DETROIT, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Chrysler will introduce on Fridaya new set of television commercials to promote the rollout ofits redesigned primary pickup truck, the Ram Truck 1500, whichappears at U.S. dealerships this month.
The 2013 Ram 1500 is one of the most important vehicles inthe Chrysler lineup. The new commercials previewed for reporterson Monday seek to entice loyal buyers of better-selling pickupsfrom Ford Motor Co and General Motors Co to givethe redesigned Ram 1500 a try.
Chrysler's new 1500 will have best-in-class fuel economy of25 miles per gallon, and that feature is prominent in most ofthe TV spots shown to reporters.
The advertisements which will also be rolled out in printand online spots, feature the brand's tagline, "Guts. Glory.Ram," which is spoken in all of the U.S. spots by the voice ofthe Ram brand, rugged and gravely voiced movie star Sam Elliott.
Ram truck broke away from the Dodge brand after Italy's FiatSpA took over management of the No. 3 U.S. automaker in2009.
Fred Diaz, head of the Ram Truck brand and chief of allChrysler brands in Mexico, said the separate identity for thetrucks makes it easier for marketing to specific national andregional audiences.
Diaz said that the fact that the new 1500 is beingintroduced now gives Ram Truck a chance to gain more share fromits GM and Ford pickup truck rivals as the newest truck on themarket until GM's new Chevrolet Silverado launches sometime inthe middle of next year.
About 17 percent of Ram Truck buyers are Hispanic, saidDiaz, a fourth-generation Mexican-American who was raised in SanAntonio.
Diaz introduced several Spanish-language commercials, whichfeature 17-time Latin Grammy winner Juanes. The spots featurethe Spanish-language campaign "A Todo, Con Todo," which means"to everything, with everything."
"This particular audience buys a lot of pickup trucks," saidMarissa Hunter, chief of Ram Truck advertising.
Hunter and Diaz said Chrysler is expanding its presence inHispanic advertising across its brands, but Ram was leading theway.
Autodata Corp reported that through September in the U.S.pickup truck market, Chrysler was taking an 18.1 percent marketshare, compared to 39.3 percent for Ford's trucks and 34.8percent for GM's trucks.
(Reporting By Bernie Woodall in Detroit; Editing by Tim Dobbyn)
((bernie.woodall@thomsonreuters.com)(+1-313-416-4071)(Reuters
Messaging: bernie.woodall.thomsonreuters@reuters.net))
Keywords: CHRYSLER/RAM