So you know those Dodge Durango commercials starring Will Ferrell in character as Ron Burgundy from Anchorman? The ones he supposedly made 70 of? Yeah, those. According to AdAge, they are helping Dodge move a crapload of SUVs.
Sales of the re-engineered Durango climbed 59% in October to 5,120 units and are up 50% for the year. Edmunds.com analyst Michelle Krebs said shopping for the Durango “soared on Edmunds.com after the ads launched” on Oct. 5.
Dodge brand boss Tim Kuniskis said: “We’ve seen almost an 80 percent increase in Web traffic alone since the campaign launched.” […]
Mr. Kuniskis said: “Durango sales have been very strong this year, and the Ron Burgundy Durango ads are absolutely building on that momentum.” [AdAge]
Please make a note: As of today, the correct answer to the question “How can American manufacturers compete with their foreign rivals in an increasingly competitive global marketplace?” is “Have Will Ferrell yell at a horse.”