Delphi Debuts New TV Ad Campaign
Four new commercials show Delphi's technology transfer to industries outside automotive
TROY, Mich., Feb. 26 -- Delphi Corporation will debut a new television ad campaign this Sunday to show how the company is taking automotive technology where it's never gone before.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020315/DEF002LOGO )
The new campaign, created by McCann Erickson's Detroit office and titled "Transformations," depicts how Delphi technologies can be used to benefit other industries outside the automotive arena, including medical, homeland security, and computers.
"Delphi has been recognized for many years as an automotive technology company, but we needed to tell people that Delphi is a diverse company growing its customer base beyond automotive," said Bill Lafontaine, Delphi corporate director, media relations & marketing communications. "We want to demonstrate how our automotive expertise allows us to take our advanced technology into what may be, for some people, surprising new directions."
Delphi's new campaign features four 30-second TV spots. The first two, "Cool" and "Indy," will break on the Indy Racing League event broadcast to air Sunday, Feb. 29, on ABC:
1) "Cool" - Thermal management is critically important for high performance sports cars. This spot features a sports car on an open road in the hot sun, but the car and its driver are cool, thanks to Delphi technology. When a blast of cool air comes through the vehicle's internal cooling system, the camera follows the air flow into the car's air chambers, emerging in a whole other world, a computer server farm. The viewer sees that the same Delphi cooling technology is keeping the large computer systems cool.
2) "Indy" - Indy car racing is one of the most brutal proving grounds there is for automotive technology. Delphi is widely known for its auto racing technology. In this spot the viewer sees how the same Delphi technology that gathers data on cars and drivers under the most intense conditions imaginable might be used to gather even more important data in everyday medical applications.
3) "Imprint" - This spot, currently in post-production, will demonstrate how Delphi's in-vehicle navigation system technology has transformed into some very reassuring homeland security devices. This spot features a family, driving while lost, seeking directions via Delphi's onscreen navigation. As the father touches the screen, the camera zooms in, and then pulls away to reveal the finger of a truck driver about to start a vehicle hauling hazardous materials. Touching the screen, his fingerprint is taken and verified, allowing him to start the vehicle.
4) "Construction" - This spot, also in post-production, features a pickup truck navigating through an obstacle laden stone quarry -- a severe, rather threatening environment. The camera focuses in on the truck's stability system. As the camera moves under the vehicle, we see the suspension transform into another type of suspension. It turns out to be a child in a wheel chair. It's about how Delphi technology might be used to enhance children's lives.
"The more you know about Delphi, the more impressed you are by the knowledge and expertise that's been gathered together into one company," said Garry Neel, EVP, Chief Executive Officer, at McCann Detroit. "We think this work is going to show people who think they know Delphi, a Delphi that's even more impressive."
While the "Transformations" campaign will premiere on IRL racing on Sunday, it will also run on targeted business programming, including Bloomberg News, CNN, MSNBC and other IRL race telecasts throughout the season. A "Transformations" radio spot will also run beginning in March.
DELPHI'S GROWTH IN NEW MARKETS
Delphi generated $1.3 billion in new market sales in 2003, including commercial vehicle business. Delphi's new markets business is an important part of the company's business strategy, said John G. Blahnik, vice president of treasury, merger & acquisitions and new markets.
"Our strategy is to apply automotive technologies to new markets," said Blahnik. "We are leveraging existing leading-edge automotive technologies and applying them to a variety of industries where it provides customer value. And we're having success. We grew our new markets business 60 percent last year, and we continue to increase our product offerings to a growing range of market segments."
Recent new market success stories include the following:
Medical systems. On Feb. 9, Delphi Medical Systems Corporation announced it has secured $80 million in new business with Sunrise Medical, one of the world's largest manufacturers of homecare and extended care products. Over the course of this multi-year contract, Delphi Medical Systems Corporation will develop and supply systems and components for Sunrise Medical.
Electronics Cooling. Delphi continues to diversify its non-automotive growth with the introduction of products targeted for the electronics cooling industry. The Delphi ECS Liquid Cooling System, known as the HydroCool 200, is a self-contained liquid cooling system targeted at the personal computer "overclocker" market and the Delphi ECS Enclosure Blower helps optimize distribution of raised-floor cooling system air within datacom cabinets.
Commercial Vehicles. Delphi also continues to aggressively grow its commercial vehicle business. Delphi recently announced it had booked $3.2 billion in new commercial vehicle business during 2003, up from $1.1 billion year-to-year.
For more information about Delphi and its operating subsidiaries, visit Delphi's Virtual Press Room at www.delphi.com/media .
To find out more about McCann-Erickson, visit its Web site at www.mccann.com .
FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENT
All statements contained or incorporated in this press release which address operating performance, events or developments that Delphi Corporation expects or anticipates may occur in the future (including statements relating to future sales, cash flow or earnings expectations, savings expected as a result of Delphi's global restructurings or other initiatives, portfolio restructuring plans, volume growth, awarded sales contracts and customer diversification expectations or statements expressing general optimism about future operating results) are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are made on the basis of management's current views and assumptions with respect to future events. Important factors, risks and uncertainties which may cause actual results to differ from those expressed in Delphi's forward-looking statements are discussed in detail in Delphi's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Delphi's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003. In particular, the achievement of projected levels of revenue, earnings, cash flow and debt levels will depend on our ability to execute our portfolio and other global restructuring plans in a manner which satisfactorily addresses any resultant antitrust or labor issues and customer concerns, any contingent liabilities related to divestitures or integration costs associated with acquisitions, and other matters; our continued ability to diversify Delphi's customer base and still maintain existing GM business; the continued protection and exploitation of Delphi's intellectual property to develop new products and enter new markets; and Delphi's ability to capture expected benefits of Delphi's cost reduction initiatives so as to maintain flexibility to respond to adverse and cyclical changes in general economic conditions and in the automotive industry in each market Delphi operates, including customer cost reduction initiatives, potential increases in warranty costs, pension contributions, healthcare costs, disruptions in the labor, commodities or transportation markets caused by terrorism or war and other changes in the political and regulatory environments where we do business. Delphi does not intend or assume any obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements.
Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020315/DEF002LOGOPRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/076666.html