• by Karl Greenberg , August 11, 2011

When Ram Truck rolled out the "Guts, Glory, Ram" campaign this year with its "Code of the West"-themed anthem spot, the Chrysler LLC division was, in essence, creating a hybrid campaign that combined an emotionally charged hagiography of Old West virtues and villains with something of a modern version of the market-share gunfight: creative that directly calls out the competition, feature by feature.

Ram Brand CEO Fred Diaz and advertising chief Marissa Hunter talked about the brand's back-road travels and how the campaign is evolving. In a Web conference on Thursday, Diaz said -- among other things -- that the economy notwithstanding, the road has not been all that rocky for Ram. Diaz said sales are up 26% year-to-date versus the same period in 2010, and the market share of the 1500 version is up 15%, while heavy-duty truck sales are up 27.7% at retail.

Diaz said the company is happy with its decision in 2009 to split the Ram truck brand away from Dodge. "The spinoff has allowed us to focus all creative and social media specifically toward truck buyers which gives Dodge its own brand space," he said. "The use of [actor] Sam Elliott's voice to market to truck buyers would be hard to match with sedan and minivan buyers. So our dealers are very happy with the specific focus on Ram, and the ads resonate very well with consumer groups."

Two new ads launching next month focus on performance. One has the truck doing what one usually associates with sibling brand Jeep: rock crawling. As the Ram Power Wagon climbs over boulders to summit a hillock with a dramatic vista of the Rockies in the background, Elliott says in his best gravelly voice: "You know why you don't see other full-sized pickup trucks straight off the line that can do this? 'Cause only one can: The Ram Power Wagon." The other spot showing Ram running with a pack of wild horses, again with the Rockies as a backdrop, touts the 1500 Hemi engine with a super touting the truck's MPG rating.

Hunter says the role of the ads is to create overall awareness about Ram capability "in a manner that inspires consumers to think differently about the Ram truck brand." The ads, which are via Dallas-based The Richards Group, were shot in various locations in the West, including the town HBO built for the set of "Deadwood." "Crew traveled from Northern California to Utah to capture the right scenes," said Hunter.

The Auburn Hills, Mich. company will launch an experiential program with Walmart and hunting accessories e-tailer Mossy Oak in the fall aimed at getting the Ram truck lineup on the ground where outdoor, lifestyle and commercial audiences shop. "This outdoor lifestyle partnership program will go live across thousands of Walmart stores," she said, adding that the company will have product specialists and local dealer representatives supporting on site. "We recognize the alignment between truck buyers, the hunting and fishing lifestyle and Walmart, so this promotion will bring all three together."

In spite of the economy, the company is fairly bullish on Ram sales this year. "We still have very favorable outlook for the future," said Diaz. "If dealer orders are any indication, I will tell you they are voting with their orders, which are very strong."