The Energon Pub

Does anyone know how this works? I know that GMC was a major sponsor which is why most of the vehicles were GMCs (although I have to say the scene of S7 driving up to Sam's house looked ridiculously too obvious like a GMC ad).

However what's the story behind there not having a more diverse vehicle make? Is it GMC laying a condition that no other brands would take a prominent role, or is it simply that the other car manufacturer's weren't interested to sponsor anything?

I would guess at the latter, since we do have a Ford Mustang (love the way they bring that rivalry on screen with Bumblebee and Barricade) and we drive by Porsche and it's mentioned by name. I'm only surprised more companies didn't want in.

I think the movie was a free-for-all. They don't discriminate. You want your product in the movie? Fork over the cash, and they'll fit you in! I think the movie had the leverage in the negotiation process, and GMC should be happy with the serious showcasing their cars got.

GMC is a brand of GM (General Motors). GM had four vehicles prominently featured in the movie: Chevrolet Camaro (Classic and Concept), GMC Topkick, Hummer H2 and Pontiac Solstice. GM also had several other vehicles featured in the form of regular vehicles in the movie as well as the GMC vehicles that S7 was driving.

In a major movie like this, you will never see a diverse line of various Makes. GM paid $2 million dollars (which was a bargain) to have their vehicles featured in the Transformers movie. Apparently GM has the same agent as Michael Bay so it was a match made in Hollywood Heaven.

Think about it from the auto-manufacturers' point of views. Why would you want to pay to have your vehicle featured in a movie when your competitor is also paying to have their vehicle featured in the same movie? From a business perspective, it simply doesn't make sense. Now, when you get a single manufacturer to feature their vehicles, that DOES make sense.

It's great to have GM products featured in a movie like this because GM owns so many different brands: Chevrolet, GMC, Pontiac, Hummer, Saturn, Buick, Cadillac and Saab (as well as a few other brands overseas). With such a diverse product line, GM is able to bring just about every type of vehicle you could imagine to a major summer blockbuster like Transformers.

The Ford Mustang was brought into the movie through Saleen. The vehicle is actually referred to as a Saleen S281.

Moonbase2 wrote:I think the movie was a free-for-all. They don't discriminate. You want your product in the movie? Fork over the cash, and they'll fit you in! I think the movie had the leverage in the negotiation process, and GMC should be happy with the serious showcasing their cars got.

GM is an actual sponsor of the movie. They paid to have their products in Transformers. I'm pretty sure another auto manufacturer wouldn't have been able to get their product into the movie and that GM was an exclusive auto manufacturer.

GM boss and Bay are close buddies.

They've tied this deal up way before the cameras started rolling.

I wouldn't have minded it but after watching it three times I got sick of the red GMC symbol in the movie.

Well atleast they have alot of snazzy cars to choose from. Although why a Pontiac Solstice for Jazz? It was puny...

Seeing a GM symbol in a movie makes you sick? I wonder how you fair in the real world then, with all those other car symbols!!!!! Or other movies for that matter.. lol.

Anyways, this is all about money, Bay needed it, GM has it, GM has a variety of vehicles, cheap for Bay, pretty simple.

I'm going to START a new auto company. With the AUTOBOT symbol.

Any investors?

Shh.. don't tell Hasbro.

Due to obvious reasons, Porcshe and VW don't like their cars being involved in certain things.

Plus Bay has done GM commercials in the past and worked with them before. And the government uses a lot of black Tahoes and Yukons for federal agencies, so that wasn't necessarily unbelievable. Though a black Crown Vic or two would have added to the realism.

If you ever watch Matrix 2, that entire highway chase scene is nothing but GM cars. Just about something of their entire lineup was on that highway at some point.

I think it'd be cool in the second movie though to have a Decepticon come in as the new Dodge Challenger. That'd be a great carry over of the Barricade/Bumblebee rivalry.

briggs wrote:Seeing a GM symbol in a movie makes you sick? I wonder how you fair in the real world then, with all those other car symbols!!!!! Or other movies for that matter.. lol.

I guess it started feeling like a commercial at that point. I wouldn't have minded if they used symbols like the Chevy one on Bumblebee, it also looks snazzy.

That and for some reason bright red bothers me at times.

lodelco wrote:

briggs wrote:Seeing a GM symbol in a movie makes you sick? I wonder how you fair in the real world then, with all those other car symbols!!!!! Or other movies for that matter.. lol.

I guess it started feeling like a commercial at that point. I wouldn't have minded if they used symbols like the Chevy one on Bumblebee, it also looks snazzy.

Haha, i see.

(g1 extended toy commercials!)