11396: Buy A Car Or We’ll Kill Kids.

Leave it to Leo Burnett in Brazil to use heavy-handed scare tactics to sell family rides.

From Ads of the World.

11234: Culturally Clueless Cars…?

From The New York Times…

When Cars Assume Ethnic Identities

By Glenn Collins

Coming to a showroom near you for 2014: the first sport utility vehicle in its class equipped with a 9-speed automatic transmission. It’s also the first to offer a parallel-parking feature. And, in 4-wheel-drive models, the rear axle disconnects automatically, for fuel efficiency.

Oh, yes: its name is the Jeep Cherokee.

Hold on — wasn’t that model name retired more than a decade ago? Wasn’t it replaced by the Jeep Liberty for 2002?

Yet now, in a time of heightened sensitivity over stereotypes, years after ethnic, racial and gender labeling has been largely erased from sports teams, products and services, Jeep is reviving an American Indian model name. Why?

“In the automobile business, you constantly have to reinvent yourself, and sometimes it’s best to go back to the future,” said Allen Adamson, managing director of the New York office of Landor Associates, a brand and corporate identity consultancy.

Jeep, a division of the Chrysler Group, explained that its market research revealed a marked fondness for the name. The 2014 version, said Jim Morrison, director of Jeep marketing, “is a new, very capable vehicle that has the Cherokee name and Cherokee heritage. Our challenge was, as a brand, to link the past image to the present.”

The company says it respects changed attitudes toward stereotyping. “We want to be politically correct, and we don’t want to offend anybody,” Mr. Morrison said. Regarding the Cherokee name, he added: “We just haven’t gotten any feedback that was disparaging.”

Well, here’s some: “We are really opposed to stereotypes,” said Amanda Clinton, a spokeswoman for the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma. “It would have been nice for them to have consulted us in the very least.”

But, she added, the Cherokee name is not copyrighted, and the tribe has been offered no royalties for the use of the name. “We have encouraged and applauded schools and universities for dropping offensive mascots,” she said, but stopped short of condemning the revived Jeep Cherokee because, “institutionally, the tribe does not have a stance on this.”

So far, marketing materials for the 2014 Cherokee model have eschewed references to, or portrayals of, American Indians and their symbols. That’s a far cry from the excesses of past years, when marketers went beyond embracing stereotyping to reveling in it. Indeed, Chrysler’s restraint seems an indication of just how much things have changed.

For decades, American Indian tribal names have helped to propel automobiles out of showrooms. Return with us now to the era when Pontiac’s sales brochures carried illustrations comparing its 6-cylinder engines to six red-painted, feathered cartoon Indian braves rowing a canoe.

Or review Pontiac’s marketing copy, which proclaimed that “among the names of able Indian warriors known to the white race in America, that of Pontiac, chief of the Ottawas and accepted leader of the Algonquin family of tribes, stands pre-eminent.” Of course, the visage of the chief was appropriated as a hood ornament.

Many other tribes were adopted as marketing tools. Long gone is the Jeep Comanche pickup truck, sold in the late 1980s, along with the Jeep Comanche Eliminator.

Certainly, American Indian names are still in the market: consider Indian motorcycles, about to resurface under yet another new owner, Polaris Industries. And Chrysler’s full-sized S.U.V., the Grand Cherokee, introduced in 1992 as a larger version of the Cherokee and still a market leader. In fact, its success was a reason for the revival of the Cherokee name for a midsize S.U.V.

American Indians have hardly been alone in the cavalcade of automobile cultural stereotyping. In the 1950s, advertising for the Studebaker Scotsman didn’t actually use the word cheapskate, but prospective buyers were informed that “when you and your family sit in your thrifty Scotsman...this great Studebaker body cradles you, your family and friends in safety.” It should be noted, though, that the Scotsman featured cardboard door panels and its hubcaps and trim weren’t chrome-plated: they were painted silver.

While there is no indication that the General Motors Viking was discontinued in the early 1930s because of protests by outraged Scandinavians, it’s a certainty that no automaker’s copy writers would dare write today that “the development of the Viking car closely parallels the development of the Viking youth in attaining manhood,” where “only those best fitted for leadership survived to contribute to the strength and superiorities of the race.”

Moreover, in the Roaring Twenties there was no apparent feminist backlash against the Little Jordan Tomboy. The cover of its 1927 advertising brochure depicted a smart, stylish woman in jodphurs and knee-length boots, clutching a riding crop. The purple marketing prose stated that “I am the Little Jordan Tomboy,” with “a thousand miles of open road before my saucy nose.”

