new jeep truck commercial

[conehead]

I wonder who was the genius in marketing that told Fiat that destroying a classic Jeep Truck would attract potential Jeep buyers? The only way I'd be interested in buying one would be if they ran the commercial backwards. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Naq2yFTwA_c

[Wagoneer Taylor]

Wow they didn't even put a disclaimer that "No original Gladiators were harmed in the filming of this commercial".

I could have gotten on board with the new truck if it was an actual two door truck and not this chevy avalanche looking thing.

[Towtruck]

Resurrection of the name Gladiator just bumped the value of J trucks. Small price to pay.

[81jseries]

Disgusting. Looked straight and not much rust

[asphaltrockdweller]

[2ToneBluJ10]

The instrument cluster wasn't Gladiator. The fuel filler bezel was last generation also. So not an original. Still makes me sick seeing kittens getting killed.

[Crankyolman]

This saddens me tremendously even though it seems to be a later model disguised as an older one.

[DarkMonohue]

Meh. Advertisers seem to see some value in being provocative. They'll do whatever it takes to get your attention. The fact that we are all standing around discussing it means that FCA is getting their money's worth on their advertising campaign.

This was a later model J-truck hastily gussied up to look like an early Gladiator. I imagine it was rotten in a few places and probably headed for the wrecking yard anyway.

We can all complain it being crushed, but assuming it was rough enough to be on its way to the JY, the real question is how many of us would actually have blown the cobwebs off our wallets and bought that truck.

[Jenga77]

I feel like a lot of us would have jumped in and bought it if it meant saving it from being crushed. Even if it ended up just being parted out it's still better than just throwing everything away. How many rhino grilles are still out there?

I've run into a lot of people discussing this commercial and the best explanation I saw is that people like us aren't the target market for the new Gladiator. Jeep loves to capitalize on the image we bring to the brand by fixing things up ourselves, customizing, and keeping the old rigs running long after they should have returned to the earth, but the fact of the matter is we're not likely to run out and buy new Jeeps right off the lot, so they don't really care about us when it comes to a new vehicle being introduced.

This commercial which is deeply offending Jeep purists but getting a bunch of attention for their new vehicle launch just shows that clearly, as does the pricing for the new truck. Business is business, and Jeep is no different from any other major car manufacturer, despite any claims about heritage or tradition.

For us, it's really all gravy as the renewed attention on Jeep trucks can only increase the value of ours. Plus there's now one less of them! (I'm being sarcastic there).

[DarkMonohue]

...people like us aren't the target market for the new Gladiator. Jeep loves to capitalize on the image we bring to the brand...

BINGO.

Unless we are buying and driving their current products, our opinion is of no interest to anyone at Jeep, or Chrysler, or whoever owns Chrysler this week.

[Jenga77]

Very disappointing, but true.

As far as the new truck I'm not super impressed. Seems more like a reboot of the Scrambler than the Gladiator to me, seeing as it's really the same size as a wrangler. I really wish they had used the grille from the Nukizer concept from a few years ago too, especially since they named it Gladiator. They missed a real opportunity to make something unique there. Maybe somebody will come up with something in the aftermarket.

Overall the truck looks kind of weirdly proportioned to me too, but a lift kit might help that.

[joe]

Chryco/Fiat.
Save Corp/stock holders a bunch of money and resulting in a ton of po'd dealers and customers. Regurgitating old model names is just lame marketing fluff.
Please sell the brand name/rights to an outfit that gets what a Jeep is supposed to be...please.

[Crankyolman]

one of the most disturbing things to me about that commercial is the weird Christine type vibe where the truck comes to life. Someone should show a continuation of it where the new "Gladiator" attacks and kills the junk yard employees trying to crush it.


The biggest problem I have with the "truck" itself is it doesn't even give the slightest nod to the real Gladiator. Doing the concept grill would have gone a long way towards my willingness to accept it.



As far as target audience, when I bought my truck I was actually looking at brand new trucks when I bought my old one but I couldn't find anything that I liked. Today there are several options that would have met my requirements but the new "Gladiator" doesn't. I hate 4 door trucks and have no use for one so that right there is a non starter because the "Gladiator" is not offered with only 2 doors. Another thing is since I bought my truck and rebuilt the engine I have saved the equivalent of more than $12,000 in what would have been paid on a brand new truck, not to mention the crazy ST3 tax here on newer vehicles. $6,000 a year in car payment savings allows me to customize my old vehicle and I have exactly what I want not some package the manufacturer requires me to get in order to get one or 2 things out of it I want.

[SJTD]

And it won't even carry a sheet of plywood on the floor. Some truck.

[Probesport]

Damn. That's poor form.

I intentionally went from a TJ to my Waggy because I wanted something bigger and disapprove of the 4 door Wranglers....