SAN FRANCISCO -- A Saturn ad campaign starting this month will highlight the new Sky roadster, even though the car is sold out through the end of the year.
The 30-second and 60-second TV spots begin Monday, May 15, Dave Smidebush, Saturn's marketing director, said at a press event here. The spots feature the Sky, the new Aura mid-sized sedan and the new Vue Green Line crossover, he said.
"We're leveraging the Sky to get the message out on all the vehicles and to show that the revitalization of Saturn is under way."
The campaign also includes Internet and print ads.
Saturn's marketing strategy includes an eight-page print spread in 14 national publications, says Jill Lajdziak, Saturn's general manager.
Saturn is sold out of the Sky through at least the end of the year, Lajdziak says. That means if shoppers ordered a Sky today, depending on region, they might wait into early next year to receive the car, Lajdziak says. Some dealers have stopped taking orders, added Matt Armstrong, Saturn's marketing manager.
Lajdziak would not disclose how many Skys Saturn plans to build or hopes to sell. The car, which starts at $23,690, including shipping, is built alongside the Pontiac Solstice and Opel GT roadsters in Wilmington, Del.
Saturn will offer a red-line version of the Sky in the fall. The high-powered car is prompting some people to pull off the Sky waiting list and get on the Sky Red Line list, Armstrong said. He estimated that about 40 percent of Sky sales will be for the Red Line version.
Despite its sold-out status, Armstrong said it makes sense to advertise the Sky because it emphasizes Saturn's push to redefine itself with stylish vehicles. The Sky also might widen Saturn's customer base, which is largely female, Smidebush said. He said the Sky appeals equally to men and women.
You may e-mail Jamie LaReau at jlareau@crain.com
