What we might call the legacy car industry really is having a torrid time. EVs have signally failed to lift the industry despite costing billions of dollars, not least because Western-made models are way too expensive compared to Chinese versions (answers on a postcard please.)
Stellantis, which owns a multitude of middling to small brands, is having a particularly awful time in the US, with sales and market share plummeting. So it’s put five brands into review: Dodge, Ram, Chrysler, Alfa Romeo and Fiat. Omnicom’s GSD&M and Stagwell’s Doner are the main agencies. Jeep seems to be staying put at Highdive.
The review is reported as being driven by procurement which doesn’t make the business especially attractive to even desperate agencies as budgets will presumably be cut. Stellantis says it’s sticking to its policy of using a flexible agency roster although a more sensible policy might be to give the lot to one and seek their advice on where the money should be spent.
Stellantis US CMO Raj Register, a Ford alumnus who joined in June, says: “As a matter of standard procedure, we put our agencies through reviews when timing dictates. As a general rule, we also are not beholden to the ‘one agency fits all’ model, instead choosing to give interested agencies the opportunity to bid on creative opportunities across our US brands.”
Back in the pre-Stellantis day Chrysler produced one of the all-time great Super Bowl ads with Wieden+Kennedy. Seems a long time ago now.
