Business & Tech
Kid Rock Gets the Boot from Chevrolet
The automaker said its relationship with the Detroit rocker, criticized for his past use of the Confederate flag, "remains very positive."
Detroit, MI — General Motors has given Michigan rocker Kid Rock the boot as ambassador for its biggest brand, Chevrolet, and is teaming instead with Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan.
The automaker, which faced criticism for its deal with Kid Rock over the musician’s past use of the Confederate flag in his act, announced the new deal Friday at CMA Fest in Nashville, according to a news release.
“Chevy has been a part of our family and a part of our work life on the farm for as long as I can remember,” Bryan said in the release. “If you were a Bryan, you drove a Chevy. I am so excited about this partnership and I'm honored to be representing such a wonderful brand.”
Find out what's happening in Royal Oakfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Last year, activists demanded that Chevrolet end its relationship with Kid Rock over the use of the flag. The kerfuffle finally ended when the the country-hip-hop-rock superstar said through his publicist that Rock hadn’t used the flag since 2010.
The flag has long been seen as a racist emblem, but scrutiny increased last year after Dylann Roof was accused in the massacre of nine people in an African American church in South Carolina.
Find out what's happening in Royal Oakfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
“Chevrolet has enjoyed its relationship with Kid Rock, both sponsoring his 2015 summer concert tour as well as collaborating with him on the creation of his customized 2016 Silverado 3500HD that we displayed at the SEMA show in Las Vegas,” the automaker said in its statement.
The new three-year deal with Bryan includes sponsorship of the musician’s 8th Annual Farm Tour, a multi-city tour that stops in rural area of the United States, sets up stages on farmland and performs for thousands of fans. A portion of proceeds go to the Luke Bryan Farm Tour Scholarship, which supports students from rural farming areas.
“Partnering with Luke Bryan is a natural fit for Chevrolet,” Paul Edwards, Chevrolet U.S. vice president of marketing, said in the statement. “Our customers love country music, and Chevy has always held a special place within the genre.”
The automaker said the deal with Bryan will include posts from his Twitter account, where he has 6.99 million followers.
Image credit: Cliff via Flickr licensed under Creative Commons
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
