If DaimlerChrysler's latest sales figures are any indication of how much impact the car company's latest advertising campaign has had on sales, then maybe CEO Dieter Zetsche should just stick to his day job. The company reported that sales in the U.S. for July decreased 34% to 171,940 from 260,937 in the same year-ago period. This isn't exactly what Zetsche envisioned when he stepped into the spotlight as Dr. Z in the company's $225 million "Ask Dr. Z" U.S. television campaign. The off-beat, quirky commercials center on Dr. Z fielding consumer questions on DaimlerChrysler cars. The attempt at humor seemed to have not tickled the funny bone or opened the wallets of Americans.
"No. Dr. Z is more like Dr. ZZZZZZZZ, as in he puts you to sleep. The commercials go for humor...and it just ain't there," one wrote on a forum at the car review Web site Edmunds.com. Another wrote in the forum: "I just saw 1 minute ago Dr. Z bouncing a soccer ball off his head during a Chrysler Caravan commercial. This in my humble opinion is the dumbest one yet. It is an extreme embarrassment for Chrysler and for the German people. " Ouch! Tough audience. You be the judge and tell me what you think. Here's one commercial:
These commercials are certainly a different approach from former Chrysler CEO Lee Iacocca, who was the pitchman in the company's TV campaigns in the 1980s. Iacocca's straight-talking style in those commercials emphasized Chrysler's comeback and the pride one should have in owning a Chrysler auto. If Zetsche pulls the plug on himself, he may have to bring back Iacocca from retirement to stir up interest in Chrysler's cars.— Gerald Magpily
I'm sure the advertisers were playing with the perception of Germans as being conservative. If they wanted to get the public's attention, they did, but obviously, Zetsche is not the solution. Better american cars?
Time will tell whether the merger was worth it, for the Germans, that is....
Paulson's proposal to purchase an equity stake in Yellow Pages publisher Idearc is the second time in recent months an investor group has used its prepetition debt position to execute a bargain price 'exit LBO.'
I'm sure the advertisers were playing with the perception of Germans as being conservative. If they wanted to get the public's attention, they did, but obviously, Zetsche is not the solution. Better american cars?
Time will tell whether the merger was worth it, for the Germans, that is....