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No more Rich & Tonia commercials on the radio

Discussion pertaining to Detroit, Ann Arbor, Port Huron, and SW Ontario
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MWmetalhead
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No more Rich & Tonia commercials on the radio

Post by MWmetalhead » Sat Dec 26, 2020 5:02 pm

I just learned that well known car dealer and big radio spender Rich LaLonde passed away on October 25.

He and his family owned Summit Place Kia in Clinton Twp, Waterford and Grand Rapids plus a Chrysler dealership in Imlay City.

Covid??? Cause of death to best of my knowledge has not been publicly disclosed.

What prompted my googling of the topic is the fact Bill Vogel has been doing voiceovers for all their radio spots lately, and the batch before that only featured Tonia.



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Rate This
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Re: No more Rich & Tonia commercials on the radio

Post by Rate This » Sat Dec 26, 2020 5:10 pm

MWmetalhead wrote:
Sat Dec 26, 2020 5:02 pm
I just learned that well known car dealer Rich LaLonde passed away on October 25.

He and his family owned Summit Place Kia in Clinton Twp, Waterford and Grand Rapids plus a Chrysler dealership in Imlay City.

Covid???
Oddly it doesn’t list a cause of death anywhere and any obituary has barely any information. I would have expected something more organized than what I can find.



Mega Hertz
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Re: No more Rich & Tonia commercials on the radio

Post by Mega Hertz » Sat Dec 26, 2020 6:51 pm

Rich and Tonia weren't the worst of the Kia commercials. That damn La Bamba remake was the worst. And having to hear the Summit Place Kia spots alongside "Kia of Jackson and Kia of Lansing" was an automatic channel changer. I am sorry to hear about Rich. Guy had a very authoritative voice!


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radioandtventhusiast
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Re: No more Rich & Tonia commercials on the radio

Post by radioandtventhusiast » Sat Dec 26, 2020 8:46 pm

So sorry to hear about Rich. Guy was only 62! I could have sworn I heard his voice a few weeks ago in one of their ads. His ads were some of the most heard in the Detroit market. May he R.I.P.



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Re: No more Rich & Tonia commercials on the radio

Post by radioandtventhusiast » Sat Dec 26, 2020 8:49 pm

Mega Hertz wrote:
Sat Dec 26, 2020 6:51 pm
Rich and Tonia weren't the worst of the Kia commercials. That damn La Bamba remake was the worst. And having to hear the Summit Place Kia spots alongside "Kia of Jackson and Kia of Lansing" was an automatic channel changer. I am sorry to hear about Rich. Guy had a very authoritative voice!
The local Hyundai dealer had ads nearly 10 years ago that remade "La Bama" too, so I'm guessing it's the same ad agency.



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MWmetalhead
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Re: No more Rich & Tonia commercials on the radio

Post by MWmetalhead » Sun Dec 27, 2020 7:43 am

Rich and Tonia weren't the worst of the Kia commercials. That damn La Bamba remake was the worst. And having to hear the Summit Place Kia spots alongside "Kia of Jackson and Kia of Lansing" was an automatic channel changer.
They own Summit Place. Not sure about the Jackson and Lansing stores.

The "La Bamba" song parody I've heard on Kia spots for dealerships throughout multiple parts of the country, including Summit Place.



Milk
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Re: No more Rich & Tonia commercials on the radio

Post by Milk » Sun Dec 27, 2020 12:10 pm

Williams Kia in Traverse City also had the La Bamba parody.



radioandtventhusiast
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Re: No more Rich & Tonia commercials on the radio

Post by radioandtventhusiast » Sun Dec 27, 2020 2:29 pm

Milk wrote:
Sun Dec 27, 2020 12:10 pm
Williams Kia in Traverse City also had the La Bamba parody.
How many years ago did they use that or is it still being used?



Milk
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Re: No more Rich & Tonia commercials on the radio

Post by Milk » Sun Dec 27, 2020 7:22 pm

radioandtventhusiast wrote:
Sun Dec 27, 2020 2:29 pm
Milk wrote:
Sun Dec 27, 2020 12:10 pm
Williams Kia in Traverse City also had the La Bamba parody.
How many years ago did they use that or is it still being used?
Back in the 2000s.



radioandtventhusiast
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Re: No more Rich & Tonia commercials on the radio

Post by radioandtventhusiast » Sun Dec 27, 2020 7:30 pm

Milk wrote:
Sun Dec 27, 2020 7:22 pm
radioandtventhusiast wrote:
Sun Dec 27, 2020 2:29 pm
Milk wrote:
Sun Dec 27, 2020 12:10 pm
Williams Kia in Traverse City also had the La Bamba parody.
How many years ago did they use that or is it still being used?
Back in the 2000s.
My local dealership used it from 2011 to about 2013.



Editorcj
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Re: No more Rich & Tonia commercials on the radio

Post by Editorcj » Mon Dec 28, 2020 12:12 am

That jingle was used in the Kia dealerships in SW Florida this week, must be part of the Kia ad package.



JLesinski
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Re: No more Rich & Tonia commercials on the radio

Post by JLesinski » Mon Dec 28, 2020 7:08 am

Thats sad. Not sure if its true or not but they seemed like good people. Whenever one of their commercials would come on my kids and I enjoyed waiting for Rich to emphasize "TA-DAY!"



ftballfan
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Re: No more Rich & Tonia commercials on the radio

Post by ftballfan » Mon Dec 28, 2020 8:50 am

The fact that Tonia had been doing ads solo makes me think Rich had been sick for a while (cancer?)



radioandtventhusiast
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Re: No more Rich & Tonia commercials on the radio

Post by radioandtventhusiast » Mon Dec 28, 2020 1:19 pm

Editorcj wrote:
Mon Dec 28, 2020 12:12 am
That jingle was used in the Kia dealerships in SW Florida this week, must be part of the Kia ad package.
I'm guessing it's a package from one ad agency. Quite a few others use production music.



JLesinski
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Re: No more Rich & Tonia commercials on the radio

Post by JLesinski » Tue Dec 29, 2020 7:17 am

radioandtventhusiast wrote:
Mon Dec 28, 2020 1:19 pm
Editorcj wrote:
Mon Dec 28, 2020 12:12 am
That jingle was used in the Kia dealerships in SW Florida this week, must be part of the Kia ad package.
I'm guessing it's a package from one ad agency. Quite a few others use production music.
I'm sure its used by KIA dealers across the country.



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