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Events/Miscellaneous

Our coverage of worldwide events

January 15th, 2008

Detroit auto show: Dodge wants to show its softer side

Posted by: Ben Klayman
Tags: Detroit Auto Show 2008, Events/Miscellaneous

dodgelogo.jpgSay goodbye, or good riddance, to scantily clad models tossing footballs and other old Dodge promotions aimed solely at young men.

Chrysler’s new head of marketing, Deborah Meyer, said at the Detroit auto show that the automaker wants a so-called “New Day” for the historically macho brand’s growing cadre of female customers.

“We aren’t going to do that anymore,” Meyer said of past promotions and ads that skewed toward young men.

Past Chrysler ads portrayed a dog being electrocuted beside a Dodge Nitro SUV and a fairy turning a tough-looking man who was walking a big dog into a yellow-clad man walking four small dogs on pink leashes — catching flak from animal rights and gay rights groups, respectively.

Meyer, who Chrysler hired away from Toyota’s luxury Lexus division in mid August, said about 64 percent of Dodge car buyers now are under age 45, and a large percentage of those buyers are women.

“Dodge has always stood for power, but there is also a real feeling that Dodge stands for empowerment too,” Meyer told Reuters. “We are attracting a lot of young people and a lot of women.”

As for the infamous sponsorship of the pay-per-view Lingerie Bowl at the halftime of the Super Bowl four years ago, “Never again,” Meyer said. “No more lingerie bowl.”

(Photo: Chrysler)

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