When the first film in the "Transformers" franchise debuted in 2007, General Motors couldn't do enough to emphasize the symbolism of its vehicles morphing into battle-ready robots.

"The movie title itself is a very strong communication device for the transformation of our company for delivering outstanding products in the marketplace," Bob Kraut, then GM's director of brand marketing and advertising told the trade paper Automotive News. "Transformation is great to live under if you want to communicate that. Thank God there's a movie called 'Transformers' that we can play in."

Nearly seven years later, another "Transformers" film is debuting, and GM is still clinging to the hope that Michael Bay's latest extravaganza will transform its vehicles into heroes in the eyes of consumers. "Being a part of the 'Transformers' franchise is an incredible way to showcase the design work of which GM is capable," GM's vice president of global design, Ed Welburn, told Variety recently. "The global series gets our cutting-edge designs in front of more potential customers than we could through traditional methods."