GM to Launch Car off 10-Story Building in Long Beach

If you see a Chevrolet Sonic fall from the sky in Long Beach, it is not an illusion. 

General Motors Co. will have its new subcompact Chevrolet Sonic bungee jump and skydive in its biggest advertising campaign, which launched on October 15. The stunt is an effort to reorient the brand to appeal to younger U.S. buyers.

Kevin Mayer, director of Chevy advertising, said in a statement that the new car is a big part of GM’s effort to connect with buyers in the 18 to 34 age range.

“This group doesn't have the history necessarily, or even the baggage you might say that a lot of the more traditional consumers might have,” he said in the statement.

The new, young generation of car buyers are also consumed with cell phones and social media, like Facebook and Twitter. GM is trying to attract customers in a new “hip” way. The campaign, called “Let’s Do This,” will allow consumers to participate in pushing the car over the ledge. 

The ledge, a 10-story structure in Long Beach by the Pike, is equipped with a live video stream so consumers can monitor the Sonic’s fate. And based on the number of visitors who click a button on www.letsdothis.com, the car will creep closer to the edge, and eventually bungee off. 

The Sonic, which goes on sale in the fall, is a vast difference from the company's gas-guzzling SUVs and pickup trucks. The car is important to GM as the automaker tries to move towards more gas-friendly products in response to high gas prices.

The car is an attempt to show Wall Street that GM can make money on more than just large trucks, said Rebecca Lindland, of the business analysis firm IHS.

“This vehicle really needs to keep the momentum going as far as GM's small-car offerings,” she said.

IHS has estimated that Sonic sales will reach 80,000 annually, whereas Ford Motor Co Fiesta sales are expected to reach 115,000. Ford has consistently been credited with leading the way among all U.S. automakers in marketing its models via social media. 

According to IHS, sales in the U.S. subcompact segment are expected to more than double by 2016 to 925,000 cars annually from an expected 411,000 this year.

Regular production of the Sonic began in Detroit in early August, with a starting price of $14,495 and fuel efficiency of 40 miles per gallon. 

Sonics can be found locally at Harbor Chevrolet and Cormier Chevrolet dealerships in Long Beach.