Lee Iacocca to return as Chrysler Group Spokesman!
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Lee Iacocca to return as Chrysler Group Spokesman!
So what do you all think???
Chrysler gambles Iacocca can connect
BY JAMIE BUTTERS and KORTNEY STRINGER
FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITERS
July 7, 2005
Lido's returning -- and so is his tagline.
Not content with a me-too effort to promote its offer of employee prices plus rebates, the Chrysler Group plans to roll out a new series of ads featuring former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Lee Iacocca, once the nation's most revered businessman, one of the most famous executives in the history of the industry and a man who at one time seemed banished from the Auburn Hills automaker he helped save a quarter century ago.
The new TV ads -- one features former "Seinfeld" costar Jason Alexander -- even bring back Iacocca's signature tag-line: "If you can find a better car, buy it."
General Motors Corp. scored a hit last month with its Employee Discount for Everyone campaign, which Ford Motor Co. matched Tuesday with its Ford Family Plan.
Chrysler aimed to roll out its version on Wednesday at a 3 p.m. news conference at the Detroit Athletic Club, including an airing of one of three Iacocca TV spots. But the event was delayed to 4 p.m., then 5 p.m.
By then, the parties had still not concluded a deal, and Chrysler spokespeople simply announced their intent to air the Iacocca spots, which were shot over recent days in California. They could begin airing as early as today.
Assuming a deal is consummated with the 80-year-old self-made legend, it will be welcomed enthusiastically by dealers who fondly remember the cigar-puffing, flag-waving master of moving the metal.
"He was a great manager, he saved the company," said Alan Helfman, general manager of River Oaks Chrysler Jeep in Houston. "But as a salesman, he was the best."
The deal would include an initial payment to the Iacocca Foundation and a pledge to donate $1 for each car and truck the Chrysler Group sells from July 1 to the end of the year. In the first half of the year, Chrysler sold nearly 1.3 million vehicles.
The Iacocca Foundation is trying to raise $11 million for diabetes research, a cause that has been close to Iacocca's heart since his first wife died in 1983. "Lee didn't want any money," said Jason Vines, the Chrysler Group's top spokesman.
Chrysler Group, which is a unit of Germany's DaimlerChrysler AG, said it's spending $75 million for the campaign, which includes television, radio, Internet and other media. That's about 30% more than the automaker said it would normally dole out to wrap up a model year.
The move to bring back Iacocca as part of the public face of Chrysler raises some questions, such as whether there is finally peace between him and DaimlerChrysler after he supported billionaire tycoon Kirk Kerkorian's 1995 effort to take over Chrysler Corp. The company eventually merged with Daimler-Benz AG in 1998.
(Kerkorian has since sold his stake in DaimlerChrysler and is now an investor in General Motors Corp.)
It was this episode that ruptured Iacocca's relationship with the company in the years following his retirement. As a result, plans to name the corporate headquarters tower after Iacocca were halted.
He has, however, kept up with the company, even occasionally sending letters to current Chrysler Group CEO Dieter Zetsche.
Perhaps more important is whether Iacocca will resonate with younger consumers, who may not remember his old ads, his best-selling autobiography and the excitement that once surrounded the man many thought could run for president. Chrysler says research shows he is recognized by them -- if only from their history books.
Alan Kalter, who heads the Southfield-based Doner advertising firm, said bringing back Iacocca could be a stroke of genius.
"If done humorously, it could really stand out," Kalter said. "I think it's a smart idea."
Iacocca has often stood out with his tirades against Japanese cars and the need for America to fight back.
In the 1980s, President Ronald Reagan tapped Iacocca to raise money to overhaul the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
Before joining Chrysler in 1979, Iacocca had worked for years at Ford.
He burst onto the automotive scene in 1964, when as head of the Ford division he championed the introduction of the Mustang, the first car aimed at the youth market, which went on to become one of the most popular and enduring American cars.
By 1970, he was president of the Dearborn automaker, but he was fired in 1978 by Henry Ford II, who later said, "Sometimes you just don't like somebody."
