There are a few brands for whom a transition to electric vehicles is especially tough. The top two that come to mind are Lotus, whose entire reputation is based on lightweight sports cars (difficult to do with heavy batteries), and Dodge, a brand whose reputation is built on big, powerful, loud, gasoline-sucking V8s. But Dodge is transitioning towards electrification like the rest of the industry, which means it has to convince V8-lovers that this is not “lame,” but in fact, cool. Here’s the new ad campaign the brand is using to try to pull that off.
The term “lame” is one that surprises me a bit, not because I myself am especially politically correct, but because large companies have for a while now strayed away from controversial terms like that (in this case, it’d be considered by some to be ableist). I don’t really want to get into the topic of PC, but I mention this only because it shows the vibe Dodge is going with for its new ad campaign; the brand clearly isn’t concerned about offending some people, and a lot of its customers probably aren’t, either.
The brand just issued a press release titled “Save the Planet … From Soulless EVs! World’s Quickest and Most Powerful Muscle Car, the All-new Dodge Charger Daytona, Lands Now With New Marketing Campaign.” It begins with this:
Dodge comes to the rescue! The Dodge brand revealed its marketing campaign for the brand’s first fully electric vehicle, the Dodge Charger Daytona, the world’s quickest and most powerful muscle car. And let’s just say, electric vehicles aren’t changing what Dodge stands for one tiny bit.
That makes sense. You’ve built an audience around V8 burnout-machines; you’ve got to cater to that audience, just as I need to cater to my audience here at The Autopian by writing articles for enthusiasts. The reality is that many Dodge customers are married to gas engines, it was Dodge who officiated the weddings:
And those are the recent commercials; in truth, Dodge has been getting folks to fall in love with gas V8s for much longer. You might remember these “That Thing Got A Hemi?” ads from 20 years ago:
So after spending so much time (and money) getting folks to love gasoline, Dodge convincing those same folks to give it up for electricity won’t be easy. We wrote a story earlier this year titled “Mopar Fans Freak Out (In The Worst Way) After Dodge Posts Electric Charger Fake Exhaust Sound,” showing just how much of an uphill battle Dodge has, as its audience grapples with electrification. Here are some screengrabs from the comments:
This video from earlier this year showing CEO Tim Kuniskis trying to convince diehard Dodge fans why EVs make sense is pretty wild, too, and a good indication of just how tough of a job Dodge has ahead:
But let’s get back to the latest ad campaign — the one from the press release I mentioned earlier. Here’s the latest spot:
In case you can’t watch that because you’re at work, here’s the narration for Dodge’s new “Save The Planet” ad:
“We aren’t’ building electric vehicles because it’s trendy.
We’re building them to make a difference.
To protect our future and our children’s future, we’re building electric vehicles to save our planet.
To save it from all those lame, soulless, weak-looking, self-driving sleep pods everyone else keeps polluting our streets with … (gah)!
(scenes of Dodge Charger Daytona taking over the streets)
That’s why we’re doing it.”
While I’d probably add “because we have significant regulatory reasons to do so,” I think the ad — while controversial for some — is fine. Actually, I’d say that, while EV lovers may not be huge fans of Dodge’s rather macho approach, calling other EVs “lame, soulless, weak-looking,” the approach might ultimately be a good thing for EVs. The reality is that there are tens of thousands of people out there who think EVs are wack, and any company spending its own resources to try to rid of that mentality is only a good thing for EV adoption.
It’s a bit hilariously simple and maybe corny (Dodge itself says the ad has “a tinge, or perhaps more of a blast, of irony”), but I don’t mind it. What do you think?
Well when you have the market they do if you convince them that EV is okay then you have your market considering everyones EVs. Bad business. Also Hybrid is the way to go EVs need to be ignored.
With the weight of those things they should have just gone with ‘Own the lbs’.
Ignoring the ableism aspect, calling something “lame” is just outdated as an insult at this point and makes you look like a dork. Do you still use “groovy” or “radical” for good things?
Listen up, NERD
/Fast Times at Ridgemont High School of Insultery
Don’t be a square, dude.
If you can’t say something is “rad” and enjoy it you’re missing out! Life’s too short, it’s lame to not use fun words!
