General Motors’ Saturn unit is inviting agencies to pitch for the launch of its new Ion car and coupé line next fall.
Saturn’s two brands – the S-Series and L-Series – are both handled by Publicis Hal Riney & Partners in San Francisco, which will take part in the review. The Ion replaces the small S-Series line, and is targeted at 30-somethings, a decade younger than Saturn’s current market.
A Saturn spokesman denied that the Ion review reflects dissatisfaction with Riney’s work for its other brands. However, the campaign backing the launch of the L-Series in 1999 was not hugely successful, with Riney having to create new ads a few months later.
Billings were not disclosed. Saturn spent $312.5 million in measured media last year, $180m on the L-Series which was in its first full twelve months of ads. The spokesman declined to list potential participants.
News source: AdAge.com
