Let's face it. Truck ads are pretty formulaic. Macho guys behind the wheel flinging mud, pulling heavy stuff, rolling over rocks and doing high-speed donuts on suspiciously empty lots, all to the pounding beat of some patriotic ditty is pretty much the go-to formula. Dodge just changed that.
Among the assumptions apparently made by the (perhaps not-so) creative types on Madison Avenue is that women don’t buy trucks - that they're far too comfy in their minivans, sedans and soccer-mom SUVs. Not so, statistics show. Truth is, women make up 19 percent of buyers of midsize pickups and 13 percent of full-size or heavy-duty pickups. What's more, automakers increasingly employ women in high-level design, engineering and brand marketing positions. In the case of Dodge Ram trucks, Becky Blanchard is the director of the Ram brand and Elizabeth Krear is chief engineer of the Ram 1500.
The influx of women into such positons is a smart move on the part of automakers, considering the economic and marketing facts. The average American woman is expected to earn more than the average American male by 2028. Already, they control 51 percent of US private wealth and more than 60 percent of personal wealth, and account for more than half of all stock ownership. Women also influence 80 percent of all purchases - automotive and otherwise.
Perhaps that's the inspiration behind the new Ram Trucks commercial featuring badass women doing all sorts of once male-centric things like game hunting, big wave surfing, triathlon swimming and military training.
"Have you ever thought, 'I could never do that'? Have you ever thought, 'I could never climb a mountain or compete against that'? Have you ever though you just didn't have anything left in the tank?" the ad's narration begins. "Well, you do. You can break a stereotype and throw it into a whole other gear. Because the courage is already inside."
We here at E3 Spark Plugs enthusiastically concur. Take a look at the ad and if you are or know a badass gal who drives a truck, post your pics on the E3 Spark Plugs Facebook Fan Page.
