A month after saying it would stick with the campaign, DaimlerChrysler has announced it will be suspending the Dr. Z ad campaign featuring company chairman Dieter Zetsche. While the company says Dr. Z will be back at some point in the future, it prefers at this time to highlight its zero-percent finance offer. I'm shocked - shocked I tell you - that they thought a spokesperson who seemed to be a German-accented version of the Monopoly Guy would distract people from some other message they were trying to communicate. Just shocked.Dr. Z now Dr. Ditched
A month after saying it would stick with the campaign, DaimlerChrysler has announced it will be suspending the Dr. Z ad campaign featuring company chairman Dieter Zetsche. While the company says Dr. Z will be back at some point in the future, it prefers at this time to highlight its zero-percent finance offer. I'm shocked - shocked I tell you - that they thought a spokesperson who seemed to be a German-accented version of the Monopoly Guy would distract people from some other message they were trying to communicate. Just shocked.Reader Comments
(Page 3)42. WHERE IS MY COMMENT??
Posted at 8:01AM on Sep 11th 2006 by PAUL
43. One thing for sure, Dr Z left an impression.
THAT is good marketing.
Did you remember that ad/person?
Case closed.
Posted at 8:02AM on Sep 11th 2006 by michelle
44. Dr Z did a great job and proved to the world ANYONE can act,it all comes down to who you know.Bring him back,I might buy another car.
Posted at 5:35PM on Sep 11th 2006 by Len Thomson
45. Dr Z is just one more reminder that Chrysler is now a german company owned by Daimler Mercedes Benz and not American anymore. I will never buy another one. I guess in 20 years we will be buying cars from Al Quada.
Posted at 9:47PM on Sep 11th 2006 by Bill
46. Bring back Dr. Z. We thought he was funny and I really liked his friendly face. He was a natural in front of the camera.
Posted at 8:02AM on Sep 11th 2006 by Judy
47. AHHHhhhh GREAT.... JUST GREAT !!!! WHENEVER HIS COMMERCIALS ARE SHOWN, WE IMMEDIATLY SWITCH THE CHANNEL.... GLAD TO SEE HIM GO, AND SINCERELY HOPE HE DOES NOT RETURN !!!
Posted at 8:05AM on Sep 11th 2006 by PEPPA
48. Gosh! I actually thought Dr. Z was a great icon for the company, especially in comparison to the usual hum-drum. His German accent was a good marketing ploy because it subconsciously made people think that the cars are of higher quality. Besides, he was kind of a gentile fellow with a wry wit that made me not mind watching the commercials. That's a major thing, since almost all other commercials drive me up the wall.
Posted at 8:09AM on Sep 11th 2006 by Stephen Gough
49. Dr. Z was great. In a world of "golbalization" he fit right in. I really enjoyed the commercials. Will miss him.
Posted at 8:28AM on Sep 11th 2006 by M. Hardy Peterzon
50. Dr. Z just gave me one more reason to not buy a Chrysler brand vehicle!
Posted at 8:11AM on Sep 11th 2006 by Jim Rose
51. We need more countries like Germany. They were leading in technology in WW2 and don't forget it!! Had they waited another year or two to go to war, this would be a better world.
Posted at 9:24AM on Sep 11th 2006 by R Grondal
52. I agree with most.....how these people expect ads like Dr. Z or the Geico lizard to entice us to buy their product is unfathomable to me. They just make me doubt the abilities of the company and I won't buy. And do you ever wonder how much prices (or insurance premiums) might be if the ads didn't run so often?
Posted at 8:15AM on Sep 11th 2006 by cbinford
53. Glad he's gone. Being in the insurance indusrty it was very disturbing watching him crash the car into the wall.
Posted at 8:19AM on Sep 11th 2006 by Nancy
54. Hey, I liked the commericals. I am so sick of other commericals where people are shouting at us to buy things, (ie.Billy Mays and all his cleaning products)
Posted at 7:51AM on Sep 14th 2006 by lilly
55. Keep Dr Z - great commercials, out of the ordinary, clever too. Whatever people think about Germany, we use a lot of their WW2 technology here today. If things had gone a little different then, it may well be a better world today.
Posted at 9:24AM on Sep 11th 2006 by R Grondal
56. Get over this holocaust stuff, either buy the car or not. I don't want to hear any more holocaust information because I don't give a crap.
Posted at 9:23AM on Sep 11th 2006 by R Grondal
57. I THINK DR.Z" IS DOING A GOOD JOB. I DONT HEAR ANYTHING ABOUT ALL THE JAPANESE COMMERCIALS.OR ANY OTHER NATIONS COMMERCIALS. LET THE GUY ALONE. KEEP IT UP DR.Z .
Posted at 8:28AM on Sep 11th 2006 by RONALD
58. Oh come now! Dr. Z wasn't all that bad...at least he comes across as an intelligent individual! I'm so sick of having my intelligence insulted by the cheesy commercials of other companies...excluding, of course, the Geico Gecko -- you can't help but love him!
Posted at 8:24AM on Sep 11th 2006 by Margaret
59. Hey number 14 seems you forget about VW and "The Bus" their version of a van. Guess what that was invented in the 40's in Germany before Chrysler thought of a mini van
Posted at 8:26AM on Sep 11th 2006 by Cathy
60. I liked those adds, Dr Z was fun to watch and that made them memerable. Keep up the fun commericls.
Posted at 9:18AM on Sep 11th 2006 by Gary Gilmore
41. The DrZ commercials are clever; I enjoy seeing them. Speaking of foreign cars, when will American vehicles have great warranties to compete with Toyota and Hyundai? Manufacturers have the 'planned obsolesence' mentality now to continue to suck the money out of consumers. Not to mention the lucrative Auto Parts industry. Nationalism aside, I think consumers should send a clear message to ALL auto manufacturers that they will buy the best bang for the buck, no matter from whom. By the way, does anyone know what happened to the original Geico Gekko???? Contract dispute?
Posted at 9:24AM on Sep 11th 2006 by R Grondal