Jeep outgrows 'I bought a Jeep' campaign, Dodge brand shelved for Aus

One of Jeep's most successful ever marketing campaigns will be put out to pasture, with the focus to turn onto the brand's 75-year heritage in the lifestyle space – as well to allaying a growing discontent within the ranks of Jeep owners.

The new managing director of Fiat Chrysler Australia, Steve Zanlunghi, will also oversee the withdrawal of the Dodge brand from local markets.

The US-raised, Australian born Zanlunghi is a self-confessed Jeep tragic, whose most recent job within the worldwide organisation was reversing a sales slump in the UK and Ireland.

"My CEO asked me to come and see him (about the UK)," said Zanlunghi. "I told him we have two choices; we pull out or we put my plan in place.

"It was basically putting the Jeep brand in with Alfa dealers, and also coming up with a strong business plan and rationalising the range. Then, it was finding rallying points to really start to build on the Jeep brand.

"When I left the U.K., it was one of the most desirable and profitable brands in the U.K., the Jeep brand, and this is the home of Land Rover."

I think it was good looking back on it, but I think it did its time, did its job, and now it's time to get back to the roots of what Jeep is.

Zanlunghi said that while the 'I bought a Jeep' advertsing campaign did its job, the brand actually stands for something else.

"I think it was good looking back on it, but I think it did its time, did its job, and now it's time to get back to the roots of what Jeep is," he said. "That's a lifestyle brand that has a sense of adventure and freedom.

"It's not a cute brand. It's not a funny brand. It's not luxury. It's not pretentious."

He said that a new campaign would hit the airwaves from November.

The Dodge brand, meanwhile, is in hiatus, with its single product, the Journey SUV, now in runout and not destined to be replaced.

"I can tell you Dodge, right now, we're in the process of running out our final vehicle, which is the Journey. Then, we're looking at different business cases to bring other models in maybe in the future," he said.

This brings into some doubt the arrival of products like the Dodge Charger and Challenger duo, which were under consideration for importation.

The top-spec Hellcat versions were as late as last year in late-stage consideration for Australia, but now appear to have been put on the back burner.

Zanlunghi, meanwhile, is here for the long haul.

"I will tell you that for me, and I'm not giving you a line of BS, but for me, this is a position that I wanted since I joined the organization," he said. "My mum's Australian. Just to give you an idea of how far circle this has come, my whole life I've been going back and forth between Australia and the U.S. I grew up in New York, but I went to school here in Australia in years five to seven, and nine, in Victoria.

"It was an outstanding opportunity. To me it's kind of personal coming here. It's pretty surreal, like I said, to be sitting where I am, and see where I used to literally kick the footie around when I was a kid. Yeah, I'm pretty pumped. I'm pretty excited to be here."

Do you agree the 'I bought a Jeep' ads have run their course? Are you hanging out for more Dodges? Tell us what you think in the comments below.