Video: Dodge Challenger's 'Revolutionary' Campaign Tries To Go Viral

By Richard Read

Richard Read

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Richard Read covers technology, social media, advertising, legal issues, and other auto industry topics for High Gear Media. With a background in... More

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Screencap from viral ad for the Dodge Challenger

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Chrysler's recent ad campaigns have been pretty hit-or-miss. We've enjoyed the Dodge ads voiced by Michael C. Hall, despite the heat they've taken from PETA. The commercials for the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee were kind of a win, though they could use some judicious editing. On the other hand, the 'Revolutionary' ads for the Dodge Challenger (also narrated by Hall) left several of us flat; thankfully, a new, web-only spot goes a long way toward redeeming that campaign.

One of the problems with the original 'Revolutionary' ads is that they veer a tad too close to camp. Those shots of George Washington bounding over the battlefield in a jet black Challenger are so over the top that it's hard to take them seriously. Maybe that's the point -- heck, Michael C. Hall's other Dodge commercials have a comic edge, so why not this one, too? -- but it's very hard to tell. It's a little like watching Showgirls: did the director really mean for this to be funny?

But someone has taken the central imagery of that campaign and transported it to YouTube, and they've done it Candid Camera-style. The result, like a lot of reality TV, is hilarious, if you can stop cringing long enough to watch it:

That clip has many of the hallmarks of a good viral video, including a strong central character, seemingly clueless bystanders, and a whiff of product presence that looks coincidental. Whether it will have the reach of, say, those brilliant Old Spice clips with Isaiah Mustafa, remains to be seen -- and frankly, given the slow-going views, we have our doubts. Still, we'll take this over the original any day.

[AutoMarketingBlog via Joel]