Do New TV Commercials Help Buick Target Younger Audience?

In an effort to promote the Buick brand to younger car shoppers, Buick debuted a new commercial featuring its new 2013 Buick Encore called “Dinosauria” this weekend during the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
Buick’s recent TV commercials include Shaq in a 2013 Buick LaCrosse and Peyton Manning in the 2013 Buick Verano. Can commercials featuring younger actors and well-known athletes really help Buick rebrand itself after many years of being considered a brand more suited for older drivers?
According to Automotive News (subscription may be required), the average age of Buick buyers has fallen from 64 in 2007 to 57 currently. The publication goes on to say, “Buick was the only brand to have its average buyer’s age decline from 2007 to 2011, according to Polk. Still, Buick had the second-oldest buyers in the industry, behind only Lincoln. …”
Forbes says, “Buick has been working hard to shed its stodgy, senior-citizen image. Armed with better-looking models with improved interiors and slick features, Buick has not only boosted sales in the U.S. for the past three years, but has been attracting more non-GM buyers as well as younger ones. The car business is still, after all, about the product.”
In an interview with the Detroit Free Press, Tony DiSalle, vice president of U.S. marketing for Buick and GMC, says that the Encore is another attempt to attract younger buyers to the Buick brand. DiSalle goes on to say that in the 1950’s, the brand was known as the “doctor’s car.”
Automotive News says that Buick has a tough target audience to go after. Young people care about what others think about them and what vehicle they drive. If a Buick is still perceived as a car for older people, no matter how it looks, younger people still may not want to buy it. However, Automotive News says, “… Buick could be on its way to putting its prehistoric reputation behind it.”