Ram to partner with Wal-Mart

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August 11, 2011

Ram to partner with Wal-Mart for pickup events



Chrysler’s Ram truck brand is planning to launch a partnership with Wal-Mart Stores this fall to promote its pickup trucks at thousands of stores across America.

The “outdoor lifestyle” program is part of a marketing program for Chrysler’s pickup brand that seeks separate Ram from is competitors as part of its “Code of the West” marketing campaign.

“We recognize the alignment between truck buyers, the hunting and fishing lifestyle and Wal-Mart,” Marissa Hunter, head of advertising for the Ram truck brand said today during a Web chat with journalists. “We are working on a promotion that brings all three together.”

Hunter made the comments after Ram unveiled two new commercials with the tagline, “Guts. Glory. Ram.”

The first commercial features a Ram pickup driving through the desert with wild horses and touts the trucks combination of power with a 390 horsepower Hemi V8 engine along with its 20 mile-per-gallon fuel-economy on the highway. The second commercial shows the Ram Power Wagon model climbing a steep, rocky hill.

The commercials, which will be released nationally in September, continue a campaign for Ram created by Dallas-based Richards Group.

“The idea was to create a campaign that would separate Ram from the competitors,” Hunter said. “The western theme reflects a time when a handshake meant you gave your word, and working hard was respected and rewarded.”

That campaign is designed to develop a stronger identity for Ram, which was separated as a brand from Dodge two years ago.

“The spin-off has allowed us to focus all of our creative advertising and social media efforts specifically toward truck buyers while giving the Dodge brand their own space and place to focus on their brand, too,” said Ram CEO Fred Diaz.

Sales of Ram pickups have increased 25.9% through July, compared with a 7.7% increase for Ford F-Series pickups and 7.2% for Chevrolet Silverado pickups.