Can you get us al list with the latest approved words, please? Maybe do it monthly so we can keep up with the latest trends in being offended.
I don’t use groovy much unless I’ve been thinking about Evil Dead. To wit: Your comment was lame.
This strikes me as the insecure reassuring the insecure, which wouldn’t be a problem, except that both parties involved have made it a personal platform to loudly talk about how insecure they aren’t.
“Dodge Charger Daytona – all other EVs are for p****ies!”
There’s one of those breathalyzer devices built in, but it’s for testosterone. Too low and the car won’t start, and the LCD screen calls you a weenie.
It’s a *keyhole* but if your *key* is too big it won’t start the car.
I like the ad campaign, but I don’t think this car will be wildly successful.
Whether you like the Charger or not, the appeal is that they offer a lot of horsepower and noise for a relatively small amount of money. If a loud, affordable V8 muscle car is your thing, Dodge basically has a monopoly. Dodge successfully cornered the market on mildly antisocial V8 sedans, and has to somehow do that again without a V8.
The Charger Daytona EV is going to have to compete with vehicles that offer the same performance and a similar driving experience. Almost all modern electric vehicles are fast. Some of these vehicles (particularly the Model 3 performance AWD) are considerably cheaper. It is going to be hard to make the Charger stand out given it could have few points of differentiation from other EVs.
Based on what I have seen of the Charger EV, the biggest selling point is that it looks like an ICE muscle car. Most EVs have a distinctive look that readily identifies them, so this vehicle could be unique. I don’t know that styling alone will be enough to give them a large following, though, and presumably other manufacturers will adjust their styling to appear more like ICE vehicles if this ends up being popular.
I could see the Charger EV having fans (I could see myself buying one even though I have zero interest in an ICE Charger), but I don’t see a situation where it will carve out a niche like the ICE Charger/Challenger did. I think Dodge is probably screwed, but I appreciate that they are at least putting forth an effort to build a desirable product.
I agree a lot with your comment. Particularly the styling is excellent not just for an EV but for a new vehicle in general. If they can deliver a special feeling driving experience, then they will really be onto something. The only thing I’ve found with most EV’s I’ve driven is that they lack character. They generally feel like a well tuned luxury car, there is no rawness or pent up excitement ready to be released the way a challenger or say a 90s sports car would.
The problem is that a lot of the character inherent to ICE vehicles comes from the powertrain itself. There are numerous engine/transmission configurations that accomplish the same goal in ways that feel different. A turbocharged 4 cylinder with a CVT is going to inherently create a different driving experience than a V8 with a 6 speed transmission. With the wide variety of engine/transmission combinations available, Dodge was able to create a very distinctive vehicle by powertrain choices alone.
Having driven several EVs, it seems to me EV powertrains are basically interchangeable. I don’t know if it will be possible for Dodge (or anyone else) to make a vehicle feel distinct without feeling artificial. Dodge’s answer to powertrain fungibility seems to be a combination of creative marketing and artificial exhaust sounds, which doesn’t seem like enough.
It will be interesting to see if Dodge can pull this off. Again, I like the Charger EV and could see buying one, so I hope they succeed.
This, so much this. Fundamentally, fast EVs give the same experience as an amusement park ride. Lots of G-forces, zero drama other than feeling like you might die. Cars need some Sturm und Drang” to add the drama and be fun – and they can be fun at much lower speeds with some noise and commotion to let you FEEL like you are going fast, even if you aren’t (see my Triumph Spitfire as Exhibit A). The Hemi Chrysler products did that in spades.
If you just want your organs re-arranged by g-forces, a season ticket to Six Flags is a lot cheaper and safer anyway.
1000x this. EV enthusiasts don’t get that feeling like you’re on a rollercoaster is BORING, and boredom is not what I want to feel when driving fast.
I don’t want to be bored driving slowly either. I can have fun in my Spitfire without breaking the speed limit.
This is such a mess. I’m an environmental guy, I promise. I LIKE EV’s. I teach cub scouts all about responsibility in nature, I recycle, my last 3 leases were 2 4xe jeeps and an R/T Hornet, all of which I hypermiled like crazy and ran with juice from the solar panels on my house.
