Putting the Car in Cards

Most years, my wife and I celebrate Valentines Day by attending the Chicago Auto Show.  We've been making our way downtown for this event almost every February since 2014 and it's certainly become an annual tradition for us, at this point.  Sure, it's not the "stereotypical" romantic, sappy setup and we're not hardcore "gearheads," but a few hours of wandering around McCormick Place while surrounded by the latest in automobile technology, pipe dream cars, delicious snack foods, and tons of free swag makes for a fun way to spend an afternoon.  Plus, it's the only way I can ever feasibly hope to sit behind the wheel of a Challenger or a Corvette and not get arrested for grand theft auto.

Not to mention, this annual experience can be quite productive, in the long run - our reliable and versatile, blue KIA Soul (named Clark), was the direct result of this tradition, as the first time we ever examined one of these toasters was at this show.

But, getting back to the free swag... that honestly might be our favorite part of the whole convention.  I mean, our reusable grocery totes are reliably replenished by this yearly event, courtesy of Toyota, Ford, etc..  Plus, free pens from this event fill my cup at work and at my home office.  But, it goes beyond pragmatism with the gratis giveaways, as our free totes are often also stuffed with funny stress balls (which my wife collects), stickers, decks of playing cards, posters, and the like.  Sure, it all serves as free corporate advertising, but at least it's FUN, free corporate advertising.

 The Sauber Formula One team brought a show car to represent their constructor, Alfa Romeo

Now, in years past, there's been unexpected cardboard connections, as well, leading to surprise blogging material.  Commemorative personal trading cards, hero cards of professional race car drivers, athlete autographing appearances are common at the Chicago auto show; but, these are all sideshow items, extra perks/premiums meant to draw you over to a particular branded booth.  After all, the actual stars of the show are truly the automobiles themselves, right?


With that in mind, there's also the slightly less fun swag - you know, the pamphlets, booklets, fliers, etc. that lay out the details of each brand's new models and why they're so much better than the competition.  Honestly, this information is much more important than a KIA-branded stress ball in the shape of a basketball.  But, that being said, these items almost immediately move from kiosk to waste paper basket, as passers by give a glance and move on to the next shiny object.
 
This year, Chevrolet finally noticed this pattern and changed up their giveaways accordingly.  When it came to the question of amusing but irrelevant or informative but dull, the bowtie boys went off the beaten path and asked themselves a very important question, "¿Por que no los dos?"

via GIPHY

Now let's think for a minute - what is a good way to get people to hang onto to something?  Make it fun and collectible, right?    Taking that a step further, what is an effective method of conveying information in a physcial format that plainly displays the content, while simultaneously creating something the "average Joe" would find appealing to the eye and feel compelled to hang onto.

That line of thought, ladies and gentlemen, is how we ended up with Chevy trading cards:

Printed on legitimate cardstock and not flimsy, glossy flier paper, Chevrolet stocked the counter of their booth with the above trading cards, which paid tribute to their famous pickup trucks of the past and the latest edition of the Silverado.  They're oversized and, while I don't have a ruler nearby, I would estimate them to be about the size of you average baseball "police set" of the late 80's/early 90's.  Unlike those vintage oddballs, you can tell a lot of thought went into this clean and crisp design, which features artful touches like artificial aging and simulated texture.  In fact, I think it would look pretty decent as the model for a Panini-branded NASCAR set.  

Obviously, their marketing gimmick worked on me, as I "picked up" the full set of three pickups as soon as I saw them, even though I harbored no interest in Chevrolet or trucks before walking through the display.  They got me good.

Of course, they wouldn't be true trading cards without proper backs and, as you can see above, Chevy did not disappoint.   While trucks do not have batting averages, on-base percentages, or runs batted in, they do have plenty of associated statistics of their own.  Channeling their inner Topps, the bowtie marketing department made sure to whip up a stat-line and "player" bio to complete the effect and, y'know, brag about how great their automobile is.  That is the ultimate goal, after all.

Chevy goes the extra mile though; they don't just want you to know how sleek and strong their 2019 Silverado is, they want to remind you of how great their trucks have always been too.

 

This promotion features a pair of pickups from the brand's illustrious past - the 1988 K1500 Sportside (above) and the 1978 K10 Fleetside.  It does appear as though that Chevy named their set "Truck Legends," so it stands to reason that they would need to throw in a few retro players.  After all, it's a move straight out of the baseball card market - Topps has a hard time releasing any products without at least some vintage player representation these days.  Nostalgia is a powerful drug.

Like I said, I am far from a gearhead and definitely not a truck nut.  Furthermore, I grew up in a Ford household and I currently drive a PT Cruiser, which is indicative of my taste in cars.  Thus, in the end, these cards hold no long term interest for me, though I must applaud Chevy for their efforts.  These bad boys would make for fine oddball additions to the collections of anyone who enjoys automobile-themed cardboard.  Perhaps these are angled straight down the lane of Cardboard History's, Billy Kingsley?

Do car cards really rev your engine? Do you have a special affinity for Chevy trucks?  Have you ever been to the Chicago auto show? Would you too have felt compelled to pick up these oddball trading cards were you to encounter them like I did?  Please feel free to weigh-in through the comment section below!

In the meantime, it's time for me to log off.  I've got some branded tote bags to sort through before grocery shopping day!