The Dodge brand of Stellantis in Auburn Hills has launched a new marketing campaign focused on the plug-in hybrid Dodge Hornet R/T, the brand’s first muscle-inspired crossover.
In the campaign, called “Inner Child Intervention,” a man’s inner child takes him on a joy ride in the electrified Hornet R/T.
“The Hornet RT stands apart from other compact UVs, with 383 lb.-ft. of torque that gives drivers the kind of instant acceleration and engaging driving experience that is unheard of in the category,” says Tim Kuniskis, CEO of the Dodge brand for Stellantis.
“As the first electrified vehicle from the brand — with our first fully battery-electric vehicle, the Dodge Charger Daytona, arriving this year — we know that when compared to horsepower, torque can sometimes be underappreciated. We’re launching this campaign to change that perception.”
The ad takes viewers to the side of the road where a man comes face to face with a familiar-looking boy and quickly finds himself on a joyride with his inner child. His “inner child” hits the gas and zooms through the streets while schooling him on what he really needs in life, reminding him that “horsepower keeps you going, but torque gets you going.”
Tapping into a child-like surge of excitement, the spot is meant to evoke a surge of adrenaline, placing drivers behind the wheel of Dodge’s “totally torqued-out crossover.”
The torque-loving inner child is especially obsessed with the Hornet R/T’s PowerShot. This on-demand feature uses Dodge’s first hybrid powertrain to deliver an instantaneous boost of acceleration, letting drivers tap into the maximum electrical power to reach 60 mph in 5.6 seconds.
The new campaign includes a 30-second spot and additional social media elements designed to humorously educate consumers about torque. It will include a limited series for TikTok and Instagram called “Torque for Newbs.”
The series of four videos is designed to humorously educate torque novices on automotive jargon like “pound foot” and how torque relates to horsepower. In one of the videos, the inner child reminds his adult self of that time he made a human slingshot and shot his cousin Max across a parking lot. “That’s what torque is,” the inner child explains. “Only instead of Max, we release the wheels.”
The cross-channel campaign will span across broadcast, social media channels, and online video. Broadcast media placement included the college basketball playoffs.
“Inner Child Intervention” is the next step in the evolution in the Dodge brand’s marketing campaign efforts for the brand’s first crossover vehicle, the Dodge Hornet. The marketing campaign was created by the Dodge brand in partnership with GSD&M.
Build and price configurator is live on Dodge.com for both the Hornet R/T and Hornet G/T.
To view the first installment of the commercial, visit here.
