Dr. Zzzzz

DaimlerChrysler finally shelved the Dr. Z ad campaign. DaimlerChrysler launched the campaign this Summer to help boost sales of it's Chrysler and Jeep products. The ads have featured Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Daimler's Chairman. The ad campaign was part of a $100 million television, radio and internet blitz to convince American buyers that Chrysler and Jeep products contained the best of German and American engineering and design. The series of ads featured the whitty Dr. Z, with his thick German accent, talking with a reporter, a mom, kids and others about design, engineering, safety and performance of the company's products. The campaign has generated considerable buzz in the industry trade press and general press.

The ads were a bit quirkly, but I found them interesting, entertaining and refreshing. Car commercials have become very predictable and bland. The footage of a car taking on curves or an SUV battling rugged terrain is as engaging as a bar code on a box of cereal. Dr. Z was a refreshing approach, but I think Dailmer overloaded the airwaves with the same commercials. A little more creative would have gone along way. Another challenge was While the initial campaign failed to general the same buzz and showroom traffic that the
(Daimler Chrysler photo)

Lee Iacocca commercials did in the 1980's, I think the campaign, with some tweaking, can be effective. Economic uncertainy and high gas prices have kept American out of show rooms this Summer. I don;t know if any ad campaign would have overcome the economic reality. A spokesman for the company said the campaign is on hiatus, and that the campaign resulted in over 6 million questions posted on the AskDrZ website https://www.askdrz.com/ .

Guten tag, Dr. Z.