Take a walk back in time.
There’s no doubt the Dodge Charger is one of the most beloved classic muscle cars. Say whatever you want about the current Chargers with their four doors and such, the original cars were iconic and have become even more iconic with time. For those who were around when the Charger launched back in 1966, the video compilation of commercials will be a walk down memory lane. However, for those who are younger, these old commercials give a glimpse of how the classic Mopar was marketed to prospective buyers back in the day.
Today, most people associate the Dodge Charger with The Dukes of Hazzard, but the reality is it was a reaction to the unexpected success of the Ford Mustang. Sure, Chrysler beat the Blue Oval to the pony car market by launching the Plymouth Barracuda a few weeks earlier, but Mustang sales were nothing to sneeze at. Rethinking its market approach, Chrysler made some critical changes to appeal to a younger customer base.
That kind of thinking led to the creation of the 1964 Dodge Charger concept, a convertible two-seater which was based off the Polara at the time. That concept was a little too safe, so a second one was created, this time with a fastback design car shoppers craved at the time. As you already know, once the Charger hit the market it was an instant success and has since been portrayed as a genuine performance machine in everything from Bullitt to the first Fast & Furious.
The first commercial in the lineup is a cartoon depicting the Dodge gang all wearing white hats, staring down the lone bad guy in a black hat, who’s supposed to represent other brands. It’s a hokey commercial, especially by today’s standards, but it’s a theme Dodge uses in other commercials in the set. But what’s really interesting is how today Dodge’s marketing has flipped and now has a sinister appeal to it, instead of the white hat approach.
However, other commercials have a different tone as they herald the “Dodge rebellion.” While it doesn’t have the sinister edge we see on full display often today, you can see the early seeds of today’s marketing.
Check out the videos for yourself.
