Aug
30

Chrysler: Ram Jam and Caring for Commercial

By | Advermarketing, Industry

During my early morning coffee and country music routine, I came across a video (below) featuring Zach Brown Band and Ram Trucks. The video was a promotion for Ram Jam, an invitation-only country shindig that’s sure to be a hell of a good time with performances by Billy Currington, Zach Brown, Easton Corbin… just to name a few.

Cause marketing, wrapped into a pertinent celebrity endorsement with a lead-generating contest too? AND it’s all very well done? What more could a brand ask for!

I enjoyed the video. It wasn’t in your face. There were no long shots of interior features or lines being read from a marketing brochure. Zach Brown is a genuine country boy and this likely resonates very well with the more committed truck owner. He even goes on to make fun of those who buy trucks and don’t use them saying, “if it isn’t dented or dirty you aren’t using it right.” I give this spot an A++.

Trucks Do Work

Ram has done a good job of keeping their messaging simple – Our trucks do work. They even have a dedicated model, The Tradesman, which is [Read more...]

May
16

I Miss Simple. I Miss Trucks.

By | Industry

Today I came across Kip Moore’s music video for ‘Somethin’ ‘Bout A Truck. It’s powerful, both visually and lyrically. I right away found myself smiling and tapping my foot. The video brought back memories of what TRUCK means to me.

I grew up with trucks: real trucks — workin’ trucks. Not these spotless soccer-dad trucks you see hauling bicycles and 25lb bags of mulch. I grew up with trucks that hauled cattle. Timber. Rock. Manure. From sun-up to sun-down they worked, and they worked hard. They were dirty. Cup holders held spit cups — not iPhones. And the back seat wasn’t a place to put your gym bag. It was a place to put Jim, your best cattle hand

After a long week of towing, hauling and doing work, you took a break, your truck didn’t. Slinging 30ft rooster tails, plowing through mud holes and providing fire-side seating for 8; your truck just kept working. A night filled with laughter, cold beverages and a sky full of stars.

That’s Truck Life. That’s what a truck does.

I wonder…has America forgotten what it means to own a truck? Heated seats, voice-activated nav, rear cameras, etc. make owning a truck more desirable, particularly for nontraditional truck buyers. But does it water down what it means to own a truck?

Today’s trucks, while superior [Read more...]

Feb
05

Bankruptcy Protects You From Creditors and Apocalyptic Fallout

By | Industry

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Roll Up Your Sleeves Marketing

This morning Twitter blew up after Chevrolet announced that the Ford Motor Company sent a letter asking them to pull a Super Bowl ad for the Chevrolet Silverado. Ford’s lawyers claims the ad makes “false and misleading claims regarding the comparative safety and durability of the Silverado.”  A copy of that letter
can be found here.

While I believe a response was warranted, I don’t agree with the approach taken by Ford. I favor the higher road in marketing wars –  eye-for-an-eye.  A more [Read more...]