• by Tanya Gazdik , December 12, 2024

Stellantis’ Dodge brand is taking its typical irreverent approach to advertising its first electric vehicle. 

The brand, known for its muscle cars, has launched a campaign that promises to “save the Planet … from soulless EVs” as it bills itself as the world’s quickest and most powerful muscle car.

Electric vehicles aren’t changing what Dodge stands for one tiny bit, says Jay Russell, chief creative officer at GSD&M, which created the camping in partnership with Dodge. 

“Dodge fans and muscle car purists love their powerful engines and don’t follow the status quo,” Russell tells Marketing Daily. “'Save the Planet' gives common electric car tropes the middle finger and assures our fans that we will keep our DNA at all costs.”

“Save the Planet” opens with a view of planet earth, city skylines and pastoral settings of green open fields, with the brand declaring that it isn’t "building electric vehicles because it’s trendy. We’re building them to make a difference.” 

The scene quickly dissolves to the all-new electric Dodge Charger Daytona taking over the streets in all its 670-horsepower glory, proclaiming that it will save the planet from “all those lame, soulless, weak-looking, self-driving sleep pods everyone keeps polluting our streets with. That’s why we’re doing it.”

The  campaign includes a 30-second spot for broadcast and 30-second, 15-second and shorter cutdowns for social media and digital media channels, in addition to a 60-second extended version on Dodge's YouTube channel.

Consumers can grab exclusive merchandise at Dodge.com.

The effort speaks to the power of Dodge in a way that only Dodge can, says Raj Register, chief marketing officer, Stellantis North America.

"What I've noticed in the industry is many of the EV campaigns look very, very similar," Register tells Marketing Daily. "And when we think about the opportunity we have with Dodge, we are not losing the grit and soul of what that brand brings to market. The performance is better than the [gas-powered] vehicle, and why not have some fun with it? It is a Dodge that just happens to be electric, and that campaign is very spot-on to that particular core group."