Jeremiah 29:11

What ad campaign?

Dodge shows softer side in new ad campaign

9/13/2007, 4:46 p.m. ET
By DEE-ANN DURBIN
The Associated Press


AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) — Chrysler's new marketing chief helped launch an ad campaign for the 2008 Dodge Caravan Thursday, saying the redesigned minivan remains the "bedrock" as Dodge expands its lineup and tries to appeal to a wider audience.

"Working with these iconic American brands is probably the biggest and most exciting marketing challenge that I've been able to take part in," said Deborah Wahl Meyer, who became Chrysler LLC's vice president and chief marketing officer two weeks ago after leaving Toyota Motor Corp.'s Lexus division. The Caravan, she added, "is the bedrock of what we're really going to do."

Dodge is abandoning its muscular image and embracing a softer, family-oriented side for its most critical product launch since the new Dodge Ram appeared in 2002. In ads that begin Sunday, Dodge's signature thumping bass and the tagline "Grab Life by the Horns" will be gone, replaced with the shorter tagline "Grab Life" and sunny images that emphasize the minivan's flexible interior, high-tech gadgets and safety.

Mark Spencer, senior manager of Dodge communications, said the shorter tagline is meant to appeal to a broader audience, specifically affluent parents in their 30s and 40s. The old tagline, he said, "is a bit truck-oriented, a little more rural."

Dodge also is making a big play for female buyers. The company will let 300 mothers spend a week with a Dodge Caravan to generate buzz. The women — identified through chat rooms, parent groups and other organizations in Minneapolis, Phoenix, Atlanta, New York, Washington and Chicago — will be encouraged to write about the minivans in blogs. Dodge also plans to give away 12 Dodge Caravans as part of a Christmas caroling contest on "The View."

Spencer said a fresh start is needed for Dodge, which upset some dealers last year when it released ads for the new Dodge Nitro that said little about the sport utility vehicle. Gay rights advocates also raised questions about a Dodge Caliber ad that featured a fairy turning a tough-looking guy with a big dog into a pastel-clad man walking four small dogs on pink leashes. Joe Eberhardt, Chrysler's top sales executive, left the company last December.

Spencer said the company wanted to dial down the tone and talk more about the products without losing Dodge's snappy feel. Dealers responded well, he said.

"The creative has taken a tremendous turn for the better," said Wes Lutz, manager of Extreme Dodge Hyundai in Jackson. "It's much more feature-focused, product-focused, showing less about the deal and more about why the product is best in class."

Spencer wouldn't say how much Dodge is spending on the campaign, but he did say the brand will spend 63 percent of its ad budget on television ads and 18 percent of on Internet advertising.

Dodge's first crossover, the Journey, will go on sale in North America next year, and the brand also is preparing the launch the Challenger muscle car. But the Dodge Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country remain critical, high-volume products for Chrysler, which was recently taken over by the private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management LP. The company still dominates the U.S. minivan market, but that market is shrinking. Minivan sales peaked at 1.37 million in 2000 but were down to 970,000 last year.

Spencer said new features like dual DVD systems, satellite television and middle seats that swivel 180 degrees could cause some buyers to take another look.

"I think it has the opportunity to reinvigorate the segment," Spencer said.

Axel

So on Sunday we are going to get the fluffy bunny image of the new Dodge. Gone is the strong image of Dodge so in all reality the Ram and the Challenger, just to name two, doesn't fit with this new ad thing and probably should be left out in the ads.

That just doesn't seem like the great way to go. The Ram use to be the lead vehicle, guess that's changed now. Now it's the family image. Not sure where many of the vehicles in Chrysler's lineup actually fit in with this image. You would think that they would spread the marketing around instead of just focusing on the vans. You know, have a strong image for one group, muscle cars, truks, etc, and have the softer side for the family vehicles and such. Wow what a change.

Now that's funny with the fairy thing upsetting the gay community. Ask Ford what supporting the gay community has done for their sales. Actually, I'm not going there. It's just kind of funny the people that companies are afraid to upset and the people that the companies should really be afraid to upset.

RLSH700

I'm currently reading a book about Guerrilla Marketing and according to them, switching tactics like this is a big mistake. The problem is they are trying to compete in to many different market segments with two divisions. They need to bring back Plymouth and Eagle so then they can allow the divisions to keep a common theme.

DSkippy

Excellent observation. Brand dilution is delusion.

Someone at Daimler partook of the new religion in Marketing and effectively proselytized the notion of "brand cannibalism" and execs there bought into it.

If Cerberus is the real deal, they should flinch at this. Sure they produce similar products and maybe a little confusion, but it also provides an opportunity to provide slight aesthetic variations to body, trim and finish to entice fence sitters (if they're vacillating on any particular minutia for the body, interior, lights, etc).

Additionally, it'd create some pretty decent buzz and free PR.

They'd be able to really hammer the practical family demographic AND ......... re-introduce 'Cuda action!

Creating a symbiotic synergy of one masculine car at plymouth, and one family car at dodge.....

it's a mopar love fest. Also, it would lend credence to the T&C at Chrysler (if the voyager is even still available).

that's my two cents

Axel

Just saw a new commercial with the new slogan. Not a bad commercial as of yet. They are playing a song, can't think of the name of it, but it is going through my head and showing many of the Dodge vehicles including the Viper, Ram, Charger, Charger SRT-8 and my personal favorite a new and a old Challenger. I can't find this one online, but they have showed it twice during the football game here, one 60 second commercial and one 20 second. On the 60 they show the old Challenger R/T sitting there, front shot, and then the new Challenger sitting there next to it, further back, you can see them both. Then you see a rear shot with the glowing Challenger rear end, the new one, and then the new one takes off leaving skid marks as the rear it gets a bit loose. I'm sure they dind't want to do much with the old one so it just sat there. Awesome commercial, something I didn't expect actually.

Finding many commercials, but still can't find that one. Maybe because it's brandnew. I guess they were running them during the football games. The song is by Lifehouse, First Time is the name of it. Really fits. I do have to take back what I said earlier, this commercial makes me very excited for the Challenger, even when they didn't show the Challenger I was interested in it. Turned out to be a good commercial.

DSkippy

None in this one......

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...arch&plindex=0

Man, loved to find it......glad they're finally showing it in some commericals....

if anyone finds it, please post link...

DSkippy

Aha! Took some further searching but found it.....

http://www.redletterdodge.com/2007/0...buts/#more-104

Fourth from the bottom near the end of spot! Nice!

Paladin06

Yep, that's it. It's an Old School, New School setup. Where did I get Mustang from?

Video embedded in my web-page for further viewing.