In the mid-1980s, Isuzu found itself in a tight spot. The Japanese automaker had entered the American passenger-car market with sound engineering and solid reliability\u2014but in a country ruled by Toyota, Honda, and the Big Three, no one even knew how to pronounce \u201cIsuzu,\u201d let alone buy one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The company\u2019s marketing budget was a fraction of its competitors\u2019. Traditional car ads\u2014with gleaming cars on open roads and smooth-voiced narrators promising \u201cperformance and power\u201d\u2014were out of reach. And even if they could afford one, such ads would drown in the noise of sameness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So the question at the agency Della Femina, Travisano & Partners was simple: How does a small brand get noticed in a sea of giants?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The answer would be one of the most unforgettable liars in advertising history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Creative head Ron Travisano had an idea that turned the industry upside down. If every car company bragged about their cars\u2019 greatness, why not have a spokesman who bragged too much<\/em>\u2014to the point of absurdity?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enter Joe Isuzu<\/em>\u2014a fast-talking, insincere car salesman who lied so outrageously that it became funny. His wild claims were interrupted by on-screen captions that bluntly revealed the truth: \u201cHe\u2019s lying.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was an anti-advertisement. A commercial that mocked the very idea of advertising. And in doing so, it did precisely what Isuzu needed\u2014people noticed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The role went to actor David Leisure, an unknown at the time who, legend says, was living in a van before his big break. Leisure had the perfect smirk and the perfect delivery\u2014a salesman who could say, with total confidence, that the Isuzu Trooper could hold the entire state of Texas in its trunk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From the moment he appeared on television in 1986, audiences were hooked. The first line he delivered\u2014\u201cHi, I\u2019m Joe Isuzu\u201d\u2014was followed by a string of impossible claims:<\/p>\n\n\n\n As he spoke, captions contradicted him, revealing the truth in small text. The brilliance was in the contrast\u2014Isuzu\u2019s honesty shone brighter because its spokesman was so obviously dishonest.<\/p>\n\n\n\nInventing a Liar to Tell the Truth<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Casting the Perfect Liar<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n