Dodge Is Undoubtedly the Domestic Brand With the Best Commercials

Matt Posky
by Matt Posky

Dodge recently launched a 30-second commercial as part of Fiat Chrysler’s new “Big Finish” advertising campaign. While a competent bit of marketing, it falls into the trap of deploying holiday marketing immediately after Halloween.

On the surface, it has everything you’d want from a Christmas-themed car ad. Professional wrestler, former NFL player, and American icon Bill Goldberg makes an appearance as Santa while dwarves install a 6.2-liter Hemi into his sleigh. The Butt Rock comes on strong, accented by angle grinders and relentless engine revving until Santa’s new ride is completed. They even put antlers on the Hellcat logo. It’s stupid and awesome but also way too early for this.

We’re willing to forgive FCA. The automaker has been pretty good about not making commercials that make us strangle anyone of late. Frankly, that’s more than we can say about some of the other domestic nameplates.

Matt Posky
Matt Posky

A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.

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  • Russycle Russycle on Nov 06, 2018

    I admit I lol'd at Santa's Challenger. And yes, Chevy's Real People adds are terrible. 5 people I've never heard of saying "This seems kind of OK" is just not compelling.

    • See 1 previous
    • Geozinger Geozinger on Nov 07, 2018

      @ravenuer Sorry, little was worse than those Subaru ads from a while back. Like the one where they took the old Forester out to the country to abandon it when it was too old to repair. Or the one with the stoner who forgot his sunglasses were in his hoodie, so they drove all over kingdom come looking for them. Or the horrible treacle one where they'll "donate" some amount of money to a charity when you buy a new car from them. Sure, let me add that donation amount to your cost, but, yeah... a donation. Putzes.

  • Blackcloud_9 Blackcloud_9 on Nov 07, 2018

    "It’s like Dodge is the only domestic badge that still realizes that it’s supposed to be selling cars." That's because it's all Dodge has. And there all BIG and muscle-y like the Santa in the commercial. Let's sell a pick-up...Oh, well Ram's a separate division now. Let's sell a capable off-roader...Nope that's a Jeep - which has the widest array of cars in all of FCA. Let's sell some small cars...*crickets* Yes, Dodge has turned into a one-trick - We need to stuff more HP under the hood - pony And as more of a GM Fan - the "real people not actors" ads are stupid and annoying. When they first started there was at least a thin veneer plausibility around them, now they're just ridiculous. The only reason they are "real people not actors" is because they haven't gotten their SAG/AFTRA cards yet.

    • Flipper35 Flipper35 on Nov 07, 2018

      Well, they do have the Durango which is not a car and it sells very well around here.

  • Garrett Garrett on Nov 07, 2018

    Ford or FCA needs to cast “Mahk” in a commercial. For those who love his take on Chevy, it would make for a commercial worth watching.

  • WildcatMatt WildcatMatt on Nov 09, 2018

    With the exception of the MLK Super Bowl ad, FCA has had the best car commercials for a long time now. I particularly appreciated the series with the portrayals of John and Horace Dodge enjoying modern-day Dodge products, I thought that was a neat idea that paid homage to the brand's roots.

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