Dodge and Got Milk? Partner for 100 City 'Shake Stuff Up' Tour
Versatile New Dodge Sprinter Is Vehicle of Choice for Nationwide Grassroots Campaign
DETROIT, Mich., April 30 -- The 2004 got milk? Shake Stuff Up Tour has partnered with Dodge as it takes to the road to conduct more than 400 events in 100 cities in a nationwide effort to showcase new milk flavors. In an aggressive undertaking, the tour will travel more than 60,000 miles in less than eight months. Requiring vehicles that have the performance and versatility to hold up on a tour of this kind, Dodge donated three of its new Sprinter commercial vans to serve as the workhorses that drive the grueling cross-country grassroots campaign.
"In planning for a tour where we visit 100 cities in less than eight months and rely on our vehicles every day to stay on schedule, we absolutely had to have transportation that we could not only depend on, but also had the size, safety and comfort that can effectively get us through this coast-to- coast tour," says Alex Abraham, a Shake Stuff Up Tour manager. "After researching many vehicles, the Dodge Sprinter quickly became our only choice because it had everything we were looking for."
"As the premiere commercial van in its class segment, the Dodge Sprinter provides a state-of-the-art design and has the adaptability that got milk? was looking for on their national tour," says Craig Fisher, director of commercial marketing and product planning at Dodge. "With its market leading fuel performance and long maintenance intervals, we're confident that the Dodge Sprinter will provide the reliability and superior performance they are looking for. Notwithstanding, with the customized wraps and graphics on each van, they will also look good doing it."
Why The Dodge Sprinter?
As the vehicles used on the Shake Stuff Up Tour are the focal point of the events, and all activities are run directly from the vehicles, the selection process for determining the best vehicles to use for this effort was highly scrutinized. In the end, for a host of advantage reasons, the Dodge Sprinter was the obvious choice.
Efficiency
Dodge Sprinter vans can be used for both cargo and passenger uses and are available in three different wheelbases and two different roof heights. The Shake Stuff Up Tour chose the high-roof version cargo van that offered 73- inches of stand-up room and 473-cubic feet of storage space, allowing our team the ability to literally stand straight up and comfortably move about the vans as they conduct assorted tour activities.
To help keep operating costs low, the Sprinters feature market-leading fuel performance of 25-mpg and a vehicle range of nearly 600 miles. The amazing fuel economy doesn't sacrifice power, however, as the vans are powered by a 5-cylinder 2.7-liter premium turbo-diesel engine. Perfectly suited for our needs, the Sprinter's are also designed to spend less time in the shop and more time on the road, as an oil change is required only every 10,000 miles.
Safety and Comfort
Mindful of safety concerns, because the Shake Stuff Up Tour is on the road every day for more than eight months, the Sprinter's unique focus on safety and comfort made it the perfect option. The Sprinter features four-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock braking system (ABS) and integrated skid control (ASR) as standard options. Full-size driver and passenger airbags, three-point seatbelts, and head restraints for all seats are also standard and 2500 models are also equipped with Electronic Stability Program (ESP). Together, these enhanced standard features emphasize Sprinter's recognized advantages and leadership in safety.
The ergonomically designed Sprinter cab provides excellent all-around vision for drivers and passengers. Standard power rack and pinion steering ensures ease of handling, and a best in class turning radius make the vehicles easy to maneuver in tight areas. Its spacious interior provides ample legroom and freedom of movement, and its seats are comfortable enough to ensure that even on long journeys you reach your destination as relaxed as you were when you began. Collectively, all of these features make driving a Sprinter feel more like a passenger vehicle than a commercial van.
The 2004 got milk? Shake Stuff Up Tour hits the road in April and will travel from coast to coast and everywhere in between through October. At events across the country, the Dodge Sprinters will stop at retail stores and special events to showcase new milk flavors and engage consumers with information, giveaways, and interactive games conducted directly from the Sprinters. The goal of the Shake Stuff Up Tour is not only to show all the new milk flavors available today, but to show that drinking milk may also help fight the nation's calcium crisis, since nine out of 10 teen girls and seven out of 10 teen boys are failing to meet calcium requirements. Researchers believe this lack of calcium is contributing to an increase of bone fractures and sets the stage for osteoporosis later in life.
For more information on the Dodge Sprinter, log on to www.dodge.com/commercial . For more information on the Shake Stuff Up Tour, visit www.whymilk.com .
ABOUT DODGE
Dodge has an extensive history of power and diversity that only being "Ram tough" can bring. A member of the Chrysler Group and part of the global DaimlerChrysler family, it is backed by strong research and development and its products are at the cutting edge of technology in their respective segment, offering its customers the best there is in terms of innovation, design, safety, quality, service and the sheer enjoyment of owning one of their products. The company has undergone many changes through the years, but two things remain constant -- innovation and leadership. Representing the best car and truck values in America, it has the rich heritage of one of America's finest entrepreneurial legacies. From its line of performance cars to its commercial vehicles, all Dodge cars, trucks, SUVs and minivans combine performance, design, ingenuity and inventive function.
ABOUT "got milk?"
The National Milk Mustache "got milk?"(R) Campaign is jointly funded by America's milk processors and dairy farmers: the MilkPEP Board in Washington, D.C., and Dairy Management Inc., Rosemont, Illinois. The goal of the multi- faceted campaign is to educate consumers on the benefits of milk and to raise milk consumption. A series of educational brochures is available by visiting the milk Web site at www.whymilk.com . Lowe is the creative agency for The National Milk Mustache "got milk?"(R) Campaign.
The tagline "got milk?"(R) was created for the California Milk Processor Board by Goodby Silverstein & Partners and is licensed by the national milk processor and dairy producer groups.
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