Thank you for your comments regarding our 30-second Jeep Grand Cherokee television commercial. We value your opinion and appreciate your willingness to share it with us. As you know, outdoor activities and communing with the environment are both basic to the DNA of the Jeep brand. That is why for many years Jeep has sponsored and supported a wide range of outdoor events and activities. With this in mind, we created the spot to communicate the key attributes of Jeep off-road capability, ruggedness, safety and security. Because of our innate involvement with nature and outdoor activities, we felt we could use the hunting analogy in a tongue-in-cheek way to highlight the go anywhere, do anything capability of Jeep vehicles. Unfortunately, we did not anticipate this story line would evoke such negative emotion among some viewers. That was never intended. We apologize if we inadvertently offended any individual or group. Obviously we underestimated the sensitivity of this issue. Jeep, as the embodiment of the great outdoors, does not want to damage our relationship with any groups or individuals that love, appreciate and enjoy outdoor activities. Nor do we want to damage our relationship with our loyal customers or prospects who reside on either side of this issue. Therefore, because this is so emotionally charged, we will no longer continue this campaign. Again, thank you for sharing your views with us. We hope this clarifies our position.
Respectfully,
Jeff Bell Vice President Marketing Communications DaimlerChrysler
Paul- I'd say that "clarifies their position". This issue really had "legs" and DCX stumbled from beginning to end. How they ever imagined they could reconcile this ad campaign with their pro-hunting marketing efforts elswhere is a case study in stupidity.
Good work ladies and gents- Forrest
Posts: 5052 | Location: Muletown | Registered: 07 September 2001
While it is probably true that their copy is written by a NYC cliff dweller that has never seen a live tree without a fence around it, they should be in better touch with the folks that, in the final analysis, do indeed pay their salaries. And to use the tired, old saw of "gee guys, it was just tongue in cheek", is so much bullshit.
Posts: 2037 | Location: frametown west virginia usa | Registered: 14 October 2001
Posts: 8350 | Location: Jennings Louisiana, Arkansas by way of Alabama by way of South Carloina by way of County Antrim Irland by way of Lanarkshire Scotland. | Registered: 02 November 2001
Bearclaw, You're right, their answer was just a very generic way to appease a "group" of potential Jeep customers. Not the hunting community. They would have sent that identical letter to any number of organizations with a similar complaint. I hate to say it but Jeep probably just showed their true colors of the new ownership.
Can you say backfired!!!
------------------ Good Hunting & Hunt Safe, David
I agree with you guys. When I got to the part about them "underestimating the sensitivity of the issue", I decided he is full of sh*t. Why should we not object to a cheap shot aimed at a way of life we enjoy. It's bad enough that with every movie that comes out of hollywood we are portrayed as killers (usually drunken, inbred, redneck killers) now we are taking the same crap from a company that has always produced a great product for us, and our way of life. I don't think they regret it in any way, and I for one will never support them. Look at what we did to K-mart, that alone should prove we do carry some weight. If the rest of the bleeding heart companies come forward and follow the same path as these two, we will have the corporate herd culled down just about right.
So where's the PRO-hunting ad to offset the psychological/political effect of this one?
(I bet you won't see one showing some hunters sitting around a campfire with a kill hanging and a Jeep in the background.
Or how about one showing camo-clad hunters using a Jeep to deliver food into that same "No Hunting" zone to save the starving, overpopulated deer herd?)
Seems they won't dance with those that brung 'em!
Posts: 612 | Location: Atlanta, GA USA | Registered: 19 June 2000
Most Jeep Cherokee buyers today are granola-eating', latte-sippin' soccer moms who will never take their vehicles off road. Most Jeep Wrangler buyers are city dwellers that just want a convertible that looks a little bit different than others, or bunny huggin' day hikers who know nothing about wildlife management.
Jeep knows who their current target audience is, and their response is just damage control. After reading their vanilla response, I doubt that they pulled their ad to appease anyone. It probably just ran its course.
YEAHHH! Who cares what they think themselves. Their personal votes probably go with the tight skirt down the hall and the tight-ass bean counter upstairs, and either way none of them will ever get guts under his/her finger nails. Fact is we hit them hard enough that the bean counter told them to pull the ad. Victories are made one step like this at a time. That is how we lost as much as we lost - one small step at a time.
Posts: 36231 | Location: Laughing so hard I can barely type. | Registered: 21 April 2001
I imagine they did the math. How many hunters already got jeeps....how many non-hunters don't? How many old died in the wool jeep owners will we loose by reaching out to this big market of non-hunters and acting like we are on their side? When I get rid of the jeep I own, it will be my last.
Paul, I would like to know if you have Mr. Bells e-mail address? If you coul post it I'm sure many would respond. Chrysler also sponsored anti gun ads last prez campain in California. I'd like to warn everyone not to be fooled. They are also one of the financial supporters of Handgun Control Inc. which has caused all American gun owners problems. Think Brady bill.
BigNate no I do not have. Just fax it to this number contacting DaimlerChrysler at (248) 512-2992 or by faxing (248) 512-1760. DaimlerChrysler CEO Dieter Zetsche can be contacted directly at: Box 218004, Auburn Hills, Michigan, 48321.
~~~Suluuq