The new ads pay homage to Iacocca's storied past. In one, a limousine driver recognizes Iacocca and asks whether he is the guy who used to say, "If you can find a better car, buy it." Iacocca's reply: "Still am."
Vines said that Iacocca is in very good health and still brings a lot of his characteristic energy to the spots. "He doesn't look a day over 70."
The Chrysler Group may put outtakes from the TV ad shoots on its Web site, Vines said.
GM, the world's largest automaker, introduced the employee discount promotion in June, following steep sales declines in May. The company's promotion and its corresponding ad campaign featuring GM employees has been credited with boosting sales -- at least for the month.
On Tuesday, GM extended the program until Aug. 1, and Ford matched it with the Ford Family Plan.
Chrysler came back Wednesday with what it calls Employee Pricing Plus.
Through Aug. 1, Chrysler is offering most 2005 Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep vehicles at the employee rate plus up to $3,500 cash back. The Chrysler 300, the Dodge Magnum, Sprinter and Viper and the Jeep Liberty Diesel, and all SRT and 2006 models are excluded from offers in the United States.
The automaker is hoping the accompanying ad campaign will trump its larger competitor's ads by using an automotive icon and humor, said George Murphy, Chrysler's senior vice president of global marketing.
"When there's a wave this big," he said, "it's better to ride it than fight it."
A PEEK AT THE ADS
Lee Iacocca, former Chrysler Corp. chairman and chief executive officer, is shooting three TV ads for his old automaker.
One spot features Iacocca with comic actor Jason Alexander, formerly of "Seinfeld." Chrysler Group Vice President Jason Vines said it is Alexander who delivers Iacocca's signature line: "If you can find a better car, buy it."
In another spot, Vines said, Iacocca is sitting in a limousine reading a newspaper while we hear his thoughts about the quality and styling of today's Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep vehicles. The driver opens the door and asks if he is the guy who used to say that line.
Iacocca's reply: "Still am."
BY JAMIE BUTTERS and KORTNEY STRINGER
FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITERS
July 7, 2005
Lido's returning -- and so is his tagline.
Not content with a me-too effort to promote its offer of employee prices plus rebates, the Chrysler Group plans to roll out a new series of ads featuring former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Lee Iacocca, once the nation's most revered businessman, one of the most famous executives in the history of the industry and a man who at one time seemed banished from the Auburn Hills automaker he helped save a quarter century ago.
The new TV ads -- one features former "Seinfeld" costar Jason Alexander -- even bring back Iacocca's signature tag-line: "If you can find a better car, buy it."
General Motors Corp. scored a hit last month with its Employee Discount for Everyone campaign, which Ford Motor Co. matched Tuesday with its Ford Family Plan.
Chrysler aimed to roll out its version on Wednesday at a 3 p.m. news conference at the Detroit Athletic Club, including an airing of one of three Iacocca TV spots. But the event was delayed to 4 p.m., then 5 p.m.
By then, the parties had still not concluded a deal, and Chrysler spokespeople simply announced their intent to air the Iacocca spots, which were shot over recent days in California. They could begin airing as early as today.
Assuming a deal is consummated with the 80-year-old self-made legend, it will be welcomed enthusiastically by dealers who fondly remember the cigar-puffing, flag-waving master of moving the metal.
"He was a great manager, he saved the company," said Alan Helfman, general manager of River Oaks Chrysler Jeep in Houston. "But as a salesman, he was the best."
The deal would include an initial payment to the Iacocca Foundation and a pledge to donate $1 for each car and truck the Chrysler Group sells from July 1 to the end of the year. In the first half of the year, Chrysler sold nearly 1.3 million vehicles.
The Iacocca Foundation is trying to raise $11 million for diabetes research, a cause that has been close to Iacocca's heart since his first wife died in 1983. "Lee didn't want any money," said Jason Vines, the Chrysler Group's top spokesman.
Chrysler Group, which is a unit of Germany's DaimlerChrysler AG, said it's spending $75 million for the campaign, which includes television, radio, Internet and other media. That's about 30% more than the automaker said it would normally dole out to wrap up a model year.