Also hard to fathom today is the Studebaker Dictator, “Champion of its Class,” discontinued after 1937, when the rise of Hitler and Mussolini gave the model name an unpleasant odor.

In the late 1920s, the quest for association with high-profile leaders led the Windsor Autoworks in St. Louis to shamelessly place a color portrait of the Prince of Wales on its 1929 brochure for a new vehicle, The White Prince. Buckingham Palace was not amused, and expressed its displeasure.

American Indians have long opposed derogatory sports-team labels and likened fans’ use of war paint to the derogation of African-Americans with blackface. The N.C.A.A. has forbidden the use of nicknames, as well as mascots, logos, signs and band uniforms that are “deemed hostile or abusive in terms of race, ethnicity or national origin.”

In 1994, St. John’s University in New York changed the name of its sports teams from the Redmen to the Red Storm. Also gone are the Miami Redskins and the Marquette University Warriors; the Southeastern Oklahoma State University Savages are now the Savage Storm.

The Washington Redskins have resisted; so have the Atlanta Braves, opposing a name change or the discontinuation of its tomahawk chop. But the Braves’ team mascots, Chief Noc-A-Homa and Princess Win-A-Lotta, have been remaindered.

Even aside from the use of an American Indian tribal name in the Jeep Cherokee, the risks are high in the introduction of any vehicle. Automobile experts estimate the cost of renewing a nameplate like Jeep Cherokee at more than $50 million.

Why, given these risks, return to a discontinued brand? “Coming up with new names is very expensive these days,” said Mr. Adamson, the brand consultant, explaining that trademark research, focus groups and legal due diligence can be costly. The growing quest for viable names — and the third-rail of stereotypical labeling — are possible explanations for the advent of such hard-to-spell monikers as the Volkswagen Tiguan, and the growing adoption of concocted names like Acura, Elantra, Infiniti and Lexus — as well as the proliferation of alphanumeric designations.

“New models have all of these three-letter-code designations that mean nothing to me,” said Stephen W. Hayes, a Manhattan automotive historian and a collector of printed auto memorabilia, of nameplates like MKX, RX 350, F-150, 328i, QX56 and GL450 that populate the auto world. “Companies don’t name their cars as colorfully anymore.”

Nevertheless, “just the name of a brand itself is one of the most powerful marketing tools you have,” Mr. Adamson said. “Automobile brands define who you are, and Cherokee summons up rich associations.”

The Jeep Cherokee was a winner from the start, introduced in 1974 as a sport utility vehicle with the latest gadgets. Recent market research revealed that “there was so much passion behind the Cherokee,” Mr. Morrison, the Jeep marketing director, said. “What was really interesting was that people’s fondness for the Cherokee was greater than that for Liberty.”

Giving the new Jeep its old tribal name may have seemed just another acceptable risk. “Names can be polarizing, and can cause controversy, so you have to be careful,” Mr. Adamson said, but opposition to brand names has become something of a national pastime. “Anytime you introduce a name, someone will be upset.”

A name that has zero associations is even more likely to sabotage a new model’s introduction. “If you have a name that offends nobody, then you end up with a forgettable brand” that won’t cling to the memory, Mr. Adamson said.

“So,” he said, “it just won’t be sticky.”

11147: Chrysler CEO Slurs, Wins Award.

News sources reported Chrysler and Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne apologized for using an Italian-American slur during the North American International Auto Show last January. Gee, this guy should be working for General Motors.

Chrysler CEO apologizes for Italian-American slur

By Brent Snavely, Detroit Free Press

UPDATE: 6:30 ET with comments from head of Italian-American organization and excerpts from Marchionne letter of apology.

Chrysler and Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne has apologized to the Italian-American One Voice Coalition for using a term offensive to Italian-Americans during an interview during the North American International Auto Show last January in Detroit.

During a roundtable discussion with reporters, Marchionne was discussing a new Alfa Romeo car to be sold in the U.S. when he said, “with all due respect to my American friends, it needs to be a wop engine.”

Marchionne’s use of the term was intended to convey that a Fiat-designed engine would be better than an American engine for this particular model. The term, however, is offensive to Italian Americans and others, and Marchionne apologized in a letter dated May 15.

The Italian-American One Voice Coalition, which exists to fight bias and ethnic slurs against Americans of Italian descent, sought an apology from Marchionne for several months.

“We jumped on it immediately,” said Manny Alfano, founder and president of the coalition.

Marchionne’s letter acknowledges that his remark was unacceptable and apologized to “anyone who may have been offended.”