But this Electric swapping of Dodge is mismanagement of the highest order, and I hate it. I hate that it’s slower than an 8 year old tesla. I hate that it costs as much as a Corvette. I hate that it weighs more than an F-150. I hate the fake V8 sounds. I hate the cheesy marketing. I hate that I cannot get a single customer of mine excited about this.
I just hate it.
How much money does it really cost to engineer a set of heads and a fueling system that would allow a 5.7 hemi block to just not pollute as much. Or even a small displacement clean sheet design? Would it have been that much more than all the (FAILED) marketing at making an electric charger work?
I’ve been following this car since the beginning, and it looks like they’ve built something truly awesome as far as the looks and functionality goes.
But I’m telling you, this car would have been a hype train for the Dodge brand (and they NEEDED THAT) if it only had a real V8.
I know the six is coming. The six is a great little motor. But people are lukewarm about it in the ram trucks, they’re not going to get excited about it in the Charger.
I love straight 6’s, I really do. But they dont have the same soul as a v8.
I’m praying that somehow, some way, they have a way to put a V8 between the fenders of this car, or it is going to be the last non-crossover car Dodge builds.
Given how Dodge is completely dropping the ball with the Hornet, I don’t think you need to put “non-crossover” in there. This is make or break for Dodge as a brand, they have nothing else.
Other than that and people calling Stellantis North America’s trucks “Dodge Ram” for the next 30 years.
Well said. Really another large example of Stellantis not understanding what to do with their brands at all.
Seriously. My 2010 Challenger is the only new car I’ve ever bought. At this rate, it will remain the only new car I ever buy.
It must be nice to live somewhere with streets full of quiet, pleasant-looking cars being driven at a reasonable pace, actually, Dodge.
Sounds safe, and quiet, and clean. UGH. GROSS.
I believe the place you’re referring to is Canada.
I dunno, it’s gotten better over time but a lot of ev crossovers do fall victim to forgoing a real shape in favor of that extra percentage of drag coefficient. I can list on one hand the EVs I actually like the shape of
Given the direction of the country these days, I’d say they should not just be unconcerned about offending people, they should go all out and be as offensive as possible. Ought to be a big winner!
Aren’t the street takeovers part of the problem with Dodges? Are they trying to appeal to car thieves or buyers?
Whatever gets the cars off dealership lots I guess
Nice!
Insurance pays as well as a customer. Stolen or sold, it’s off the lot.
The RMS Stellantis has collided with an iceberg and is going down by the head. Captain Tavares (not pictured) has departed the ship in a lifeboat with a horde of cash from the safe. In the future when holographic Telly Savalas opens the safe on a livestream, he will be disappointed to find it empty; much like Chrysler’s vehicle lineup.
they will have a hemi version in the showroom before the end of 2025
If Porsche can call their electric car a Turbo, I have no problem with Stellantis calling this a Hemi.
The last gen Hemi wasn’t really a true hemi, anyway.
Gotta have that quench area, baby!
Is it possible to configure battery cells so that there’s something marginally hemispherical about them? If so, they’re home free!
Except the only line they had for it was converted to Hurricane production. They have a stockpile of engines left, and they’re likely being kept for all the warranty claims they’ll have to go through anyways, since the Hemi hasn’t been good since 2008, if you could ever call it “good” to begin with.
The trick is to buy it with a manual transmission and hence no MDS. 94,000 miles on mine and no issues. 16 spark plugs every 30k miles sucks, but other than that, I enjoy it.
more like “We’re doing this because our product team is perpetually 36-60 months behind the industry as a whole”
again, I say this with love: Stellantis, hire *me* to be your company’s CEO.
I *promise* you I can turn this ship around.
I mean, I can’t possibly do less, can I?
Seriously, I’d do it for only $1m a year, and I can’t possibly be worse than Tavares!
Dodge marketing had created a new category for their EV marketing – Nontoxic masculinity.
All of us men are waiting for someone to define nontoxic masculinity.
I know it’s cut and edited for it, but the ad does make the Fratzonic exhaust sound like it’d be cool, but that’s my lizard brain talking, in reality the addition of a fratzonic exhaust just adds unneeded complexity and this is Stellantis we’re talking about, unneeded complexity is not their friend.
