GM's OnStar service takes on expanded tech role in new ads

General Motors is launching a new advertising campaign that aims to reposition its OnStar service as the digital connection underpinning in-vehicle safety, connectivity and entertainment.

The campaign set to launch Monday gives OnStar a new tagline — "Better Never Stops" — and includes a commercial promoting the brand as the link behind all of GM's vehicle technology, from its Super Cruise hands-free driver-assist technology to real-time navigation.

Previously, OnStar used the tagline "Be Safe Out There," which GM said will continue to be part of safety-related messaging.

GM is transitioning to an all-electric lineup and developing its Ultifi software platform, which will enable software-defined vehicles offering apps and other features through over-the-air updates. The automaker has said it expects software and subscription services to generate revenue in the range of $20 billion to $25 billion by 2030.

Amid that transition, the automaker in recent years considered how it could help consumers understand what GM's connected vehicle future will look like, said Laura Thornton, marketing director for GM's digital business and OnStar. Consumers have begun to associate OnStar with in-vehicle technology generally, she said, and GM saw a role for OnStar as the "tech ingredient brand" inside its lineup that powers consumer experiences and creates value.

"This campaign is our first attempt at really reintroducing that brand role for OnStar," Thornton said. "You'll see a new look, a new design, a new messaging strategy, a different way to talk about the products in this space and kind of an underlying hint of innovation and technology and that electrification future that we have ahead of us."

OnStar has become known over two decades for its in-vehicle safety service, including the ability to connect with advisers for roadside and crash assistance, as well as for connectivity. Going forward, Thornton said, the brand will take on an expanded role in connecting consumers to more technology, such as Super Cruise and in-vehicle apps and entertainment.

"OnStar is the ingredient that brings you all of your digital products, and you can get them in one clean way and consume them through one clean experience," she said.

The "Better Never Stops" tagline is in part inspired by the idea that vehicles can be updated similarly to smartphones, which frequently are updated to fix problems or enhance the user experience, said Silmo Bonomi, chief creative officer at Campbell Ewald, the creative agency that worked on the OnStar campaign.

"People are used to this on their cellphone, but that's what we're doing here with our cars," Bonomi said, adding that the commercial includes both 30-second and 45-second clips. "Every single time that you get a notification, your car's going to get better. And you can make your car better on your own terms, in your own way."

GM did not disclose the amount invested in the OnStar campaign. The ads will begin to air Monday on digital video, social media and search channels, Thornton said.

In addition to Campbell Ewald, GM partnered with production company Impossible Objects.