Joe Isuzu back on the screen
The Japanese automaker is bringing its popular advertising mascot back to the front lines of sales
The Japanese automaker is bringing its popular advertising figure back to the sales frontBy Thérèse Balduzzi
For the new American Isuzu campaign, Goodby, Silverstein & Partners took the Joe Isuzu character out of mothballs. The character of the uninhibitedly exaggerated car salesman enjoyed great popularity in the 1980s; the comeback of the character is meeting with equally great approval.
Actually, Goodby, Silverstein & Partners from San Francisco had developed a different idea for the new Isuzu campaign. When the client's desire to revive the Joe Isuzu character suddenly arose, action had to be taken quickly; the agency made a virtue out of necessity.
Joe Isuzu, a 1986 invention of the Della Femina McNamee agency, lies shamelessly and has a strong tendency to overestimate himself.
In the first spot, "Lease Hacks," which aired this spring, unkempt Joe is at home watching TV in bed. When he sees an Isuzu commercial, he complains loudly that Isuzu just doesn't make good commercials anymore since he's not in them.
In "The Call," Joe receives a call from Isuzu after eleven years. He is asked to come back and sell cars. Joe is asked if he still looks the same, to which the notorious liar replies in the affirmative. In reality, he has put on quite a bit of fat, which he begins to work off in the rest of the commercial. To this end, his wife rides in the car, holding large boards with Isuzu advertising slogans out the window, while Joe runs after her.
In "Joe's Pitch", Joe - now back in top form - finds himself in Isuzu's Research and Development department. Joe presents his spot idea for the new Axiom: it is imperative to film in New York, Sweden and Hawaii in order to demonstrate the various advantages of the car. Joe imagines himself being massaged by blondes in Sweden and enjoying the vacation atmosphere in Hawaii. These are the images shown in the commercial. However, the Isuzu executives just laugh at Joe.
In the USA, the same applies to advertising: The main thing is famous.
"Celebrity Joe," finally, is a parody of tours of celebrity residences that are frequently seen on television. Joe Isuzu gives a tour of his home and shows visitors what has changed since his comeback: the new art on the walls, the new cappuccino machine, and the five new Axioms in his driveway, one for each workday. On one of them, Joe's face is airbrushed onto the hood.
The revival of the old advertising celebrity is a thoroughly American phenomenon, in which it doesn't matter what you became famous for. The main thing is that you are.
For the new American Isuzu campaign, Goodby, Silverstein & Partners took the Joe Isuzu character out of mothballs. The character of the uninhibitedly exaggerated car salesman enjoyed great popularity in the 1980s; the comeback of the character is meeting with equally great approval.
Actually, Goodby, Silverstein & Partners from San Francisco had developed a different idea for the new Isuzu campaign. When the client's desire to revive the Joe Isuzu character suddenly arose, action had to be taken quickly; the agency made a virtue out of necessity.
Joe Isuzu, a 1986 invention of the Della Femina McNamee agency, lies shamelessly and has a strong tendency to overestimate himself.
In the first spot, "Lease Hacks," which aired this spring, unkempt Joe is at home watching TV in bed. When he sees an Isuzu commercial, he complains loudly that Isuzu just doesn't make good commercials anymore since he's not in them.
In "The Call," Joe receives a call from Isuzu after eleven years. He is asked to come back and sell cars. Joe is asked if he still looks the same, to which the notorious liar replies in the affirmative. In reality, he has put on quite a bit of fat, which he begins to work off in the rest of the commercial. To this end, his wife rides in the car, holding large boards with Isuzu advertising slogans out the window, while Joe runs after her.
In "Joe's Pitch", Joe - now back in top form - finds himself in Isuzu's Research and Development department. Joe presents his spot idea for the new Axiom: it is imperative to film in New York, Sweden and Hawaii in order to demonstrate the various advantages of the car. Joe imagines himself being massaged by blondes in Sweden and enjoying the vacation atmosphere in Hawaii. These are the images shown in the commercial. However, the Isuzu executives just laugh at Joe.
In the USA, the same applies to advertising: The main thing is famous.
"Celebrity Joe," finally, is a parody of tours of celebrity residences that are frequently seen on television. Joe Isuzu gives a tour of his home and shows visitors what has changed since his comeback: the new art on the walls, the new cappuccino machine, and the five new Axioms in his driveway, one for each workday. On one of them, Joe's face is airbrushed onto the hood.
The revival of the old advertising celebrity is a thoroughly American phenomenon, in which it doesn't matter what you became famous for. The main thing is that you are.
