Chrysler is turning to a comedian, but more importantly, a dad, to pitch the 2017 Pacifica.
Jim Gaffigan, known for his deadpan, stand-up comedy, is the focus of the “Dad Brand” marketing aimed at fathers everywhere.
“The objective of our campaign is to challenge the conventional category stereotypes and appeal to a new generation of minivan buyers, including younger families,” Olivier Francois, FCA’s chief marketing officer, said in a statement. “To do that, authenticity is key, with real-life language and an endorser, Jim Gaffigan, who is a real father of five with a strong point-of-view on fatherhood and modern-day parenting.”
In the ads, Jim and his family tool around and use the Chrysler Pacifica.
In one of the 30-second spots, Gaffigan asks, “You know who drives one of these all-new Chrysler Pacificas? A considerate and caring father,” while he buckles one of his kids into a seat.
In another spot, he explains why he takes his children with him to watch him play tennis at a retirement community as he parallel parks.
Additional TV and online spots will come out in the coming weeks and months, FCA said.
Gaffigan’s wife, Jeannie, and their children, Marre, Jack, Katie, Mike and Patrick, all make appearances in the campaign.
Chrysler, which invented the minivan in the 1980s and has dominated the segment for decades, aims to widen and capture the audience for minivans with the Pacifica.
“We need to retrain what people see in their brain when they hear 2017 Chrysler minivan,” Tim Kuniskis, FCA’s head of passenger car brands, said in January. “When they hear us say the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica, we need them to see this.”
The Pacifica replaces the Town & Country and arrives on dealership lots this spring.