“Having had to live through a period of integration into another country a number of years ago, I am keenly aware of the negative implications of stereotyping and the significant efforts required to undo its effects,” Marchionne wrote about his move as teenager from Italk to Toronto with his family. “I am proud of my Italian heritage, and nothing I have said should be interpreted as an attempt at minimizing its value. I extend my apologies to anyone who may have been offended by my remark.”

The term is said to be short for “without papers,” according to the Urban Dictionary, and was used as a derogatory reference to Italian immigrants who came to the U.S. in droves largely from Southern Italy in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

“I am very happy that we got the apology. I think that is the best we could do at this point in time,” Alfano said.

In 2011, Marchionne apologized for using the term “shyster” to describe the high-interest rates on the loans from the U.S. and Canadian governments that funded Chrysler’s turnaround.

Marchionne is to be honored Friday by the Sons of Italy Foundation, a separate organization from the Italian-American One Voice Coalition. A Chrysler spokeswoman said the timing of Marchionne’s apology is unrelated to the Sons of Italy event.

10791: Chrysler Cultural Crapola.

Chrysler boasts about being as diverse as America. When Advertising Age named Chrysler Group Marketer of the Year, the team photo displayed a degree of diversity, at least in terms of gender. Yet the automaker drives with advertising agencies that cannot begin to match such progressiveness. Which makes Chrysler’s cultural competence claims a carload of crapola.

9762: Clint Eastwood Drives For Cash.

The Clint Eastwood Chrysler commercial that played during the Super Bowl is sparking controversy for its political undertones.


Seems like nobody is wondering why the automaker would hire Eastwood, who is most popularly known for driving a Gran Torino—which was produced by Ford.

9620: Chrysler Colored Choir Cliché.

The Chrysler Big Finish is a big cliché.

9221: Chrysler Ad Doesn’t Quite Work.

This Chrysler ad appeared in the latest issue of Jet magazine. Wonder if anyone else thinks the headline is kinda strange given Black unemployment rates in the U.S. stand at 16.2 percent overall, 17.5 percent for Black men and nearly 41 percent for Black teens.

9173: Drive Like Dre.

Dr. Dre says, “This is L.A. This is what we do.” Then the tagline reads, “Imported from Detroit.” Maybe the car’s GPS isn’t working right.

8224: Chrysler’s Diversity Supplier Hypocrisy.

Check out this ad hyping Chrysler’s commitment to diversity supplier initiatives. The list of partners includes minority advertising agencies like GlobalHue. Noticeably absent are any White agencies—you know, the firms receiving the lion’s share of Chrysler’s marketing budgets.

7099: Jeepers! GlobalHue Lands A Project.

From Adweek…

Chrysler Awards Jeep Project to GlobalHue

By Noreen O’Leary

NEW YORK Chrysler has reached beyond lead shop BBDO in Detroit and awarded a fourth-quarter Jeep creative assignment to independent GlobalHue, the Southfield Hills, Mich., multicultural agency behind the launch of the Jeep Compass, sources said.

A Chrysler rep declined to comment, as did a BBDO rep.

Omnicom Group shop BBDO will continue to provide account service on Jeep, while media support and digital efforts for the brand remain at the holding company’s PHD and Organic units, respectively.

Jeep spent $173 million in domestic measured media last year and $35 million through the first half of 2009, per Nielsen. All told, Chrysler spent $840 million on ads last year and $230 million through the first six months of ‘09.

This assignment going to GlobalHue is not the Q4 creative work the brand put into play in August, per sources.

Last month, when it emerged that the automaker had contacted outside agencies, along with BBDO, to pitch Q4 creative ideas, the company said BBDO remained Chrysler’s lead agency. BBDO is under contract to Chrysler until the end of January.

In addition to GlobalHue, which produced the 2007 “bobble-head” spots for the Compass, Chrysler had recently used Omnicom’s Cutwater in San Francisco for national creative duties on Jeep. In January, the auto marketer moved national duties back to BBDO after a two-year absence.

Italian automaker Fiat, which owns 20 percent of the Detroit auto company, is known to use multiple agencies. Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne now runs Chrysler as part of its emergence from bankruptcy in June.

6825: The Obvious And The Inevitable.

No surprises in a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert admitted he’s gay in the latest issue of Rolling Stone. “I don’t think it should be a surprise for anyone to hear that I’m gay,” said Lambert, adding, “I’m trying to be a singer, not a civil rights leader.” Actually, it would be cool if American Idol produced a spin-off show to search for the next civil rights superstar.

