Have you seen the new Chevy Volt commercials?

The ads were first aired during the World Series, and include four, 30-second TV spots narrated by comedian Tim Allen.

The ad campaign’s slogan is “Chevy Runs Deep,” and all of the ads -- some of which focus on more than the Volt -- emphasize Chevy’s experience and its history as a brand name deeply rooted in American culture.

Founded in 1911, Chevrolet plays up its status as a long-term American icon while also showing it is pointed toward the future with the release of the plug-in Volt.

For example, in one of the ads, Allen says Chevrolet is “bringing more technology to more people than ever in our history,” and is “inventing new ways to get around our planet, while preserving it at the same time.”

In an interview with the New York Times’ Stuart Elliott, Joel Ewanick, the vice president for U.S. marketing at GM, says that, “The intent of the campaign is to ‘rekindle a passion, a love affair, Americans have had for generations’ with the brand.”

I stumbled upon the Volt commercial the other night while studying, and I realized that it is the first ad I have seen which demonstrates someone actually plugging in their vehicle to an electrical outlet.

GM is finally starting to ramp up its advertising for the Volt and for plug-ins. But will these ads help familiarize the American public with EVs?

Sales of plug-ins like the Volt will ultimately reveal the effectiveness of Chevy’s campaign to promote a new form of auto as well as its attempt to re-brand itself and its image.

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