The Chevrolet Malibu was supposed to be a big seller for the much beleaguered auto maker. The car was built to appeal to the masses who just want a cheap, fuel efficient econo-box to get from point A to point B. An advertising campaign was launched to spread the news about the new revision to the old Malibu, and the slogan of the campaign was “The all new 2008 Chevy Malibu. It’s the car you can’t ignore.” The slogan sure was annoying, and having been subjected to riding in a Malibu for several years, I found it rather ironic. You see, this particular Malibu owned by my fiance, seemed to have serious quality issues. The HVAC controls stopped working all together after she had it for only a few months, and the transmission.. Oh the transmission. It was an automatic. It downshifted in a fit of whiplash, and just generally acted like it was on its way out. Slipping and clunking, and it was only 2 or 3 years old. But enough with my experience.

It turns out the car “you can’t ignore”(yes I can!) got ignored by the United Auto Workers. In spite of Chevrolet’s need to sell these cars as fast as possible, workers have halted the assembly line for the new Malibu, which may make it difficult for people who WANT to buy the car to get ahold of one. I have no commentary to add for this situation other than to point out the irony of the situation, since the “car you can’t ignore” got snubbed by its own manufacturer. Hopefully next time marketing will choose another slogan that isn’t so obnoxious.