Autoblog

The new Volvo slogan gleaned from hours of interviews with valets and Volvo owners: "Life is better lived together." When Volvo's new ad agency, Arnold Worldwide, went looking for a Volvo message that went beyond safety, it started with valets and parking attendants. They told Arnold that Volvo owners are friendly, generous, travel in company, and use their cars as more than showpieces.

Arnold then went to Volvo owners and discovered that they are "users, not havers," and they like to share. In fact, "89% of them put a premium on togetherness and sharing." The result is that six television spots will air that showcase Volvo owners as "'we' people as opposed to 'me' people."

Lifestyle marketing doesn't follow rational rules, but it will be interesting to see if buyers will connect being gregarious doers with owning a Volvo. If so, then Volvo might reverse its 9% decline in year-on-year sales so far this year. And if you're the person who actually did bring enough candy for everyone in the first grade, Volvo would like to have a word with you.

[Source: Ad Age]

When an ad agency supporting Chrysler's Netherlands Market Performance Center created a viral ad for the Dodge Nitro that depicted a dog being electrocuted by the vehicle, they were so smitten with their work that they decided to put it on YouTube. The timing of the spot couldn't be any worse here in the US, where dog cruelty is making front page news. Chrysler execs in Auburn Hills, MI were quick to pull the ad from YouTube and go into damage control, as Chrysler spokesman Jason Vines called the spot "far beyond the bounds of what the company considers appropriate". Vines also pointed out that viral marketing in Europe is a little more over the top than it is here in the States, and anybody that has seen some of the old Ford KA internet spots knows that sort of insensitivity wouldn't float here. What surprises us is that any multinational automaker can air advertising without at least one high-ranking executive looking at it first.

[Source: Auto News (subscription req'd)]

The Dodge Nitro may not be flying off dealer lots right now, but at least the mid-size SUV's advertising campaign has taken on a life of its own. You probably remember the commercial in which the owner of a Nitro gives a motorist a jump, only to blow his car sky-high. Someone has cooked up a viral spot in which a dog that tries to do his business on a hydrant-red Nitro, but winds up getting the (last) shock of its life. PETA members can't be pleased, but it's just a commercial (a European one, based on that front license tag). Check it out after the jump, unless you've recently lost a pet. Especially to an angry Nitro that shoots Force lightning.

[Source: YouTube]

Thanks for the tip, Paul!

click above image to enter to win an all-new 2007 Dodge Nitro R/T

Our Sweepstakes for an all-new 2007 Dodge Nitro R/T ends this Friday morning at 12:00AM EST, which means you can enter four more times if you enter every day through the Sweepstakes' conclusion. So give yourself the best possible shot at winning by entering today and the next day.
If you haven't entered yet, do it now by clicking here. Enter once a day until the Sweepstakes concludes on June 15th.

Today we thank Fusion Drivers dddd helping us promote the Sweepstakes.

If you post about the Autoblog Nitro Sweepstakes on your own website or add a permanet banner (available after the jump), please make sure you link it here and drop us a line at abresearch at gmail dot com to let us know so we can include your site in the list below.

Permanent Banner

• egmcartech
• SoCalSpeedZone
• The Greedy Cheese
• Cheers and Gears
• The Car Blogger
• iamhoff.com
• Auto Concourse
• The Chrysler Weblog
• The GM Source
• TechAutoCareers (see banner here)
• RaceDriven.com
• Auto-Talk.net
• Pickuptruck.com
• Stratusphere.net
• Babez.de
• 4wheelsblog
• ASEClub.net

Posts

• Jalopnik
• Winding Road
• Carscoop
• I4U News
• The Brian Alvey Weblog (he designed the original Autoblog)
• Autotropolis
• World Car Fans Blog
• Cheers and Gears
• Allpar.com
• ChryslerWeblog
• BloggingPro
• MediaVidea
• SRTforums.com
• Chargerforums.com
• 300Cforums.com
• Caliberforums.com
• Dodge-Nitro.com
• Challengertalk.com
• egmcartech
• The Torque Report
• Gotakon
• The Greedy Cheese
• Daily Car Videos
• MattHeerema.com (he designed the new Autoblog)
• contests.about.com
• The Garage Blog
• Automotive Addicts
• Auto Unleashed
• Coruscation
• ZCars
• Automotoportal.com
• lccnutmeg.com/forums
• FusionDrivers

