BBDO – a long time advertising partner of Chrysler – has announced it will be closing its Detroit office, effective January 26th. BBDO Detroit failed to sign a new contract with Chrysler, with the current agreement set to expire on January 26.
Although BBDO works with several other companies, the Detroit office deals exclusively with Chrysler. With no new contract in place, BBDO will be forced to close early next year. “We now have to assume and plan for the fact that our relationship will end when our contract does on Jan. 26, 2010,” BBDO spokesman Roy Elvove told The Detroit News.
About 485 employees work at BBDO’s Detroit office. The company is working to redeploy those employees affected by the office closing, but a number of workers will likely be laid off.
BBDO provides a number of services to Chrysler – such as dealer training, IT support and customer service management – but is best known for its marketing efforts. BBDO created a number of successful ad campaigns for Chrysler, including the company’s “That thing got a Hemi?” series. Chrysler’s ties with BBDO dates back to 1944.
11/10, 10:50 AM
posted by:
DenverGuy217
That post just reminded me of a joke video that was used by a competitor at a sales conference based around the phrase “That thing got a warranty”. It provided a good chuckle when I got to see it.
11/10, 10:54 AM
posted by:
Speeeed3Z
—-> “That thing got a HEMI!?!?!?!!”
—> Yea….
—->Sweet!!!!!!!
Stupidest yet probably most memorable commercial series ever.
11/10, 11:26 AM
posted by:
tonkatoytruck
This is just the tip of the iceberg. The economic effects of the collapse of the automotive industry will be felt everywhere for years to come.
It is not going to be pretty and unemployment in the US and elsewhere will reach levels not seen since the great depression.
Watch your pennies and pray you too will be able to keep your job!
11/10, 11:38 AM
posted by:
Borat
tonkatoytruck, you are probably right. Add incompetent government on all levels and “Houston we have a [problem”.
11/10, 11:55 AM
posted by:
johnnycanuck
I guess in the future we should expect Chrysler ads to feature ugly, sweaty men… voluptuous dark haired women with heaving breasts… all accompanied by a poorly dubbed voice-over soundtrack and the appropriate piece of Hugo Montenegro incidental music.
I may have to grow my moustache back.
11/10, 1:07 PM
posted by:
DenverGuy217
Nah – it will just get in the way when eating those fries w/cheese curds
11/10, 3:54 PM
posted by:
leftwingagenda
oh god, queue the melodramatic music…you guys are too much sometimes…
as for the hemi ads, i hated ‘em…so dumb…
11/10, 3:55 PM
posted by:
leftwingagenda
oh crap, i queue-ed where i should’ve cue-ed…can you tell i deal with queues and pipelines at work a little too much?
11/10, 6:00 PM
posted by:
howsmydriving
Who cares — this is another non-news story that doesn’t belong on a car enthusiast’s site, although it does belong in an advertising trade journal.
11/10, 6:35 PM
posted by:
Need more oil for GM is an idiot
I wonder what those two actors are up to nowdays.
11/10, 8:45 PM
posted by:
Ashes to Ashes_Dust to Dust
“I wonder what those two actors are up to nowdays.” They are attending casting calls for the sequel to Dumb & Dumber.