Chrysler Brand to Unleash Minivan Advertising Campaign For Its All-New 2001 Voyager and Town & Country  
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Chrysler Voyager minivan

Photo: DaimlerChrysler

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - After the best minivan sales month ever for August, the Chrysler brand is set to kick off the new model year by launching a full-scale advertising campaign highlighting its all-new 2001 Chrysler Voyager and Town & Country minivans. 

"With improved ride and handling and a host of industry- and minivan-firsts, our all-new minivans set a whole new level of refinement in the segment we created," said Tom Marinelli, Vice President - Chrysler/Jeep(R) Global Brand Center for DaimlerChrysler Corp.  "Our campaign hammers home new minivan features and further positions Chrysler as the segment leader."   

Chrysler's minivan advertising campaign breaks later this month. Television spots will air nationally on network stations beginning September 8.  Commercials will run during Monday Night Football, ABC College Football and prime time shows including West Wing, ER, The Practice and 20/20. In addition, Chrysler Voyager and Chrysler Town & Country will be featured in 27 print ads that break in October issues.  Print ads will run in a variety of publications including Motor Trend, Vanity Fair, Esquire, Self, GQ, Golf Digest and House Beautiful. 

One 30-second spot features two ghosts strolling down a neighborhood street playing pranks.  One ghost tugs a tree branch which swipes an unsuspecting jogger over the head.  Briefly mystified, the jogger continues on his way as the two ghosts enjoy a good laugh.  Next, the ghosts spot a Chrysler Town & Country minivan parked in a driveway.  They see the minivan's dual power sliding doors open automatically and are intrigued. As they move in for a closer look, the industry's first power liftgate magically opens and closes by itself which ultimately scares off the ghosts.  

Another 30-second spot titled "One Single Step" opens with a Chrysler Town & Country minivan parked in a suburban driveway. The power sliding door opens slowly.  Inside, a little boy steps out of the shadows to the edge of the minivan door.  He pauses in the doorway as the music from 2001 Space Odyssey begins to play.  In slow motion, he leaps out of the minivan and a newscaster-like voice-over concludes, "the whole world watches as a single step becomes a giant leap forward."   

Chrysler Town & Country commercial spots end with the tagline, "The Best Minivan Ever," a claim certified by an independent vehicle testing and evaluation company, Automotive Marketing Consultants Inc. (AMCI) of Vista, Calif. The firm conducted an extensive nine-month test with 14 competitors in the minivan segment.  In each of the tests conducted by AMCI, eight minivans were rated on a scoring system with the best minivan earning 1,000 points per test.  There were 102 categories that measured capacities, attributes, dimensions, ride quality and handling, braking and acceleration.  The vehicle with the highest overall score earned the title: "The Best Minivan Ever."  

AMCI assesses vehicle dynamics for automotive manufacturers using Comparative Vehicle Assessment (CVA(R)).  The CVA process measures all aspects of vehicle dynamic performance including previously subjective characteristics such as ride quality, smoothness, handling, structural rigidity and safety.  

(September 8, 2000)