Dodge Ram Challenge: Reality Gets Tough
Brand: Dodge (Chrysler, LLC)
Execution: TV, Online Webisodes, Viral
Target: Pickup truck buyers
Rating: ****
Reviewer: David Vinjamuri
Description:
A multi-part webisode series produced by BBDO and directed by Tony Scott (director of Top Gun and brother of Ridley Scott). The Dodge Ram Challenge is essentially a reality show where four two-person teams compete in a series of four races in new Dodge Ram pickups. The teams are each composed of men from a single profession: contractors, cowboys, firemen and military. The races involve extreme challenges of the sort often seen on television advertising – except that they are navigated in stock Dodge Rams with real people driving. The campaign is viewable by webisodes but Chrysler is using significant advertising to drive traffic, including a major presence on NFL football.
What Works:
Brands can create and distribute interesting content without tv networks when they spend the time and money to get top talent. Brand-based reality television has been done before (Brawny Academy by Fallon, for one), but Tony Scott and BBDO take it to another level with the Dodge Ram Challenge. Scott understands that small touches create the atmosphere for real drama and he adds the sleek black military-style chase helicopters, pump-action shotgun as a starter pistol and a variety of scary-looking challenges to this series. As with any webisode, only a fraction of the Ram purchase demographic will ever view the series. But Dodge realizes that brand recognition is not really the game here: they are looking to convince people already contemplating a purchase to take the next step, which is no small task during a recession. The Dodge Ram Challenge also helps the brand build authenticity against its key rival – the new Ford F150.
What Doesn’t:
You really have to enjoy reality television to appreciate this series. Dodge also took the risk that they’d be filming on of their vehicle drop an axle or be demolished altogether. While they might have elected not to show this footage, news of its existence would certainly have leaked. So this was a high-stakes gamble in more ways than one.
Branding Bottom Line:
Dodge boosts our testosterone just as the economy drains our wallet.
January 1st, 2009 at 4:57 pm
I am SO sick of these "Larry the Cable Guy" types grunting and saying "frickin" like we don't know what it really means. Maybe a couple times a day but like 10 or 15 times during one football game? Come on. Due to these neanderthal ads, I will never consider Dodge Ram in any future purchase even though I own a Ram 3500 Dually now. Never again!
Phast Eddie
January 4th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
The On-Air broadcast commercial trailers for Dodge Ram Truck webisodes are disturbing. Two men looking at a side bed compartment of a pick-up truck say, “That’s pretty frickin’ coolâ€. We all know that frickin’ is a substitute for the F-Bomb. I will not let my nine and eleven year old sons say that word. I coach youth football and will not tolerate the kids or coaching staff to say that word. Am I wrong? Does society think say “frickin†is alright? Why do we tolerate saying that word on broadcast television?
January 8th, 2009 at 3:46 pm
Nice article and I agree that the subtle touches (helicopter,etc) do add to the overall excitement and "toughness" of the spots. The only thing I disagree with is the fact the you have to enjoy reality TV to appreciate the series. I am not a fan of reality TV however the spots really grabbed my attention.
Great blog by the way!
January 8th, 2009 at 8:04 pm
Thanks for ruining the football Bowl games with your idiotic commercials playing over and over and over. I guess it appeals to real men, yeah, right. Morons. I pray you go broke and all lose your jobs.