• by Karl Greenberg , September 26, 2013

The effort, "Groundbreakers," shows the 2014 heavy and commercial truck lineup going to work in four 30-second spots plus print, digital and social. The first two TV spots air nationally on Sept. 28, with actor Sam Elliott once again serving as the voice of Ram.

The focus is on attributes, a must for the category: towing capability -- up to 30,000 pounds -- and torque courtesy of the Cummins Turbo Diesel. There is also creative about the Hemi Big Gas truck and the 2014 Power Wagon, each getting a 30-second spots.

Per the Auburn Hills, Mich. company, one of the first-flight ads shows a rancher, oil field worker, farmer and miner, with the message: "We get out there and walk a mile in the footsteps of the guys we build trucks for." The second spot opens with "A man will ask a lot of his truck" and lists out questions such as "Can it tow that?" The answer: "Hell, yes." The two other spots roll out later this fall.

There are five print ads in lifestyle and trade publications, while digital includes an immersive microsite, digital banner ads and social media. The microsite is thematically aligned with TV creative and offers a comprehensive look at vehicle features. 

Social elements include a Facebook contest #Groundbreakers, where people can challenge the truck to do just about anything within reason that the truck will attempt to do, at least through Oct. 4. 

There's also a "Groundbreakers Club Roadblock Challenge" sweepstakes with a social gaming component allowing fans to share stories on Facebook. Entrants have a chance to win weekly prizes and the grand prize, a 2014 Ram 2500 Power Wagon. The Facebook sites also houses a promotion called "Ram Caves" where winners of a sweepstakes get their garages ("Ram Caves") renovated and geared up.