DaimlerChrysler Breaks New Corporate Ad Campaign
18 November 1998
DaimlerChrysler Breaks New Corporate Ad Campaign
STUTTGART, Germany and AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Nov. 16 -- As
DaimlerChrysler begins to trade its new registered shares of stock on the New
York Stock Exchange on "DayOne," the first advertising campaign for the new
company will debut, focusing the world's attention on the company's 428,000
employees and what can be achieved when these talented people come together.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19981116/DEM001)
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19981116/DEM001-b)
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Shot by world-renowned photographer Richard Avedon, the DayOne campaign
features employees of Daimler-Benz and Chrysler who will join forces to form
the third largest automobile manufacturer in the world and tells consumers to
"Expect the extraordinary."
"We've said all along that this merger is one of opportunity, not
necessity, and is extraordinary in each and every way imaginable," said A.C.
"Bud" Liebler, Chrysler Vice President of Marketing. "The campaign highlights
the elements that individually define the character of each company --
curiosity, courage, speed, energy and passion -- and what can happen when
these elements come together to form a truly extraordinary venture."
In one such spread, Irina Motzek, a finance consultant with debis, the
Daimler-Benz Services Division, is paired with Ralph Gilles, a senior designer
with Chrysler, under the heading "Curiosity meets Curiosity."
The copy explains how the open minds who had the vision to develop and
finance in under four years a new city within the city of Berlin have joined
the architects of the platform team -- one of the most revolutionary advances
in carmaking since the assembly line -- to write tomorrow's history together.
Another spread is titled, "Courage meets Courage," and pairs Chrysler
Chairman Robert J. Eaton with Mika Hakkinen, the 1998 Formula One World
Champion Team McLaren Mercedes. Jurgen E. Schrempp, Daimler-Benz Chairman, is
featured with Kathy Oswald, Chrysler Vice President of Human Resources, in a
spread called, "Energy meets Energy." Other spreads are headed "Speed meets
Speed" and "Passion meets Passion."
The "Expect the extraordinary" theme line is carried throughout the three-
week announcement campaign, which will appear in over 100 countries and
consists of a 12-page magazine insert, 10 newspaper spreads and a brochure
that will be mailed to the company's key constituencies.
The insert, printed in English and German, will be featured in
international magazines with a focus on economic and industrial target groups
in North America, Europe and Asia. Publications will include Time, Newsweek,
U.S. News & World Report, Der Spiegel and Focus as well as the Economist, Far
Eastern Economic Review and America Economia. The insert will begin appearing
in publications the week on November 23.
The spreads, which will be translated, will appear in global economic
publications such as The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Financial Times
and International Herald Tribune as well as in newspapers located in cities
around the world where the company has a corporate or manufacturing presence.
They will begin running on November 18.
The 24-page key constituency brochure, along with a personalized letter
co-signed by Messrs. Eaton and Schrempp, will be mailed to opinion leaders
around the world to arrive on DayOne. Approximately 130,000 brochures will
be received by investment bankers and analysts, global Fortune 500 CEOs,
government leaders, media, suppliers and business partners, dealers and
distributors, and union leaders.
The key constituency brochure builds on the advertising campaign by
explaining the global reach of the new company. It identifies product segment
coverage and leadership, transportation product diversity, market position,
financial opportunity, growth strategy, management structure and manufacturing
capability.
"It's important that on DayOne, we're not just noticed, but heard and
understood by people all over the world," said Christoph Walther, Daimler-Benz
Senior Vice President of Communications. "DaimlerChrysler is all about people
working together and this campaign will be the basis for our future
communication strategy and advertising."
The DayOne advertising campaign was developed jointly by the Detroit
office of Bozell Worldwide, Inc., and Springer & Jacoby of Hamburg, Chrysler's
and Daimler-Benz's corporate advertising agencies, respectively. The key
constituency brochure was developed by Ross Roy Communications, Inc. of
Bloomfield Hills, Mich., another Chrysler agency, also in cooperation with
Springer & Jacoby.