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McCain is a Ford, Obama a BMW
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Straight Talk Tough or The Ultimate Campaigning Machine?
We’ve become obsessed with associating political affiliations –and our political candidates - with non-political things. First it was Red state or blue state. Then Bill Clinton ushered in the boxers or briefs era. Starbucks latte or 7-Eleven coffee has been the designation du jour. Now, we can throw automobiles into the mix.
A recent survey conducted by Landor Associates and research firm Penn, Schoen and Berland, asked respondents which commercial brands they most closely associated the presidential candidates with. Categories included retailers (McCain-Wal Mart, Obama-Target), search engines (McCain-AOL, Obama-Google) and even fictional counterterrorism agents (McCain-Jack Bauer, Obama-James Bond). Falling in line was the candidates’ affiliation with automobiles, where McCain was perceived like a Ford and Obama, a BMW.
Shocker.
But let’s break down the comparison to see how accurate this survey really is.
Ford: A classic nameplate that has been around for decades and pioneered the automotive industry as we know it. Its founder, Henry Ford, was born during the Civil war. Produced the Mustang, which has traditionally been associated with the maverick, rebel spirit. Its products have been characterized by conservative, sometimes bland styling and have been popular in America’s heartland. Alliances with style-over-substance brands like Jaguar and Range Rover have hurt the company. In recent years, the company has struggled to bring revolutionary, compelling and reliable products to market, though new vehicle like the Edge and Flex may buck that trend. Change has been difficult
BMW: Its’ homeland was once one of our greatest enemies. Respected worldwide as a quality, premium brand, BMW is known for sleek, high performance cars that have arguably become as sought-after as any domestic. Popular among the young and wealthy. Perceived by some as a status symbol rather than practical transportation. Knocked by layman for reliability, its best-selling model (the 3-series) consistently appears on Consumer Reports’ most reliable list. Owns classic brand Rolls Royce, and has seen great success with its Mini Cooper – one of the 10 most fuel efficient gasoline cars on the road today. May purchase safety stalwart Volvo from Ford. Known for meticulous engineering and groundbreaking technological advances.
What do you think?
Photo Courtesy Getty Images
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