Time is winding down for the chance to win a fully-loaded $29,000 Dodge Nitro, so get in when the getting is still good (Enter every day through June 14th by clicking here.) This week in pictures saw plenty of spy shots, new models, and some interesting videos. Among the many stories on Autoblog, we did a review of the Saturn Aura Green Line, we covered the Greenwich Concours d'Elegance, and Opel Corsa GSi.

The last week was a blast, and you only need three minutes to get an update by clicking on the above video. We've also added links below to some of the more significant galleries from the last seven days. This week, music comes from The Touch Ups with "Fast Food Rampage". Enjoy!

click above image to enter to win an all-new 2007 Dodge Nitro R/T!

Holy schnikes, the Autoblog Relaunch Celebration Sweepstakes featuring the all-new 2007 Dodge Nitro R/T is nearly two-thirds over. Almost two weeks have passed and, come tomorrow morning, only one week will be left. If you haven't entered to win the loaded 2007 Dodge Nitro R/T valued at $29,680.00, you can enter right now by clicking here. It only takes a minute, and you can enter every single day from now through to the Sweepstakes' conclusion at 12:00AM EST on Friday, June 15th. That's plenty of time to enter every day and increase your chances of winning significantly.

We had two new additions to our list of helpful sites below: our friends over at Pickuptruck.com and also Stratusphere.net have both added permanent banners on their homepages to help us get the word out.

If you post about the Autoblog Nitro Sweepstakes on your own website or add a permanet banner (available after the jump), please make sure you link it here and drop us a line at abresearch at gmail dot com to let us know so we can include your site in the list below.

Permanent Banner

• egmcartech
• SoCalSpeedZone
• The Greedy Cheese
• Cheers and Gears
• The Car Blogger
• iamhoff.com
• Auto Concourse
• The Chrysler Weblog
• The GM Source
• TechAutoCareers (see banner here)
• RaceDriven.com
• Auto-Talk.net
• Pickuptruck.com
• Stratusphere.net

Posts

• Jalopnik
• Winding Road
• Carscoop
• I4U News
• The Brian Alvey Weblog (he designed the original Autoblog)
• Autotropolis
• World Car Fans Blog
• Cheers and Gears
• Allpar.com
• ChryslerWeblog
• BloggingPro
• MediaVidea
• SRTforums.com
• Chargerforums.com
• 300Cforums.com
• Caliberforums.com
• Dodge-Nitro.com
• Challengertalk.com
• egmcartech
• The Torque Report
• Gotakon
• The Greedy Cheese
• Daily Car Videos
• MattHeerema.com (he designed the new Autoblog)
• contests.about.com
• The Garage Blog
• Automotive Addicts
• Auto Unleashed
• Coruscation

We're now in week two of Autoblog's redesign and contest for a fully-loaded $29,000 Dodge Nitro. (Enter every day through June 14th by clicking here.) This week in pictures was chock-full of spy shots, new models, and some interesting videos. Some of our best work includes our review of the Expedition EL, and don't forget the purchased spy photos of Jaguar's unique-looking Shifter, and some great shots of the next generation Cadillac CTS-V.

We put a lot of effort into the last week, but you only need three minutes to get an update by clicking on the above video. We've also added links below to some of the more significant galleries from the last seven days. This week, music comes from Country Blue with "Fast Cars and Cheap Cigars". Enjoy!