But if it helps differentiate their superpowered EV coupe/sedan from say the Model S or Lucid Air, that are pretty much a muscle car going by whatever their definition seems to be now, and are faster, then ok sure.
I feel like advertising that’s aimed at men is really scraping the bottom of the barrel these days. As someone who watches a lot of football and car content on YouTube the algorithm unsurprisingly has me pinned as a MACHO MANLY MAN and the ads I’ve been getting lately are hilarious. One is for a “tactical” (lol. lmao even) hoodie that literally starts with the line “you’re not a child, you’re a MAN!”.
Another is for another tacticool product that’s a belt that opens with a guy standing next to a cow, grabbing a handgun that is certainly not of a “capable of one shotting a cow” caliber, killing the cow offscreen, and ranting about how their product is better because it’s now made of REAL COW!
If you watch football on the weekends you’ll inevitably be inundated with ads for DUDE WIPES that tout how DUDE WIPE users don’t have any shit in their undies. PERSONAL HYGIENE IS NOW MANLY, isn’t it folks? Idk, I’ve had a bidet for the last 4 years. Anyway what makes these wipes MASCULINE? I have no idea.
This stupid commercial gives me the same vibes, and honestly as a dude myself I’m a little offended, but not for the reasons the Lib Owners at Dodge would think. I’m offended that these corporations take me for being THIS stupid and shallow. I have a lot of stereotypical guy hobbies too-racing, watching sports, grilling and smoking meats, I can shred a guitar better than anyone you know, etc.
But like, holy shit. THIS is what people think of us? THIS is what highly educated and compensated professionals come up with to appeal to us? I mean dear god. I get that I’m in a little bit of a bubble in a major city on the east coast but surely this nonsense doesn’t work all that well, does it?
It’s because the internet (Twitter) has so severely brain-poisoned the majority of men under 50 into earnestly believing that basic things like hygiene and self-care are gay. So, you have to talk to them like children and sell them products with monster trucks and dinosaurs on them so they can feel like real big boys.
Joke’s on them then, because if there’s anyone you specifically want personal hygiene advice from it’s gay men
To “the internet” I’d add their extremely homophobic fathers/grandfathers/uncles (many of which were probably closeted but outwardly homophobic because of the threat of their fathers/uncles/grandfathers literally beating it out of them) but yeah, we have a problem in this country that’s largely education related and it’s pretty evident that’s not going to get much better in the next four years.
I guess the jokes on them. Women love clean men.
“Yeah but I hate my wife” *laugh track*
I think that the weird thing is that their perception of “gay” is kind of outside of reality. I mean, in my local circle of dudes, a lot of us are traditionally masculine in appearance – lots of big beards in the group (including me), lots of work wear, lots of bigger guys. We’re watching sports and action movies. Hell there’s a bunch of rugby players in there. Gendered expression varies, mostly it’s just that everyone is comfortable with themselves.
Straight dudes need to be comfortable with themselves.
Most of my gay friends are butcher than most of my straight friends. Maybe I just hang with gay lumbersexuals and straight pansies.:-)
You might have found yourself in the midst of a pack of bears.
If you want to share their numbers…
LOL – I myself have the soul of a twink trapped in the body of a bear.
“I’m not a baby, I’m a bog boy!” —Jeremy Jam.
“Real cow”. Ridiculous. It’s probably some split top grain trash scraped off a McDonald’s slaughterhouse floor.
What makes the wipes more masculine is the brand on the box and the extra price to the terminally insecure, which is the demographic they’re going for. Those guys think that’s what guys are, but they’re completely lost. They will, however, spend massive amounts of money to meet some standard they were told they had to meet to qualify as “Real Men(TM)”
I got my bidet just before covid toilet paper shortages.
We’re team bidet now, but previously had wipes stocked in the bathroom. The realization that unscented baby wipes were a whole lot cheaper (and more readily available in multipacks) was a gamechanger, even for the “flushable” ones which were already more expensive than most.
Flushable ones can still cause problems with plumbing. Learned that the hard way.
That was a big reason for the move to the bidet. I don’t want to deal with the long term ramifications of wipes.
