General Motors said this morning it will ditch the shortened nickname "Chevy,"

[csv8]

General Motors said this morning it will ditch the shortened nickname "Chevy," instead opting for the full three-syllable "Chevrolet" when talking about the best-selling brand.

"Because Chevrolet is one of the fastest growing automotive brands globally, we will use Chevrolet in internal and external communications," the company said via its corporate Twitter account this morning. "We love when people call us Chevy and we are not trying anything to change this."

So, is it Chevy or Chevrolet? The reaction to the announcements was nearly universal from everyone I spoke with this morning.

"I think it's asinine," said Jim Bulin, an automotive consultant from Detroit. "I think when that gets broadcast to the general public, if it registers at all, those who already have a dim view of the empty suits in Detroit will only have it reconfirmed by this."

The company will change to use of the full name only in messaging and branding. A memo leaked to The New York Times said that the company even made a recommendation for how employees speak with their own families.

"We'd ask that whether you're talking to a dealer, reviewing dealer advertising, or speaking with friends and family, that you communicate our brand as Chevrolet moving forward." The memo was signed by Alan Batey, vice president for Chevrolet sales and service, and Jim Campbell, the G.M. division's vice president for marketing.

The decision seemed to cause a bit of stir in Detroit, no doubt energized by a whirlwind of marketing changes at the company happening in parallel. Chevrolet itself has seen three different ad agencies in as many months. On Thursday, company executives seemed to grasp how the memo was taking on a life of its own and issued the following statement:

"Today's emotional debate over a poorly worded memo on our use of the Chevrolet brand is a good reminder of how passionately people feel about Chevrolet."

The move won't be cheap. The company's various advertisements, websites and dealer signs still make heavy use of the "Chevy" name.