new Buick campaign

Buick has created a number of ad campaigns meant to showcase its new product and bring new, younger buyers to the brand. One of the commercials in the campaign is called "Photo Shoot," and according to a report, the recently empowered VP of marketing, Bob Lutz, isn't particularly pleased with the spot.

Both Lutz and GM CEO Fritz Henderson don't believe the commercial positions Buick as a luxury brand that competes with Lexus. They have told GM's ad agency, Leo Burnett, that it needs to do better. However -- and here's where it gets convoluted -- the ad was created by an independent shop that Leo Burnett was told to hire to do the work. Mark LaNeve, GM's head of marketing, allegedly instructed Burnett to hire Gary Topolewski, a former creative director at Burnett who worked with LaNeve on Cadillac's Break Through ad campaign, and who now runs another ad agency.

The other character in the middle of all of this is Buick VP Susan Docherty, who defended the commercial. She said it fulfills its role of promoting a revamped Buick brand, adding that she looks "forward to working with Bob and sharing spots two through six with him.