We've finally poked our respective heads out of our interweb caves and unleashed episode 67 of the Autoblog podcast upon the world. We've been pretty nutty lately with our new, improved site design and our groundbreaking car giveaway, so please forgive our delay at getting back to this. Our first delightful round of witty repartee centers around the excellent spy shots from the last couple weeks, and more specifically Jaguar's new Starship Enterprise looking shift selector. Expanding on the abundance of uberteched European cars, we carp for a while on the proliferation of new and ill-conceived user interface paradigms. Coming back to native shores, we touch on the new CTS-V, which will eschew the need for bumper nuts by a conspicuously bulged hood hiding a supercharged V8 capable of roasting the competition. Speaking of big power, we touch on the rumored NSX mule running around the Nurburgring in S2000 drag, and then concede that we really have no idea. Again, we come back to the US after a quick jaunt to the Continent, and discuss the upcoming Chevy version of GM's Lambda CUV. We're split on whether that's a good idea or not, but we all agree that the Utes themselves are a great product from the General. What the heck, let's go back across the Atlantic to close it out with insane VAG concepts at the Worthersee gathering in Austria, which saw the unveiling of a mid engine twin turbo GTI, the Audi TT Clubsport design study, and the Pirelli Edition GTI that is a real production car. We decided to only consume about 37 minutes of your time, as we'll be back soon. Enjoy the show!

SUBSCRIBE to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes
LISTEN to the show now
ADD the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator

click image above to enter to win an all-new 2007 Dodge Nitro R/T

The initial elation I felt over finally getting the new site design launched and seeing this sweepstakes begin has subsided, probably as a result of writing this post every day. But yesterday it hit me again that we're actually giving away a vehicle, a monumental feat considering that last year we could barely find the funds to offer you guys and gals an iPod for being such good readers.

So please, take advantage of our success and win this 2007 Dodge Nitro R/T. We want you to have it (we're not eligible to win, doh!). Enter the Sweepstakes by clicking here, and then enter tomorrow and every day after (I'll remind you, don't worry) until the giveaway concludes at midnight on June 14th.

Much thanks to The Car Blogger, iamhoff.com and Auto Concourse for hosting permanent banners promoting the Sweeps on their homepages, as well as The Garage Blog and Automotive Addicts for posting on the giveaway.

If you post about the Autoblog Nitro Sweepstakes on your own website or add a permanet banner (available after the jump), please make sure you link it here and drop us a line at abresearch at gmail dot com to let us know so we can include your site in the list below.

Permanent Banner

• egmcartech
• SoCalSpeedZone
• The Greedy Cheese
• Cheers and Gears
• The Car Blogger
• iamhoff.com
• Auto Concourse

Posts

• Jalopnik
• Winding Road
• Carscoop
• I4U News
• The Brian Alvey Weblog (he designed the original Autoblog)
• Autotropolis
• World Car Fans Blog
• Cheers and Gears
• Allpar.com
• ChryslerWeblog
• BloggingPro
• MediaVidea
• SRTforums.com
• Chargerforums.com
• 300Cforums.com
• Caliberforums.com
• Dodge-Nitro.com
• Challengertalk.com
• egmcartech
• The Torque Report
• Gotakon
• The Greedy Cheese
• Daily Car Videos
• MattHeerema.com (he designed the new Autoblog)
• contests.about.com
• The Garage Blog
• Automotive Addicts

Today marks the end of the first full week of the Autoblog Relaunch Celebration Sweepstakes featuring the All-New 2007 Dodge Nitro R/T (i.e. the Sweeps). We've added Gotakan, a Hawaiian blog (Yes, Hawaiians are eligible to win!), and Daily Car Videos to the list of websites helping us get the word out below. If your site posts on the Sweeps, make sure to email a link to abresearch at gmail dot com so we can add it to the list.

So one week has passed, and if you've been playing the odds then you've entered to win the 2007 Dodge Nitro R/T seven times so far. If you haven't been entering every day, today's a great day to start. If you do so from now until the Sweeps' conclusion through June 14th, you can still enter 17 times and increase your chance of winning.

Click here to enter.

• Jalopnik
• Winding Road
• Carscoop
• I4U News
• The Brian Alvey Weblog (he designed the original Autoblog)
• Autotropolis
• World Car Fans Blog
• Cheers and Gears
• Allpar.com
• ChryslerWeblog
• BloggingPro
• MediaVidea
• SRTforums.com
• Chargerforums.com
• 300Cforums.com
• Caliberforums.com
• Dodge-Nitro.com
• Challengertalk.com
• egmcartech
• The Torque Report
• Gotakon
• Daily Car Videos