top 5 for years. Next time before opening your biased mouth, you should probably do a little more research.
@lodleader: Built in the USA does not mean the profits stay here. There's a reason that buying Japanese cars counts against our trade deficit. Not that you'd care though. You keep screeching like a 12 year old girl who got her cell phone taken away for the weekend "BUT it was BUILT HERE!!!!!111!1!!!!"
@downwithmonstercable: Where is this data? I have looked for it and no reliable company has been able to provide any. Sure the tv ads say it but hey also say American made cars are green and made in green factories which we all can clearly see isnt true.
@Bourque77: The Ford Fusion is now more reliable and fuel efficient than the Camry (and looks about 1000x better too, if I do say so).
@Kevin Weber: Who to trust... an unbiased publication that takes no freebies or advertising money, or a publication that depends on advertising and has to keep those advertisers happy? Hmmmmm
Funny thing is, I used to only buy American until I drove Japanese technology and now I only buy Japanese.
So...WTF! I say DIE American garbage! After suffering with horrible autos I have to bail these bozos out?? My GAWD! Let the better manufacturer win dammit! That IS CAPITALISM! Wow we are hypocrites.



















ouch......
someone needs to get fired now