Olivier Francois has a ardour for constructing manufacturers.

Now he will get to bask in it much more because the advertising chief of Stellantis, which mixed the 9 manufacturers of Fiat Chrysler Cars he knew properly with 5 extra from PSA Group.

Francois, identified for formidable Tremendous Bowl adverts and a knack for mixing musical acts into campaigns at FCA, must juggle advertising methods for an much more various set of manufacturers. They arrive with various levels of acceptance relying in the marketplace, so the problem for Francois and his crew shall be to carve an area for every model.

Amongst his high priorities is to proceed elevating the rugged Ram model, which has been meshing extra luxurious with confirmed work credentials in its haulers. The most recent Ram marketing campaign makes use of the Foo Fighters rock band to pitch an inspirational message that honors on a regular basis rock stars reminiscent of dad and mom, coaches and mentors who’ve stepped up in the course of the pandemic.

Francois, 59, spoke with Employees Reporter Vince Bond Jr. concerning the Ram marketing campaign, the pandemic and the extra accountability that stems from FCA’s merger with PSA. Listed below are edited excerpts.

Q: How does the merger change your advertising technique? Do you must get extra approvals from totally different folks now?

A: The entire imaginative and prescient behind Stellantis — what makes it distinctive, what makes it actually distinctive, what makes the worth of Stellantis — is, greater than ever, this home of manufacturers strategy. We already talked of that previously as FCA, however that’s actually strengthened — it goes additional — with Stellantis.

Now we’ve got 14 manufacturers, a few of that are actually, actually iconic in several components of the world, as a result of when you take Europe for instance, Fiat is iconic, Alfa Romeo is iconic, Maserati to some extent. However now we’ve got additionally Citroen — very, very iconic in Europe — or Peugeot. That is actually attention-grabbing, the power to domesticate for every model and that is clearly what we have been doing so efficiently at FCA. For somebody like me, who’s so obsessed with model constructing — carving a unique house for every model — all that is unimaginable as a result of now I can simply do it with extra manufacturers.

It is really a bit extra work, nevertheless it makes additionally the work a bit of bit much more attention-grabbing and synergic. My function right here is to create or amplify all of the artistic synergies with a purpose to deliver to every model one of the best they may dream of. Earlier than there have been a bit of bit extra approvals. We now have sort of streamlined and simplified. Really, it’s clearer and quite simple now.

What was the inspiration for the Ram marketing campaign, and the way did you choose the Foo Fighters for it?

I at all times wished to work with them. They share a whole lot of values with the truck model and they’re very genuine of their relationship.

Dave [Grohl] reached out to us possibly a yr in the past. And never as a result of they wished to be featured in a business, however as a result of they found a grassroots initiative that we had with Ram, referred to as Ram Band Van, one of many a number of initiatives we had across the model with a purpose to deliver this concept of “constructed to serve” to life. That particular initiative is that the model loaned customized upfit ProMasters to dozens of up-and-coming bands who’re attempting to make it. In order that they reached out simply to know extra about this program, and to attach us with different bands that they have been sort of endorsing. Throughout these conversations, we found that their very own story started 25 years in the past when Dave and the Foo Fighters filed into their Ram van to pursue their rock-and-roll dream.

We couldn’t assist however take that chance to say, “Hey, is not there one thing we might do collectively?” It got here very naturally. Collectively, Ram and the Foo Fighters could not solely have the ability to shine a lightweight on these bands that we have been attempting to assist collectively, however one thing larger. Possibly we might rejoice the true rock stars on the market, which might be the mothers, the dads, the lecturers, the coaches, all sort of mentors, who have been serving to the subsequent era develop into one of the best they are often.

Do you suppose the pandemic goes to play any function in future campaigns?

I hope not, after having performed a detrimental function for a yr or so. As you may see on this marketing campaign, we aren’t portraying folks sporting masks. I feel that everybody desires to listen to optimistic tales about what comes subsequent. So I feel that if the pandemic performs a job, will probably be the function of what stands behind us and must be left behind us.

I feel that now would be the time for optimistic tales, and the way can we be higher than earlier than, impressed by what occurred, take inspiration of what occurred, study from 2020 and 2021, and make a treasure of what we discovered. Be extra sustainable, give worth to what actually issues like household, to the human relationship, the straightforward moments. I feel what most likely will encourage us, as a result of it conjures up me, is the worth of the straightforward issues, like being collectively, celebrating collectively, having a meal collectively, hugging a pal, all of the issues that actually we take without any consideration. And so I feel again to the worth of easy issues, and that are actually the values of life — household, love, friendship and, for certain, a extra sustainable strategy to our day by day life and to the planet. So I feel that is what will encourage the subsequent stage of our communication as a result of that is what is going to resonate with our international audiences.

With the chip scarcity hurting manufacturing throughout the globe, are there considerations that there may not be sufficient vehicles when folks see these commercials and exit to purchase them?

That is the place the model comes again to the middle of the equation. The model wants instruments. They know what stock they’ve, the place they’ve it, what they should promote, what they should push. Primarily based on this, we’ve got an ideal artistic, we’ve got an ideal marketing campaign and they’re clearly going to make use of it as a device to push what they must promote, the place they’ve it to promote.