There’s an industry trade magazine I subscribe to. It’s called Advertising Age. I read it today and my eye caught a very disturbing headline… Dodge Suits Up for the SuperBowl.
As I read the news article, I quickly became infuriated. Apparently, Chrysler hired an expensive advertising agency, Wieden and Kennedy of Portland, Oregon to come up with the a SuperBowl TV ad.
So,Chrysler gets to bury $7 billion in tax payer dollars and if memory serves, they received another $8 billion from Uncle Sam, too. I called and asked to speak with Oliver Francois, marketing director at Chrysler for comment. He failed to return my call and his office wouldn’t comment on the Advertising Age article, either.
I don’t know who will read this but in case you’re not entirely up to speed on Chrysler’s melt down and their begging for federal bail out money, last year, Chrysler filed for bankruptcy. They also buried $7 billion dollars of tax payer bail out money into their bankruptcy paperwork — citing the U.S. Government as a creditor they did not have any intention of paying back.
Excuse me?
The American people had no say when Chrysler went crawling to Capitol Hill on their hands and knees for money to save their company from certain financial collapse. Now they got the funds — they turn their backs on the same hard working Americans dollars that saved them from certain doom.
Wow, this gives me a nice warm fuzzy in ditching my Japanese built Acura and buying a Dodge truck now. Who wants to buy my Acura MDX Sports Utility Vehicle?
Where’s Lee Iococa on this issue of this blatant Chrysler immorality? Apparently, this is Chrysler’s way of saying, “Screw you, America. We got to have our Super Bowl ads.” This is like a druggie hooked on crack cocaine. Coca-Cola, Budweiser, and the big 3 automobile fat cats have to have their SuperBowl ads. It’s no different than the druggies who will do anything to get their next fix off crack cocaine.
I don’t know what sickens me more. The apathy of firms like Chrysler that steals $7 billion of tax payer dollars or the American people who should be screaming to their congressmen and congress women about this horrible injustice.
If Chrysler / Dodge has enough money to buy multi million dollar SuperBowl ads, they’re financially strong enough to pay the tax payers back. Why banks are getting all of the attention escapes me. Firms like Chrysler deserve to be dragged out into the hardh light of day and seen for the crooks they really are.
President Obama once called Chrysler a “pillar” of the industrial economy.
Chrysler invented the minivan and they own the Jeep brand. Nostalgia and a piece of Americana to be sure. But I would give anything right now to be a fly on the wall inside the oval office just to hear President Obama’s opinion of them now.
I can’t be the only person in America questioning why a SuperBowl ad is necessary? I already know where the local Dodge dealership is. I don’t an expensive, funny ad to tell me what I already know.
Right now, there are thousands of unemployed auto workers clinging onto their unemployment benefits checks. Why can’t Chrysler / Dodge skip the Superbowl ad and run a print ad like the one below?
“Dear American taxpayer.
We at Chrysler deeply appreciate the taxes that were used to save our company.
We endeavor to build the best cars and trucks built by hard working Americans.
The inexcusable mistake of burying $7 billion of TARP funds in our 2009 bankruptcy was not the right thing to do, and we have terminated those responsible for that deplorable act. We want you to know that the millions of dollars that Dodge could be spending on SuperBowl ads is now being used to help create more than 14,000 new jobs and re-open hundreds of Dodge dealerships.
We’re putting America back to work.”
March 2nd, 2010 at 5:24 pm
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February 8th, 2010 at 12:58 am
So dodge can’t have an add, but the government can use my tax dollars to buy one for the census? Really?
February 1st, 2010 at 4:14 pm
Chrysler autos are crap anyway, the coolest thing they have is babsically a street leagal race car. beyond that, and the diesels trucks (for which they don’t build the engines) its a bunch of slightly more reliable than pre 2006 kia vehicles that cost 10 tiems as much… garbage let them fail. Also bail outs were stupid to begin with (Note for Obama bashers: BUSH started this practice, I know its hard to believe.)… Nothing is too big to fail, Nothing. Anyway have fun my .02
January 30th, 2010 at 5:30 pm
So, you don’t think it is smart to advertise on a night with the most viewers watching a show? Reaching an audience that is the target for your vehicle (I have heard either the Ram or Charger will be advertised). You may also wish to check your math, saving 6 mil would put 14,000 people back to work for $428 each (total). That’s not a lot better than unemployment. However if the advertisement does produce an increase in sales and help get the brand image back to where it needs to be, long term jobs will be created.
You are typical, thinking short term. Just wait till Chrysler pays the loan (not bailout) back to the gov + interest. Tell me what you think then.
I am not saying Chrysler has done nothing wrong, the past has been a disaster. However, I feel intelligent, fresh leadership and technology (Fiat), not an ignorant to the American market German (Daimler) or capital firm (Cerberus), will bring Chrysler back to the iconic status it once had.
January 21st, 2010 at 4:17 pm
Let’s be logical here for a minute. Chrysler took $7 billion and said “screw you America,” we’re not repaying it. Big Business as usual is killing Chrysler and it doesn’t have to BE that way.
Right now, there are 25 million Chrysler cars on RECALL for faulty brakes. Hello? McFly? Is anybody home up there in Detroit? I don’t think so.
If Chrysler wasn’t rushing off to build cars that nobody really wants or asked for, spending millions of dollars in “unnecessary marketing costs,” like on SuperBowl ads when we already know damned well where the local Dodge dealership in town is etc.
Instead of wasting money on these things, maybe a few more Quality Assurance (QA) people would still be employed @ Chrysler which could have resulted in better quality cars leaving the factory floor?
That’s just my two cents worth.
January 20th, 2010 at 3:43 pm
This is an interesting post. Thanks for pointing this info out.
January 17th, 2010 at 5:39 pm
Its all a big game man. All these executives have such big staffs that do all the work for them things like superbowl ads give them something to do. I can see it now, “My ad was bigger” “oh yeah well mine cost 5mill more”. Its a spending spree to get their rocks off, and truthfully they cant prove these pricegouged ads even increase sales. Same with everday ads when they pay a celebrity sick money to cast in the ad versus a standard ad. They prob just do it to get a day to hangout with a movie star etc. The only real ads I even look forward to are the old bud frogs, Its wasnt much of a sales pitch but seemed like Bud paying back for a years worth of business with a few good laughs.
Bring back the frogs Budweiser, they are better than the crappy halftime show!!!