News
Hot Rod
Sun Apr 07 2013 03:43:13 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
Ford bondage ads reportedly trigger firings at Indian ad agency.
You will probably remember the ads for the Ford Figo hatchback in India, the ones that showcased the extra large boot of the little hatchback by joking that you can fit three of your enemies in the trunk. One of the ads had Michael Schumacher in the front seat, obviously pleased about having Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso tied up in the back. But the other two had Paris Hilton and ex-Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi up front and three bound and gagged women in the back – in Hilton's case (shown above), it was the Kardashians.
This did not go over well, and Reuters reports that certain employees at JWT India have been fired over the matter. It is also reported that the images weren't actual advertisements, nor were they part of an actual campaign; JWT said they "were never intended for paid publication, were never requested by our Ford client." A JWT rep said the employees who created the ads did so on their own, Ford commented to Automotive News that the ads were "part of a creative exercise intended to test concepts for an advertising competition."
The problem, if the story is to be believed, is that the employees skipped the regular review protocols and uploaded their work to an ad industry site – they were found on Ads of the World. That page, like the employees, has been removed.
Hot Rod
Sun Apr 07 2013 03:39:16 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
First production 2014 Corvette Stingray Convertible auctioned for a cool million.
Barrett-Jackson auctioned off the first production 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible in Palm Beach this evening, with the open-top two-seater commanding a huge winning bid of $1,000,000 from Rick Hendrick, owner of NASCAR team Hendrick Motorsports.
While the Geneva Motor Show C7 prototype is pictured above (it also was shown at Barrett-Jackson), Hendrick won rights to the first retail production model (VIN undetermined at this time), allowing him to choose both color and options before his V8 sports car rolls off the assembly line in the near future. Hopefully, by the time that happens, we will all know more about its soft convertible top, double-bubble tonneau and the mechanism that opens and lowers the fully automatic roof at speeds upwards of 30 mph.
It is worth mentioning that proceeds from the sale of this first C7 droptop will benefit the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer institute, one of 40 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the United States that strives to prevent, detect and eradicate all forms of cancer. The General Motors Foundation is a longtime supporter of Karmanos, with nearly $6 million in support over the last 15 years.