by Jonathan Marshall
I will carry your lip balm. I will listen to your opinion of my friends. I will listen to your friends’ opinions of my friends. I will watch your vampire TV shows with you. And because I do this, I will drive the car I want to drive.
Women don’t buy Dodge Chargers, and whether you knew that or not, after watching this commercial, you quickly realize that international advertising agency Wieden and Kennedy had that in mind when they were deciding who to target in this ad.
The spot opens with the narrator listing things that men all over the world are “putting-up with” in relationships, while simultaneously showing images of annoyed and even angered men. Most of the things they list are both comical and currently relevant – watching “Vampire TV shows.”
By listing several things that countless frustrated men are “putting-up with,” the creative agency attempts to point out a situation that the Dodge brand has in common with the viewer- like they understand what they are going through… and they wanna help them stand up for themselves… “As a man, you’ve sacrificed a lot, but surely there is a limit to your chivalry.”
Judging from the 1,000,000+ views on YouTube, and the 1000s of comments that go with those views, not surprisingly most men love the commercial, and most women HATE IT. So, after all of that- does this ad work? It was targeted to men, and as a viral video, it got great feedback from that targeted audience… But will it SELL CHARGERS? What do you think?