I may be late to the party, but I've finally watched Fast Five; you know, the latest instalment of The Fast and the Furious five-ology.
However ridiculous the whole movie was, one thought kept creeping back into my mind: Dodge is evil, badass even. Throughout the movie, Dodge is featured prominently as the brand that'll get the job done. Whether doing cop or robber duty, the Chargers seem unstoppable. Toretto's '70 Charger is angry, and his 2010 Challenger is all attitude.
Could Dodge be the Jason Statham of the automobile industry? I have to think so. Think back to the bad guys’ Charger in Bullitt. Ever heard of Chuck Norris? In many of his movies, he patrols around in various Ramchargers. I'm certain that with said argument I've closed the discussion.
Brand image is either something the manufacturer works on, or one that is earned. When I see a Lexus, I immediately think: soft, smooth, quiet, and old. About the last point, I don't believe that Lexus tried to go there, it just happened.
On the subject of accidents, I recently read an article on how car brands evoke stereotypes in China. It's amazing to read about how specific cars and brands are directly associated with certain people or standings.
For example, the Audi A6 is the favourite car of the Chinese bureaucrats. In the article, a local taxi driver even suggests that every time he sees one, he yields by default as one never knows who's in the car. Heavy.
Is it crazy or is it not? Not so long ago, a black Cadillac Escalade meant bad news, drugs, rappers, gangs, and everything else we learn to stay away from in school. At the time, few would ever dare cutting one off for fear of getting a bullet in the back of the head...
You may have heard that Buick holds a very special place on the Chinese car market. It's actually a highly sought-after luxury car brand for young people! GM is working on Buick in North America now, but it'll be a long while before it garners the same type of attention as it does in China.
What about Ferrari? Posers or racers? Mustangs? Midlife crisis sufferers or muscle car enthusiast? Mazda MX-5? Girlie car or weekend track star?
However ridiculous the whole movie was, one thought kept creeping back into my mind: Dodge is evil, badass even. Throughout the movie, Dodge is featured prominently as the brand that'll get the job done. Whether doing cop or robber duty, the Chargers seem unstoppable. Toretto's '70 Charger is angry, and his 2010 Challenger is all attitude.
Could Dodge be the Jason Statham of the automobile industry? I have to think so. Think back to the bad guys’ Charger in Bullitt. Ever heard of Chuck Norris? In many of his movies, he patrols around in various Ramchargers. I'm certain that with said argument I've closed the discussion.
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| 1995 Dodge Ram 1500, "Walker, Texas Ranger" (Photo: Pickuptrucks.com) |
Brand image is either something the manufacturer works on, or one that is earned. When I see a Lexus, I immediately think: soft, smooth, quiet, and old. About the last point, I don't believe that Lexus tried to go there, it just happened.
On the subject of accidents, I recently read an article on how car brands evoke stereotypes in China. It's amazing to read about how specific cars and brands are directly associated with certain people or standings.
For example, the Audi A6 is the favourite car of the Chinese bureaucrats. In the article, a local taxi driver even suggests that every time he sees one, he yields by default as one never knows who's in the car. Heavy.
Is it crazy or is it not? Not so long ago, a black Cadillac Escalade meant bad news, drugs, rappers, gangs, and everything else we learn to stay away from in school. At the time, few would ever dare cutting one off for fear of getting a bullet in the back of the head...
You may have heard that Buick holds a very special place on the Chinese car market. It's actually a highly sought-after luxury car brand for young people! GM is working on Buick in North America now, but it'll be a long while before it garners the same type of attention as it does in China.
What about Ferrari? Posers or racers? Mustangs? Midlife crisis sufferers or muscle car enthusiast? Mazda MX-5? Girlie car or weekend track star?