Bring on the Burgundy

Will Ferrell is an American comedian and impressionist that stole our hearts many moons ago when Saturday Night Live was still reliable for producing gut-wrenching skits. Somewhere between streaking through the quad and doing karate in the garage, an American hero was born of Will Ferrell—Ron Burgundy, Anchorman. The highly anticipated arrival of the film’s sequel, Anchorman 2, has put us all in a glass case of emotion throughout the last year-and-a-half. Recently, Mr. Burgundy took on a new role—car salesman.

Teaming up with Chrysler, Burgundy continues to do what he does best—rant in a nonsensical fashion about the outstanding horsepower and MPG of the 2014 Dodge Durango. The 30-second spots are a breath of fresh air amidst the “watch this skilled professional driver conquer adverse, unrealistic conditions in this fancy new whip” commercials. Has Chrysler hit the mark on this one? Yes, yes, yes, one billion times yes. Here’s why:
A face we know.
Chrysler chose a face we know (and love) to sell a product that has been with the company for decades. What makes this face special, however, is that it is a face within a face, if you will. We know Will Ferrell. We know Ron Burgundy. We recognize both individuals and, although they are one-in-the-same, we treat them as two separate identities—it’s the double-mint twins of branding. Even further, it is refreshing to see a spokesperson that isn’t really, really, ridiculously good-looking (80% of popular celebrities) or a professional athlete.
A chuckle or two.
When did cars become these sleek, sophisticated alien life forms that trek through Mount Everest with no wheels? You mean to say that never happened? Car commercials convey otherwise. The point? A car commercial is never funny, instead employing sophisticated engineering or safety for the entire family as selling points. While these are both important features to consider when buying a car, they are very rarely memorable and become jumbled among the sea of minivans and SUVs flooding our television screen.
The follow-up.
As if Chrysler’s innovative approach to marketing the 2014 Dodge Durango wasn’t clever enough, the company has issued video responses to tweets regarding the commercial. Talk about engagement incentive. The first video was released last Monday, October 14, in response to a tweet by Breeder’s Cup calling out Burgundy’s underestimation of a horse’s horsepower.
Although it is unclear how many video responses will be released, the motivation remains to tweet like crazy until instructed otherwise. Keep the videos coming, Chrysler. We’ll bring the scotch.
P.S. The best Burgundy spots are being hoarded at Dodge’s YouTube account.