The move to bring back Iacocca as part of the public face of Chrysler raises some questions, such as whether there is finally peace between him and DaimlerChrysler after he supported billionaire tycoon Kirk Kerkorian's 1995 effort to take over Chrysler Corp. The company eventually merged with Daimler-Benz AG in 1998.
(Kerkorian has since sold his stake in DaimlerChrysler and is now an investor in General Motors Corp.)
It was this episode that ruptured Iacocca's relationship with the company in the years following his retirement. As a result, plans to name the corporate headquarters tower after Iacocca were halted.
He has, however, kept up with the company, even occasionally sending letters to current Chrysler Group CEO Dieter Zetsche.
Perhaps more important is whether Iacocca will resonate with younger consumers, who may not remember his old ads, his best-selling autobiography and the excitement that once surrounded the man many thought could run for president. Chrysler says research shows he is recognized by them -- if only from their history books.
Alan Kalter, who heads the Southfield-based Doner advertising firm, said bringing back Iacocca could be a stroke of genius.
"If done humorously, it could really stand out," Kalter said. "I think it's a smart idea."
Iacocca has often stood out with his tirades against Japanese cars and the need for America to fight back.
In the 1980s, President Ronald Reagan tapped Iacocca to raise money to overhaul the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
Before joining Chrysler in 1979, Iacocca had worked for years at Ford.
He burst onto the automotive scene in 1964, when as head of the Ford division he championed the introduction of the Mustang, the first car aimed at the youth market, which went on to become one of the most popular and enduring American cars.
By 1970, he was president of the Dearborn automaker, but he was fired in 1978 by Henry Ford II, who later said, "Sometimes you just don't like somebody."
The new ads pay homage to Iacocca's storied past. In one, a limousine driver recognizes Iacocca and asks whether he is the guy who used to say, "If you can find a better car, buy it." Iacocca's reply: "Still am."
Vines said that Iacocca is in very good health and still brings a lot of his characteristic energy to the spots. "He doesn't look a day over 70."
The Chrysler Group may put outtakes from the TV ad shoots on its Web site, Vines said.
GM, the world's largest automaker, introduced the employee discount promotion in June, following steep sales declines in May. The company's promotion and its corresponding ad campaign featuring GM employees has been credited with boosting sales -- at least for the month.
On Tuesday, GM extended the program until Aug. 1, and Ford matched it with the Ford Family Plan.
Chrysler came back Wednesday with what it calls Employee Pricing Plus.
Through Aug. 1, Chrysler is offering most 2005 Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep vehicles at the employee rate plus up to $3,500 cash back. The Chrysler 300, the Dodge Magnum, Sprinter and Viper and the Jeep Liberty Diesel, and all SRT and 2006 models are excluded from offers in the United States.
The automaker is hoping the accompanying ad campaign will trump its larger competitor's ads by using an automotive icon and humor, said George Murphy, Chrysler's senior vice president of global marketing.
"When there's a wave this big," he said, "it's better to ride it than fight it."
A PEEK AT THE ADS
Lee Iacocca, former Chrysler Corp. chairman and chief executive officer, is shooting three TV ads for his old automaker.
One spot features Iacocca with comic actor Jason Alexander, formerly of "Seinfeld." Chrysler Group Vice President Jason Vines said it is Alexander who delivers Iacocca's signature line: "If you can find a better car, buy it."
In another spot, Vines said, Iacocca is sitting in a limousine reading a newspaper while we hear his thoughts about the quality and styling of today's Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep vehicles. The driver opens the door and asks if he is the guy who used to say that line.
Iacocca's reply: "Still am."
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07-07-2005, 04:32 PM
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RE: Lee Iacocca to return as Chrysler Group Spokesman!
Read the article. Former head of both Chrysler Corporation and Ford. Helped develop the '64 Mustang. Saved Chrysler from Bankruptcy. Oversaw the K-Car project and the first minivans. One of the most influential people ever in the automotive industry.
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07-07-2005, 05:02 PM
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07-07-2005, 05:27 PM
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07-07-2005, 05:48 PM
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RE: Lee Iacocca to return as Chrysler Group Spokesman!