While it’s always better to avoid the issue altogether, that was a job I was glad to pay someone else to do.
Literally all of this. The ads. The tactical crap. The manly man butt wipes. All of it.
I don’t know what you expected. Look at the audiences that Joe Rogan and Theo Von garner.
Do you want to know the crazy part? The marketing seems to work. Apparently, slapping the word “DUDE” on a wet wipe is a cheat code to raking in millions:
https://www.inc.com/bryan-elliott/behind-150-million-dude-wipes-brand-with-ceo-sean-riley.html
My mind is always blown at stuff like this. Logically, people should know that a Dude Wipe is not really any different than the generic wet wipes on the rack, and yet here we are. I mean, good for the CEO, just, wow!
I really don’t know what DUDE wipes are and don’t care.
On the prairie where I live, a couple generations ago the asswipes that men AND women used were dried corn cobs. (Not making that up). Nothing more manly than that, in my opinion.
My grandfather said they used to use the sears catalog. It was apparently made with very thin paper (or I hope it was!).
Something tells me that was not the only use our forefathers and foremothers had for dried corn cobs on that lonely, lonely prairie.
Welllllllll…also the package is black.
We are all God’s children, and he’s abandoned us in a hot car.
Bidets are cheap and life-changing. Been a user for about two years now and I won’t “go” anywhere else but home.
But on topic, there are still TONS of manly men ™ around for this to reach. I live in an affluent neighborhood next to a trial lawyer whose high school kids drive newish Wranglers and Caddies. Neighbor across the street is one such manly man. Coaches football, kid plays football/baseball. Owns a roofing company. Still tailgates for every home high school football game despite having no kids in said high school. Full driveway for every game for his chosen NFL team. Drinks with buddies in his driveway around a smokeless fire pit on weekend nights. Also won’t say anything but “hey” to me despite our kids being friends, but anyway… yeah, I can definitely see this ad being up his alley. And there are a lot like him. I mean, look at what happened in early November.
Hopefully we keep evolving as a gender so that this type of stuff isn’t necessary. But until then, there’s a market to reach and by golly Dodge is gonna try to reach it, or go bankrupt trying.
I’ve been on the bidet bandwagon for over a decade. Next best thing to a shower and much more convenient.
This guy sounds like he is living his best life has been successful enough to take care of his family. It also sounds like he gives back to the community through coaching. What’s the problem here?
Oh, I have no problem at all with him at all.
My point was this: there are guys out there that 1) this marketing will most likely appeal to and 2) have the money to afford the product being marketed.
I guess the ad is not for you.
But for every (NFL) football game you watch, there are an average of 17 Million other people watching. And a lot of them are stupid. Like, really stupid. They are not going to worry about you and 4 million other people offended by this ad. They are targeting the other 13 million.
I mean, I don’t get offended when some guy in Vegas is trying to hand me a business card for a strip club (“Sorry, not that horny right now”), nor do I get offended when the Girl Scouts try to sell me cookies in front of a SuperMarket (“Oh, so you see a fat guy and you think I want to buy cookies?? OK, one box of thin mints, but THAT’S IT!”).
Lastly, I’d rather The Autopian give me car reviews instead of this fish in barrels they’re shooting at.
Whoever managed to market actually wiping your ass to insecure men is doing us a service. There’s a reason I call things like uselessly lifted trucks stank ass cars.
“Anyway what makes these wipes MASCULINE? I have no idea.”
Axe body spray scented. Or Dakkar. Either way it stinks of ass.
I don’t mind it honestly – I wonder why it has engine-revvy sounds though? I wouldn’t buy one anyway but it’s on brand for Dodge.
The backlash reminds me of the “Chargers can’t have 4 doors – this is the worst car of all time nobody will buy them you fools!” thing.
Everything will work out just fine here I suspect and Dodges will continue to offer us what they always have, whether we like it or not.
They might as well just say. “Look guys, we’re basically doing this because we have to.We don’t like it any more than you do. We wish we could keep making the hemi’s forever but unfortunately we just can’t. We’re sorry. Here’s the best we can do for now. We know it’s electric, but at least it’s quick. Again. sorry.” At least that would be honest.
