* Campaign has a strong focus on men, yet reaches out to women
seeking a masculine mid-size SUV * Consumers will be migrated to
the new and improved Dodge Web site for in-depth product
information * 2007 Dodge Nitro is the first mid-size sport-utility
vehicle from the Dodge brand AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Nov. 3
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The marketing campaign for the all-new
2007 Dodge Nitro, announced today by Chrysler Group executives, is
a lot like the vehicle itself: heavy on the masculine cues yet
equipped to attract female buyers to the Dodge brand's newest
nameplate and first mid-size SUV. And, because so many consumers
get a big chunk of their vehicle information from the Internet, all
elements of the marketing campaign for the Dodge Nitro will direct
them to http://www.dodge.com/Nitro . There, they can learn
everything there is to know about the Dodge Nitro on a Web page
whose content has been improved by 77 percent since the marketing
launch of the all- new 2007 Dodge Caliber earlier this year. A
30-second spot titled "Jump" provided a sneak preview of the Dodge
Nitro campaign when it aired during the 2006 World Series in
October. The marketing campaign begins in earnest on Nov. 5 with a
new spot on network TV titled "Planet" running on CBS NFL, FOX NFL
Sunday, NASCAR racing on NBC and "Law & Order" on TNT. "Planet"
will also be shown in movie theaters starting next month. Other
elements of the campaign include general market print ads, TV and
print campaigns for multicultural markets, events, gaming
integration, radio spots, interactive marketing, direct mail, and
promotions. "The mid-size sport-utility market is characterized by
vehicles with overall bland designs that many consumers find
boring," said Tom Loveless, Director - Dodge Marketing and Global
Communications. "The 2007 Dodge Nitro will light a spark to the
mid-size SUV segment. With its confident, masculine design,
performance, features, technology and safety systems, the Dodge
Nitro is the SUV to which men aspire and that women appreciate."
"Media placements for the Dodge Nitro campaign will be where you'd
expect Dodge to be: TV sports programming, men's magazines and
gaming," said Mark Spencer, Senior Manager - Dodge Marketing and
Global Communications. "At the same time, the campaign will be in
front of women using mass media not usually associated with the
Dodge brand and its 'Grab Life by the Horns' persona." Examples,
said Spencer, are: Dodge Nitro ads on "Desperate Housewives" (ABC)
and "Crossing Jordan" (NBC); print ads in such magazines as Domino,
Ready-Made, Home, Martha Stewart Blueprint, Essence, Ebony and
Latina People en Espanol; and Web sites, including HGTV, DIY, The
Home Depot, The Nest/The Knot, Realtor.com, AOL Home/Organizing and
MSN Lifestyle: Home. Still, the primary targets of the Dodge Nitro
marketing campaign are men with three particular passions:
sports/fitness, social networking/entertainment and personalization
(that is, how men create and define their personal space, for
example, creating a 'man den' in the basement or garage). Dodge
Home Page -- As the focal point of the Dodge Nitro marketing
campaign, the Dodge brand Web site has been drastically improved to
meet the needs of shoppers who routinely visit the Web long before
they visit a dealer. Compared to the launch of the Dodge Caliber,
the landing pages for the Dodge Nitro have more rich media, more
dynamic photos, more video and more sound. The site has information
on more than 50 product features, including exterior styling, the
five-passenger seating and other interior features, safety systems
such as Electronic Stability Program, powertrain options, including
the new 4.0-liter V-6 engine, modules like the new LOAD 'N GO(TM)
cargo floor, tech features like the optional MyGIG(TM) Multimedia
Infotainment System, pricing and more. "The improvements to the
Dodge Web site allow us to expand and deepen the story of the 2007
Dodge Nitro for consumers," said Spencer. "The new site is more
intuitive. It provides a virtual walk-around tour of the vehicle.
There is more relevant purchase information. We even streamlined
the credit application process that interfaces with Chrysler
Financial." Online -- Complementing the Dodge site will be
marketing elements for the Dodge Nitro that address the three
passion points at such online sites as Yahoo! Sports, SI.com, ESPN
and YouTube, AOL Black Voices, The Onion and Ticketmaster for
entertainment; and BET.com, The Home Depot MSN Latino, Batanga and
MSN for personalization. Television -- The schedule has lots of TV
sporting events: NFL games on CBS, FOX and the NFL Network, ESPN
Monday Night Football, NCAA bowl games, Telemundo Soccer and
others; plus cable sports TV, such as NBA and NHL games on TNT.
Prime time shows include "Medium," "My Name is Earl" and "Law &
Order: SVU," all on NBC; "24," "House," and "Prison Break" on FOX;
and "Grey's Anatomy" and "Dancing with the Stars" on ABC.
