Prince Valiant
02-21-2004, 07:25 PM
Funny article regarding the truck wars b/w ford and dodge....
Like playground tough guys kicking dust at each other, Ford Motor Co. and DaimlerChrysler AG are trading advertising volleys over whose pickup truck is more powerful -- the new Ford F-150 or the Hemi-powered Dodge Ram.
Each company is running TV ads that show an F-150 and Ram 2500 side-by-side, each hauling a vintage muscle car. In the Ford spot, the trucks take off and the F-150 leaves the Ram in the dust. In the Dodge ad -- surprise! -- the reverse happens.
This battle over which company's stud truck is studlier is a great example of how important power has become to consumers -- and the automakers.
Comparing performance or taste or size of one product vs. another has been a staple of TV ads ever since cola drinks, laundry soaps and television have coexisted. What's different about this Ford-Dodge tiff is that Ford, the market leader, started it by picking on Dodge, No. 3 in the U.S. truck market. Usually such claims are made by industry laggards.
What's not in dispute is that raw power -- power enough to pull elephants at speeds way beyond legal -- is a huge selling point for many drivers.
Indeed, DaimlerChrysler's success with the resurrection of Hemi engines in 2002 was the precursor of today's ad wars with Ford. The V8 Hemi was a legendary racing and muscle car engine during the 1950s and '60s. It was retired in 1971 because of poor emissions, but a cleaned-up Hemi returned in 2002 with the launch of new Ram Super Duty pickups.
That's when the first of three humorous ads featuring loopy characters asking the now-familiar question, "That thing got a Hemi?" appeared. Dodge is also offering a Hemi engine in the 2004 Durango sport-utility vehicle and in the soon-to-debut 300C sedan.
"The Hemi has been a home run for us," Chrysler Group Chief Operating Officer Wolfgang Bernhard said.
Last summer, as Ford prepared to launch its new 2004 F-150 pickups, the company was mulling ad messages, said Todd Eckert, the F-150 marketing manager. It wanted to promote attributes including its quiet ride to its towing power.
Eckert said Ford decided to spoof Chrysler's Hemi ads to make a point about F-150 power and Ford's legacy in trucks.
...continued
Like playground tough guys kicking dust at each other, Ford Motor Co. and DaimlerChrysler AG are trading advertising volleys over whose pickup truck is more powerful -- the new Ford F-150 or the Hemi-powered Dodge Ram.
Each company is running TV ads that show an F-150 and Ram 2500 side-by-side, each hauling a vintage muscle car. In the Ford spot, the trucks take off and the F-150 leaves the Ram in the dust. In the Dodge ad -- surprise! -- the reverse happens.
This battle over which company's stud truck is studlier is a great example of how important power has become to consumers -- and the automakers.
Comparing performance or taste or size of one product vs. another has been a staple of TV ads ever since cola drinks, laundry soaps and television have coexisted. What's different about this Ford-Dodge tiff is that Ford, the market leader, started it by picking on Dodge, No. 3 in the U.S. truck market. Usually such claims are made by industry laggards.
What's not in dispute is that raw power -- power enough to pull elephants at speeds way beyond legal -- is a huge selling point for many drivers.
Indeed, DaimlerChrysler's success with the resurrection of Hemi engines in 2002 was the precursor of today's ad wars with Ford. The V8 Hemi was a legendary racing and muscle car engine during the 1950s and '60s. It was retired in 1971 because of poor emissions, but a cleaned-up Hemi returned in 2002 with the launch of new Ram Super Duty pickups.
That's when the first of three humorous ads featuring loopy characters asking the now-familiar question, "That thing got a Hemi?" appeared. Dodge is also offering a Hemi engine in the 2004 Durango sport-utility vehicle and in the soon-to-debut 300C sedan.
"The Hemi has been a home run for us," Chrysler Group Chief Operating Officer Wolfgang Bernhard said.
Last summer, as Ford prepared to launch its new 2004 F-150 pickups, the company was mulling ad messages, said Todd Eckert, the F-150 marketing manager. It wanted to promote attributes including its quiet ride to its towing power.
Eckert said Ford decided to spoof Chrysler's Hemi ads to make a point about F-150 power and Ford's legacy in trucks.
...continued