“If our executives hadn’t run the company into the ground we might have been able to get away with some hybrids and kept the V8s, but we literally just have 3 vehicles to try to meet CAFE standards with and have been pissing too much money away on buying all of Tesla’s credits the last 10 years”.
Never understand comments like “soy” or “neutered” when it comes to EV. They have all the power, torque, and delivery control that no ICE can ever come close. Why the hate besides hating for the sake of itself?
There’s plenty of valid talking points about range, infrastructure, and mandates. None of that has anything to do with perceived (and misplaced) masculinity.
I guess I just answered my own question.
I have much the same reaction when it comes to people’s perceptions of minivans and manliness, as if anything is better proof of virility than filling a large vehicle with one’s offspring.
Same. I would think masculinity would consist of not GAF what other people think of you, at least in regard to petty classifications, and putting family over some pathetic image dictated by outside forces.
No, manliness has turned into just complaining online about how icky girls are and donating your child support money to the bald big-lipped guy so he can tell you it’s gay to wipe your ass.
Was it always this bad with insecure guys and the internet has only made it more apparent? Did the internet make it worse? Is it that I live in a region or maybe around the kinds of people where this is less of a problem that I didn’t notice it so much? Am I just old (yes)? I think the only time I was ever concerned about not being a wuss (not really the same thing as “being manly” as defined by people who aren’t sure what it is, but probably close enough for purpose), was when getting my blood drawn. Now I just tell them to put me in the comfy chair for when I faint and don’t care. Funny thing is, it’s a great way to start a conversation with an attractive nurse or phlebotomist.
I live in a small town in the Midwest and those extremely insecure, manufactured masculinity types are everywhere here. A lot of them played sports in high school and later went into the military, and because their entire lives have revolved around dominating others and being perceived as strong and tough, they are extremely sensitive to anything that may possibly humanize them.
I don’t remember it being this bad when I was younger, so I’m inclined to believe these types of guys have always been around, but their way of thinking has been legitimized and amplified by the internet, so they never really grow out of it.
I also live in an area where this is less prevalent. Whenever we visit my wife’s family in rural Missouri, I usually have a couple “oh right, this is a thing” moments.
There’s nothing less manly than passing out because you were afraid to ask for the recliner! Especially if you were afraid to ask the sexy nurse/phlebotomist.
The first time I had it done when I was a teenager, I had no idea I would faint. Stood up too quick and immediately lost vision and went right down. Luckily, that nurse was a large person who caught me with one arm and tossed me into a chair.
Yeah I was about that age when it started for me, too.
Holy crap your right!
Many such cases!
Because ICE cars make big vroom-vroom noises and are powered by EXPLOSIONS. And the more EXPLOSIONS your car makes, the more of a MAN you are. They’re dirty and greasy and make smoke and if your car doesn’t do those things then you must have a VAGINA.
[Insert Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor grunt here]
I just find the experience of driving an electric car somewhere between boring and unnerving. Boring because no vroom-vroom and unnerving because it’s akin to a rollercoaster but you still need to steer. Apparently I’m not manly enough to drive a silent fast car.
Yeah, no thanks.
As someone who has sold my soul, I am offended by the term “soulless” as a pejorative.
So that’s how you got the Viper
And just think of the zombies.
I think Dodge would say, “Grow a pair”.
I was going to sell my soul, but then I realized that the one sitting in my driveway actually belongs to my mother-in-law, not me. I too am soulless.
I mean, it doesn’t seem like anyone has tried to embrace the “EV for the driver” brand identity so why not Dodge? How much worse could it go?
Okay but we can both agree that this is a terrible way to do that.
I saw the new ad two nights ago, and as I heard the first part, I was thinking “oh, one of the companies is really going out there to talk about climate change! Wow, that’s pretty cool!” and then the second half dropped and it felt lame…like it is desperately trying to get the White New Balance crowd to feel cool again.
As a caucasian with acoustic neuroma, I find the term “white new balance crowd” offensive.
Ha, I’m falling down laughing. Sorry, was that insensitive?
Only if you have autonomic neuropathy, in which case you might find that offensive.
Politically incorrect is fun!
You have to give no shits what damage you’re doing to the climate to be cool.
That new Charger is hideous.