• The Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal over the Chrysler-Fiat deal, and the Italian automaker sealed the sale. FOX will probably produce a reality TV show to document the auto industry bankruptcies.

6821: Outrageous Charges.

Accident reports in a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• Starbucks admits to accidentally double-charging customers at over 7,000 stores on Memorial Day. The coffee seller claims all the bad charges were resolved. But it says something that so many customers didn’t even realize the error themselves.

• Zagat awarded Mickey D’s a No. 1 ranking for value and having the best value menu; plus, the fast feeder was recognized for having the best French fries and breakfast sandwiches. All of those honors might be impressive until you consider the competition. Best breakfast sandwiches?

• The Supreme Court put the Chrysler-Fiat deal on hold, saying it needed more time to consider the complaints against the government-orchestrated sale. Let’s hope Fiat doesn’t use the delay to take a second look under the proverbial hood.

• The CEO of teddy-bear maker Steiff is facing a lawsuit from an ex-employee, who charges he sexually harassed and even raped her. But he probably sent her a nice teddy bear afterwards.

6812: Everybody Was Kung Fu Fighting.

Martial Arts & Crafts in a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• Was David Carradine actually killed by kung fu assassins? Carradine’s friends and family are urging the FBI to investigate, claiming the actor may have run into trouble while trying to uncover groups scheming in the martial-arts underworld. Why not ask The Bride to get involved too?

• Men’s Wearhouse bought Filene’s Basement at a bankruptcy auction. Wonder if George Zimmer told Filene’s Basement executives, “You’re going to like the way you look; I guarantee it.”

• Opponents of Chrysler-Fiat sale are attempting to apply the brakes to the proposed deal, calling on the Supreme Court to intervene. Somebody should ask to read the CARFAX® Report.

• John Stamos is considering appearing in a movie remake of “Full House.” Can somebody please request the Supreme Court block this move too?

6765: Show Me The Lack Of Money.

Whatchu got? Um, a bankruptcy filing…?

6750: Letters From Moe, Larry And Curly.

The letters below appeared at Advertising Age. A brief MultiCultClassics response immediately follows…

Anger over cuts to Chrysler’s budget

RE: “Obama Halves Chrysler’s Planned Marketing Budget” (AA, May 11). This is sick. If Obama wanted to be a CEO of a business, he should have gone into the business world. According to his supervisor at the law firm he worked at in Chicago, Obama had a hard time grasping the “big picture,” and this was on cases that involved rents, furnace repairs, etc. Maybe that is why he has run up unsustainable debts, i.e., he really doesn’t know how much a trillion is. This is clearly unconstitutional and a blatant abuse of power.
Richard Cowart
Dubuque, Iowa

Obama’s cut of Chrysler’s marketing budget is a bald-faced violation of the First Amendment. A suit should be brought immediately and driven as fast as possible to the Supreme Court. The suit should be joined by all media since it is a direct assault on them, as well.
Fred Johnson
Savannah, Ga.

Barry is an absolute idiot. When the auto industry needs more advertising, he unconstitutionally “cuts” Chrysler’s budget. He is a tyrant, and he needs to be taken down a notch. We are dealing with someone who has never run a business, owned a business, or ever had to make sure to meet a payroll.
William Goodman
El Paso, Texas

The Three Stooges responsible for these letters clearly haven’t been reading the news. Or living on Earth.

Chrysler is moving to dump 25 percent of its dealerships, admitting the system is outdated and messed up. Looks like President Barack Obama was on the money in recognizing the automaker failed to properly run its business.

Plus, the marketing Obama developed to secure the presidency far exceeds anything hatched by Chrysler and its agencies in the last decade at least. So Barry is a better adman too. Perhaps Messrs Cowart, Johnson and Goodman have been responsible for Chrysler’s local dealership campaigns…?

6742: Dumping, Pumping And Slumping.

Blaming it on the economy in a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• Chrysler wants to dump about 25 percent of its dealerships—789 in total—by early June, admitting that its system is outdated and too fat. The automaker claims 50 percent of its dealerships account for nearly 90 percent of U.S. sales. So why are they settling on dumping only 25 percent? Lee Iacocca used to declare, “If you can find a better car, buy it.” Looks like everyone continues to do just that.

• Pfizer says it will offer free Viagra and Lipitor to uninsured and unemployed Americans. Hey, guess the people at 789 Chrysler dealerships have something to look forward to.

• Census figures show the population growth of Latinos and Asians in the U.S. has slowed, probably because of tougher immigration laws and the lousy economy, leading the government to revise the timeframe for when minorities will become the majority by almost a decade. Which means minorities can expect to be adequately represented on Madison Avenue in about 10,000 years.

