GPS navigation system maker Garmin, a first-time Super Bowl advertiser, is going all-out with a lavishly produced spot that is both an homage to Godzilla movies and 1980's hair metal. You read that right.
In the 30-second spot, which is actually an abbreviated version of a two and a half minute long music video, a frustrated driver battles the evil Maposaurus. And it all takes place to a catchy tune sung by Steve Grimmett, former lead singer of the band Grim Reaper. Sample lyrics "Grab your Garmin. Take on the world. GPS power speaks the truth. MP3. Traffic alerts. Bluetooth!"
"The decision to advertise came out of the company's desire to be more of a consumer-oriented brand," said Jon Cassat, Garmin's director of marketing communications. "We wanted people to know who Garmin is, know what Garmin does and at the end of the spot feel good about it. We wanted to take high-tech satellite navigation and make it fun."
Cassat concedes that it may be tough to truly measure how much of a financial impact the ad will have on Garmin's sales, but he said the company hopes to definitely generate buzz for the company and product. "We figured we'd do a silly spot that's entertaining and memorable," he said. "We hope the song gets in peoples' heads and rattles around there for a long long time."