Hummer: How To Relaunch An Iconic Brand

General Motors is relaunching the Hummer brand, and doing it in a splashy way. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, the brand will make its second debut, an all-electric pickup truck, with a 2020 Super Bowl ad featuring Lebron James.

In its first incarnation, the Hummer brand achieved icon status for its unique design, its authentic bad-terrain performance, and its off road racing success. In less than a decade, the brand attained a level of recognition most longer-lived brands never reach.

Unfortunately, the brand also attracted the wrong kind of attention. It became a lightning rod for ecology-focused critics. The brand’s first models, the military-derived H1 and smaller but still bulky H2 were, indeed, gas guzzlers. The best-selling model, the H3, offered mileage comparable to or even better than, many pickup trucks and SUVs, but the brand retained its image as an environmental disaster.

At the time, GM seemed to be struggling with how to position the Hummer brand. While some ads appealed to buyers focused on the vehicle’s off road chops, others offered a placid, calm, and green focus. I dubbed this “split-brain branding,” and considered the “green” ads to be a waste.

When GM’s financial woes peaked, Hummer was one of the brands they chose to shed. Even then, the brand was seen to be a valuable asset. GM almost sold it to a Chinese truck maker before unrelated political tensions scuttled the deal.

After the failed sale of the Hummer brand, GM put it on the shelf. Despite the brand’s iconic appeal, it’s taken a decade for them to decide to capitalize on it.

Hummer 2.0

In relaunching the brand, GM is working to avoid some of the problems that beset the original Hummer.

Electric vs. Gas. GM’s decision to make the new Hummer all-electric is a smart strategy from a business and branding standpoint. Competition in the gas engine pickup market is brutal, with Ford, Dodge, and Chevrolet having an entrenched base of fans. The electric drive approach positions the vehicle against brands like Tesla and Rivian, neither of which is is shipping pickups yet. Ford, the biggest pickup truck seller, has electric trucks in the works but is also many months away from shipping.

From a branding standpoint, the electric drive silences environmental activists who might have attacked a new gas-powered Hummer as a return to the bad old days.

Shared Dealerships. The original Hummer was positioned as an upscale brand and was sold through dedicated dealerships. When sales slipped, dealer margins fell even faster. The new Hummer will be sold through GMC dealers. This will allow profitability at a lower unit volume and reduce risk for both GM and its dealers. With brands like Tesla doing away with conventional dealerships entirely, piggybacking on existing operations is sensible.

Pickup Body Type. The original Hummer lineup didn’t include a conventional pickup truck. Their sport utility truck (SUT) had a small open bed in back, but didn’t compete in the pickup space. Today, pickups are the best-selling body style, and leading with this option makes sense for GM. If interest is high, a subsequent return to SUVs wouldn’t be a stretch.

An alternate view comes from the HummerGuy blog, which points out that traditional Hummer competitor Jeep hasn’t dented the pickup truck market with its Gladiator model. He suggests that Hummer introducing a great off-road vehicle comfortable enough to drive every day would give Jeep’s hot-selling Wrangler real competition.

Branding Advice

It will be interesting to see what GM’s approach to branding the new Hummer looks like. With Lebron as the spokesperson, I’d predict a focus on performance, styling, and a hint of luxury.

My branding advice would be to go back to why the Hummer brand became an icon: authentic off-road performance. The fact that most Hummer drivers don’t actually go off-road isn’t important. Most Rolex owners don’t dive to 300 meters. Or, for that matter, any deeper than their swimming pool. Few BMW owners ever test the limits of their car, despite the brand’s focus on performance.

For these and other high-end brands, it’s all about authenticity — consumers buy their product because it has the capability, not because they will use it that way.

We’ll have to wait until 2022 to see the new Hummer in dealerships, but we should get a clue as to GM’s marketing plan within weeks.