BUZZ LIGHTYEAR TRADES IN HIS INFINITI FOR A CHEVY

"To Infiniti and beyond!" Evidently, “beyond” now means Chevrolet, as Tim Allen—the voice of Buzz Lightyear—becomes the new voice of Chevrolet. The first ad airs on Tuesday, September 7th, for the all-new 2011 Chevrolet Cruze. Tim Allen is no stranger to the car world. “As a kid growing up in the Motor City, the itch to tinker with cars was unavoidable,” says Allen. “One of the first cars I worked on was a VW-based dune buggy and I haven’t stopped loving cars since.”

Allen’s passion for cars ranks right up there with Jay Leno. Among his collection are a custom Cadillac DeVille DTSi in which Allen contributed to the design, the Tim Allen Moal Roadster Special (with its Ford Racing 351 with SVO GT40 aluminum heads and Edelbrock manifold), the Tim Allen Design 1996 Chevy LT5 Impala SS, a 1956 Ford F-100 Custom Pickup with a 1100-horsepower 426 Hemi, a 1946 Ford Convertible built on his hit TV show “Home Improvement,” and a 1933 Ford Roadster fitted with a 350 Chevy engine (RRR branded)—another featured player on “Home Improvement”. “Tim Allen brings the right combination of a recognizable voice with the credibility, likeability and humor that will connect with viewers,” said Joel Ewanick, vice president, U.S. marketing, General Motors. “His passion for all things cars makes him the perfect match for the Chevrolet brand.” “Everyone knows Tim Allen is a ‘car guy’ with Michigan roots,” said Debbie Crispin, owner of Bill Crispin Chevrolet in Saline, Michigan. “What a great voice for Chevrolet.”

Allen is best known for his work in television’s “Home Improvement”, the “Toy Story” trilogy, as the voice of Buzz Lightyear, and “The Santa Clause” franchise. He is a native of the Detroit area and has a long-standing love affair with automobiles. Allen will debut in the advertising for the all-new Chevrolet Cruze, which will use the usual accolades from the news media and comparisons to competitive cars in the compact segment. These ads will be followed by additional television ads with a large social media component, product integration in relevant shows and events, as well as advertising specific to the features and benefits of the Cruze.

Advertising will ramp up later this fall, as the Cruze begins arriving in volume at dealerships. The TV ads are a product of Goodby, Silverstein and Partners, and include four 30-second spots. - Roy Nakano