Late-night programming is on tap, too: "The Tonight Show with Jay
Leno" and the "Late Show with David Letterman," among others.
DIRECTV -- Dodge is the exclusive automotive sponsor of NFL Sunday
Ticket, the satellite TV program for football junkies. The Dodge
Nitro is being advertised on many of the program's outlets,
including Enhanced Sunday Ticket, NFL Game Mix and Player Tracker.
Print -- Dodge Nitro print ads will run in nearly 70 magazines,
including general market (Spin, Entertainment Weekly, People,
Bicycling, Men's Fitness, Men's Health, Maxim, Men's Journal,
Wired, Blender, Paste, Rolling Stone, Sporting News, Sports
Illustrated); African American (Essence, Complex, Jet, Rides, DUB,
Vibe); Hispanic (Audrey magazine, ESPN Deportes, Fox Sports en
Espanol, Estylo, Tu Cinda Laos Angel, Urban Latino) and Asian
(India Today, Korean Journal, Asian week, East West magazine).
Gaming integration -- Later this year Nitro will be integrated into
the NHL 2K7 video game available on Xbox 360, Xbox, PS2 and PS3.
The vehicle will be used in a custom mini-game, custom billboards,
sponsorship between periods, voice-overs and stars of the game
sponsorship. Also, a Dodge Nitro is the top prize in an online
video game competition, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas Challenge,
which features Dodge vehicles integrated into the game. A two-page
spread announcing the program is in the current issue of Xbox, PC
Gamer, and Playstation magazines. Gamers can register for the
tournament beginning Nov. 6 at
http://www.gamestop.com/rainbowsixtournament . TV Spot Descriptions
In "Planet," a crane is off-loading a 2007 Dodge Nitro from a ship
when the chains break, sending the vehicle crashing to the ground.
It breaks through the pavement and begins a downward journey, first
past a subway station and then through the Earth's sub-terrain. The
Nitro falls past strange underground scenery -- both dry and wet --
inhabited by dinosaurs and gnome- like creatures. After dropping
past Hell, the vehicle reaches China, where it crashes through the
terrain on its roof, then rights itself on all four wheels, all
without a scratch. "Jump" takes place in a parking lot. A motorist
whose car won't start asks the driver of a Dodge Nitro, "Could you
give me a jump?" After the battery cables are attached between the
two vehicles, the Dodge Nitro owner cranks the engine, which sends
the stalled vehicle straight up in the air, out of view. After a
few seconds the car comes crashing to the ground. The driver,
wobbly but unhurt, starts to exit his mangled car, only to have the
driver door come off in his hand. There are four, 15-second African
American spots. In "Martial Smarts," a man breaks a stack of bricks
with his head, and nearly passes out. The scene freezes and words
"That's Stupid" flash on the screen. A Dodge Nitro driver who has
been watching the martial arts exhibition walks up to an equally
large stack of bricks, pulls out a sledge hammer and uses it to
break through all the bricks. Flashing on the screen this time are
the words, "That's Nitro." In "Lil' Flip," two fathers watch as
their sons play on a trampoline. The first boy does a single
reverse flip. "That's my boy," says his dad, proudly. "That's
cute," flashes on the screen. The next youngster does a series of
high-speed reverse flips on the trampoline that are worthy of an
Olympic gymnast. The second father, who is the Dodge Nitro driver,
smiles and says, "That's MY boy!" Again, "That's Nitro" flashes on
the screen. In "My Girl," a man and a woman are sitting in a Dodge
Nitro parked on a city street. An angry-looking tough guy walks up
to the driver's window and says, "Hey, man, that's my girl!" The
scene freezes and "That's Aggressive" flashes up. The man and women
are unconcerned. The woman leans over to the tough guy and says, "I
was your girl." "That's Nitro" flashes on the screen. The driver
smiles, rolls up the window and drives away. "Arrival Time" opens
with a Dodge Nitro owner parking his car at his job. His boss
approaches, angrily pointing at his watch. "Well, Mr. Man, you're
late!" he says. "That's Bossy" flashes on the screen. The driver
remains calm, reaches over to his boss's wrist watch and resets the
time back. "Now I'm early," he says with a smile, and strolls away.
"That's Nitro" flashes on the screen. All four of the African
American spots end with an announcer saying, "Bold is not enough."
Two 30-second TV spots are also being developed for the Hispanic
market. DATASOURCE: Chrysler Group CONTACT: James Kenyon,
+1-248-512-2936, , or Carrie McElwee, +1-248-512-2664, , both of
Chrysler Group Web site: http://www.media.daimlerchrysler.com/
http://www.daimlerchrysler.com/ http://www.dodge.com/Nitro
http://www.gamestop.com/rainbowsixtournament
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