(FORTUNE Magazine) – Ask anybody under the age of 50 who the star of the 2004 election was, and he'll probably say Comedy Central's The Daily Show, the news spoof that hit record ratings in the run-up to Nov. 2. But an old-line corporate icon is also getting a boost from the show's popularity: General Motors.

Back in early 2003, GM signed up fake news correspondent Stephen Colbert, then a relative unknown, to star in a series of ads in which he traversed the country (along with the creepy mail guy from Just Shoot Me) in search of the real Mr. Goodwrench. The campaign continued this year, with two new spots debuting in October that will run through early 2005 and several others that will launch throughout the year.

Beth Grotz, marketing director for GM Parts and the Goodwrench brand, says using comedians in the ads was an attempt to "break through the clutter." She adds that they "feel fortunate to have worked with Stephen and reaped the benefits of his growing popularity."

As to whether GM plans to try and re-sign the star, Grotz wouldn't speculate. Perhaps the better question is: How high will his new pricetag be? -- Kate Bonamici