Like A Rock: The History Behind One Of Chevy Truck's Unforgettable Ad Campaigns With Bob Seger
As a brand, Chevy has gone through a number of slogans. "The Heartbeat of America" conjures up images of VHS tapes and Chevy Monte Carlos and Cavaliers, while the "Find New Roads" slogan of today looks ahead at the new direction Chevy is going with EVs and more efficient cars. Second to maybe only the Corvette, Chevy's most recognizable contribution to automobiles in general is the brand's line of trucks. There are few things more emblematic of a can-do nature and a hard working attitude than a Chevy truck.
No slogan has stuck to Chevy trucks perhaps more than the phrase "Like a Rock," which the brand used to advertise trucks for well over a decade. The phrase itself is derived from the legendary Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band song "Like a Rock" from the 1986 album also of the same title. Commercials from the era depict Chevy trucks being used in all sorts of thrill-seeking ways that would likely void the manufacturers warranty. And the there were likely many professional drivers on closed courses carrying out these stunts that likely prompted a "do not attempt" warning to consumers.
Bob Seger had a change of heart
In 1988, General Motors had just come out with its GMT-400 truck platform. It has a production run of 14 years. But even more than 30 years later, the platform is still remembered fondly among GM fans as the trucks from Chevy and GMC were incredibly reliable, with easy-to-find parts. In its early days, Chevy wanted to give potential customers the feeling that these trucks were dependable and essentially worthy of a daily commute or a grueling day's work on the farm or at a tough job site.
In 1990, an advertisement executive named Donald Gould, who was contracted to plug General Motors trucks, came across the titular Bob Seger song everyone is now familiar with, and he couldn't get it out of his head. The phrase "Like a Rock" was exactly the kind of picture GM wanted to paint with this particular line of trucks. Seger, however, was initially hesitant to do advertisements for Chevy and rejected the offer.
After speaking to a plant worker for GM, Seger had a change of heart as he was reminded of his own time working for the car company. He relented and "Like a Rock" became the official anthem of Chevy trucks from 1991 to 2014.