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Dodge Celebrates Moms and Families to Launch the All-New 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan and Utilizes Industry-first Yahoo! Smart Ads

- Dodge brand is first in the automotive industry to utilize Yahoo! Smart Ads to support a major new vehicle launch

- New "Grab Life" tagline expands the appeal of Dodge to a broader audience and builds on equity established with previous Dodge tagline

- All-new Dodge brand campaign airs Sept. 16

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Sept. 13 -- Through a celebration of moms and families, the Dodge brand is launching the newest version of America's best-selling minivan, the all-new 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan, with a new campaign that showcases its interior flexibility, including the innovative Swivel 'n Go(TM), through industry-leading communications techniques.

As a new approach to reach consumers with the right message, the Dodge brand is the first in the industry to utilize Yahoo! Smart Ads for a new vehicle launch. Yahoo! Smart Ads combines behavioral targeting and dynamically generated advertisements as part of an integrated marketing campaign to launch the all-new 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan.

The new Grand Caravan advertising campaign is designed to reach young families and position the best-selling minivan as the "ultimate family vehicle" by delivering quality and reliability, while keeping families safe, comfortable and entertained. Dodge will reach moms on a more personal level through a unique influential Mom Test-Drive and blog program with Matchstick which includes hundreds of test drives across the country. Additionally, to celebrate families during the holiday season, Dodge Grand Caravans will be given-away on "The View" after the vehicle is included in a Christmas carol.

In addition to the all-new 2008 Grand Caravan, Dodge marks a milestone with an onslaught of new products that gives the brand its newest passenger car lineup yet. The new "Grab Life" tagline expands the appeal to this new broader audience and builds on the equity established with the previous Dodge tagline. A new 60-second and two 30-second Dodge brand television spots air on primetime network programming and cable media outlets starting Sun., Sept. 16.

"This is a very exciting time at Dodge. Not only are we launching the all- new Dodge Grand Caravan with 35 new or improved features, we also have our new line-up of passenger cars to complement our truck line, including the new Dakota," said Mike Accavitti, Director - Dodge Brand Global Marketing, Chrysler LLC. "The new Dodge brand campaign uses original, high-energy music to create a youthful, yet powerful tone to breakthrough and showcase the entire brand in a positive light. The Dodge Grand Caravan campaign stays true to the tone of the brand campaign, while highlighting innovative features and a truly flexible interior."

Set to the energetic and contemporary song called "First Time" by Lifehouse, the new Dodge brand campaign showcases its product lineup with people taking in all that life has to offer. Whether it's work or play, with family or friends, the campaign showcases the way people "Make the Most of Every Mile" every day with Dodge vehicles.

About the Grand Caravan Campaign

Four 30-second television spots begin on female focused premium primetime network programming and cable media outlets starting in October. Example of the programming include ABC's "Desperate Housewives," "Grey's Anatomy," "Dancing with the Stars," "Boston Legal," "Men in Trees," FOX's "24," "House," "Bones," NBC's "Heroes," "The Office," "ER," "Law & Order," "Dateline" and CBS's "Two and a Half Men," "CSI," "Numbers," "Ghost Whisperer" and "Shark." Cable programming includes mass reach networks such as E, TNT, FX, TLC and USA Network, as well as HGTV, DIY Network, Discovery Home.

In addition, Dodge Grand Caravan print advertising begins in October magazines and includes three, two-page spreads and single-page ads. Print ads will appear in Ladies' Home Journal, Parenting, Better Homes & Gardens, In Style, Cookie Magazine, Cooking Light, Domino, Health, Home, Nick Jr. Magazine, Pregnancy, Self, Working Mother and Babytalk.

The campaign also includes two 30-second spots for African American and Hispanic audiences that will air on network and cable programming including CBS, BET, The CW, NFL, FOX, NBA, Univision and Telemundo. Two-page spreads and single page print ads break in October publications such as Jet, Heart & Soul, Ebony, Essence, Vanidades, Selecciones, Kena, Hispanic and Latina.

Online ad placements include auto content sites, video and rich media units on Yahoo! Autos, Jumpstart, MSN, Kelley Blue Book, AOL and Vehix.com. Home page executions will appear on Y!, MSN, AOL and Kelley Blue Book. All media will drive consumers to the new Dodge.com brand site for a detailed product story including a three-minute feature overview, 42 video demonstrations, 13 animations, online concierge and integrated pricing.

"The new Dodge brand and Grand Caravan campaigns showcase the way people use our vehicles in every day life to make a difference, which is a powerful visual," said Accavitti. "Whether it is a Ram truck at a work site, a family road trip in the Grand Caravan or young professional with their first Caliber, the confidence of people using Dodge vehicles is front and center in both campaigns."

Dodge Grand Caravan TV Spot Descriptions

The first spot, Family Reunion, shows how the all-new Grand Caravan can help bring a disconnected family together and help them bond. We see them exploring the interior and enjoying the journey, so much so that the family's adventure continues beyond the commercial's completion.

Another spot, Rooms, was meant to convey the all-new Grand Caravan as a "family room on wheels", but is so much more. The commercial shows not only a litany of product features, but exhibits the emotional connection that exists between a family and the Grand Caravan.

The third spot, Be Right Back, is designed to demonstrate a key, exclusive feature-SIRIUS(TM) Backseat TV. The commercial leverages Dodge's partnership with Nickelodeon, one of the three Backseat TV networks (along with Disney Channel and Cartoon Network), and its highly-popular character, SpongeBob SquarePants. The commercial demonstrates that not only can you watch SpongeBob at home, but because Grand Caravan's SIRIUS programming is live 24/7, you can take SpongeBob with you.

The final spot, Crash Test Kid, utilizes a crash test dummy as part of the family within the spot to exhibit how integral safety was to the Grand Caravan's design process.

Dodge Brand TV Spot Description

The 2008 model year Dodge Brand Campaign, "Make the Most of Every Mile", is constructed from vignettes and/or mini-stories shot for each of the brand's nameplates. The high-energy footage shows products in action and real people interacting with vehicles. The overall tonality of the footage is optimistic, bold, confident, strong, and clever.

Both the multi-car and Ram truck 30-second spots drill deeper into the product story and will launch shortly after the 60-second brand spot.

In addition, the Dodge logo is redesigned to have a more three-dimensional look which reflects the actual vehicle badge, and gives it a more contemporary image in the advertising.

The new Dodge brand and Dodge Grand Caravan campaigns were created by the Detroit office of BBDO, which is part of the Omnicom entity and located in Troy, Mich.

All-New 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan

The all-new 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan boasts 35 new or improved features, including the newest feature, the Swivel 'n Go seating system that offers second row seats that swivel 180 degrees to face the third row with a removable table that installs between the two rows, covered storage bins in the floor of the second row, third-row uncovered storage and fold-in-the-floor third-row seating. The Dodge Grand Caravan is the modern day "family room on wheels" with all-new exterior and interior designs that allow for a more contemporary appearance to complement its reputation for outstanding performance. The Dodge Grand Caravan has a base MSRP of $22,470, including destination charge.

Dodge Brand

With a U.S. market share of 6.5 percent, Dodge is Chrysler LLC's best- selling brand and the fifth largest nameplate in the U.S. automotive market. In 2006, Dodge sold more than 1.3 million vehicles in the global market. Dodge continues to lead the minivan market with a 20 percent market share in the U.S. In the truck market, Dodge has a 15 percent market share. Last year, Dodge entered key European volume segments with Nitro and Caliber. Dodge Avenger made its European debut this year. The all-new 2009 Dodge Journey will be sold in global volume markets outside North America in both left- and right-hand drive models in mid-2008.