6395: Wheeling And Dealing.

Driving out of business with a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• Toymaker Mattel reported 4Q profits dropped 46 percent, with Barbie sales down 21 percent and Hot Wheels falling 22 percent. Wonder if Hot Wheels will join General Motors and Chrysler for federal bailout money.

• Macy’s announced it will dump 7,000 workers, cut capital spending, stop contributing to employees’ retirement funds and reduce its dividend. The retailer’s CEO said, “We just believe that this is a time when nothing should be considered a sacred cow.” Sound like a bunch of cow dung.

6315: Cold Steel.

Metal of dishonor in a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• Aluminum manufacturer Alcoa announced that 13,500 workers would get canned. Get it? Aluminum and canned. Bwahaha!

• Automakers recorded their worst December to Remember in 15 years, as Chrysler led the pack with a 53 percent sales decline. Hey, if they decided to build some aluminum cars, lots Alcoa workers could go back to work.

• Air India is taking heat after firing 9 flight attendants for allegedly being grossly overweight. The women ranged from 24 to 70 pounds overweight. In the U.S., they might have been charged hefty fees for the extra junk in da trunk.

6269: Out On Bail.

Advertising Age reported President Bush approved the automaker bailout. So far, no car czar. Plus, Chrysler dumped its CMO star. And the CEOs can smoke a cigar. With caviar. Although they have to raise the bar. While workers stash money in a jar. How bizarre.

Bush OKs $17.4B Detroit Rescue Plan
Bailout Funds Contingent on Big 3 Making Big Changes

By Jean Halliday

DETROIT -- Declaring that an auto-industry collapse would “deal an unacceptably painful blow to hardworking Americans far beyond the auto industry,” President Bush this morning announced a rescue plan for automakers. The president said the federal government will dip into the Troubled Assets Relief Program to grant Detroit’s three car makers an immediate $13.4 billion in loans.

At a press conference, the president said “meaningful concessions” would have to come from many parties, including labor, dealers and bond holders. The government will make an additional $4 billion available to the car makers in a couple of months if they develop viable plans for survival. The plan is similar to one approved by the House but rejected by the Senate.

‘Much work in front of us’
If the car companies don’t come up with viable plans by March 31, they will be required to pay back the loans. Mr. Bush said, “The financial crisis brought the auto companies to the brink of bankruptcy much faster than they could have anticipated. And they have not made the legal and financial preparations necessary to carry out an orderly bankruptcy proceeding that could lead to a successful restructuring.” He said it was “too great a risk” not to help the domestic automakers, which, if they landed in bankruptcy, “could send our economy into a deeper and longer recession.” He added, “Letting them collapse is not a responsible course of action.”

Ford Motor Co. has said it doesn’t need a federal bridge loan, but General Motors Corp. and Chrysler wasted no time issuing statements thanking the administration. GM said: “We know we have much work in front of us to accomplish our plan. It is our intention to continue to be transparent as we execute our plan, and we will provide regular updates on our progress.”

No car czar
Chrysler Chairman-CEO Bob Nardelli said the automaker “would remain focused on its challenge, and this initial injection of working capital would help bridge the liquidity crisis the industry is facing and assist in helping return Chrysler to profitability.”

Now the automakers must make the tough moves to meet the requirements of the funding. GM CEO Rick Wagoner told Congress earlier this month the automaker would focus on just four of its eight vehicle brands as part of its restructuring plan.

The Bush plan at least for the moment abandons the creation of an auto czar. Instead, during the Bush administration, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson will be in charge of overseeing the rescue. Joel Kaplan, deputy White House chief of staff for policy, said that with the coming change in administrations it didn’t seem logical to create a separate post.

Contributing: Ira Teinowitz

6266: Plants And Vegetables.

Shut down and shut up with a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• Chrysler announced plans to shut down all North American plants for at least a month. Ford will shut down 10 North American plants for an extra week in January. General Motors put the brakes on plans to create a new plant. At this point, the automakers can't be relied on to keep houseplants.

• Advertising Age reported Omnicom is poised to cut 3,500 jobs, speculating ad agency BBDO could be in trouble because of its ties to an ailing Chrysler. Wonder if agencies would ever consider shutting down for a month. Would anyone even notice?

• Senator Arlen Specter said he was sorry for telling Polish jokes while recently addressing a GOP group. Specter apparently asked if anyone in the audience was Polish, but when about ten people responded they were, the senator proceeded with his schtick anyway. Talk about being a dumb Pola… um, Politician.