Yeah he was, Chrysler bought Jeep in 1988 and Iacocca retired in 1992
Here's a brief timeline of his life as provided by the Detroit Free Press
Here's a brief timeline of his life as provided by the Detroit Free Press
LEE IACOCCA
Born: Lido Anthony Iacocca, Oct. 15, 1924, in Allentown, Pa.
Education: Graduated from Lehigh University in 1945. Earned master's degree in mechanical engineering from Princeton University in 1946.
Milestones:
•Became an engineering trainee for Ford Motor Co. in 1946, assigned to the Rouge plant. Grew bored and switched to sales. By 1960 was general manager of the Ford Division.
•Helped develop and launch the Ford Mustang in 1964.
•Named Ford Motor Co. president in 1970. (Fired in 1978 by Henry Ford II.)
•Named president and CEO of Chrysler Corp. in late 1978 and chairman in 1979.
•In 1979, secured $1.5 billion in loan guarantees from the U.S. Congress to help rescue Chrysler from bankruptcy.
•In 1980, Chrysler released the K-car, a family of inexpensive front-wheel drive cars that helped the company survive.
•In 1980, became first auto executive to star in a series of TV commercials . Eventually became famous for pointing at the camera and saying: "If you can find a better car, buy it."
•Tapped by Ronald Reagan in 1982 to chair Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Centennial Commission.
•Oversaw production of the first minivans in 1983.
•Coauthored best-selling autobiography "Iacocca" in 1984.
•Retired from Chrysler in 1992. In 1995, supported Kirk Kerkorian's failed attempt to take over the company.
Trivia:
•Made a guest appearance on "Miami Vice" in 1986.
•By coincidence, his last name is an acronym for "I am chairman of Chrysler Corp. always."
•Business ventures include electric bikes and olive-oil spread.
•Gas cost about $1.35 a gallon when Iacocca started making his TV commercials. Adjusted for inflation, that price would now be $2.78.
Born: Lido Anthony Iacocca, Oct. 15, 1924, in Allentown, Pa.
Education: Graduated from Lehigh University in 1945. Earned master's degree in mechanical engineering from Princeton University in 1946.
Milestones:
•Became an engineering trainee for Ford Motor Co. in 1946, assigned to the Rouge plant. Grew bored and switched to sales. By 1960 was general manager of the Ford Division.
•Helped develop and launch the Ford Mustang in 1964.
•Named Ford Motor Co. president in 1970. (Fired in 1978 by Henry Ford II.)
•Named president and CEO of Chrysler Corp. in late 1978 and chairman in 1979.
•In 1979, secured $1.5 billion in loan guarantees from the U.S. Congress to help rescue Chrysler from bankruptcy.
•In 1980, Chrysler released the K-car, a family of inexpensive front-wheel drive cars that helped the company survive.
•In 1980, became first auto executive to star in a series of TV commercials . Eventually became famous for pointing at the camera and saying: "If you can find a better car, buy it."
•Tapped by Ronald Reagan in 1982 to chair Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Centennial Commission.
•Oversaw production of the first minivans in 1983.
•Coauthored best-selling autobiography "Iacocca" in 1984.
•Retired from Chrysler in 1992. In 1995, supported Kirk Kerkorian's failed attempt to take over the company.
Trivia:
•Made a guest appearance on "Miami Vice" in 1986.
•By coincidence, his last name is an acronym for "I am chairman of Chrysler Corp. always."
•Business ventures include electric bikes and olive-oil spread.
•Gas cost about $1.35 a gallon when Iacocca started making his TV commercials. Adjusted for inflation, that price would now be $2.78.
#7
07-07-2005, 06:15 PM
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RE: Lee Iacocca to return as Chrysler Group Spokesman!
LEE IACOCCA
•Business ventures include electric bikes and olive-oil spread.
•Business ventures include electric bikes and olive-oil spread.
i work at a grocery store and stock that olive oil **** all the time, and have noticed his name it. i never knew whether it was actually him, or just a similar name.
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07-13-2005, 04:59 AM
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