Olivier Francois has a ardour for constructing manufacturers.

Now he will get to take pleasure in it much more because the advertising chief of Stellantis, which mixed the 9 manufacturers of Fiat Chrysler Vehicles he knew nicely 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 available on the market, so the problem for Francois and his crew might be to carve an area for every model.

Amongst his prime 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 similar to mother and father, 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 duty that stems from FCA’s merger with PSA. Listed below are edited excerpts.

Q: How does the merger change your advertising technique? Do it’s a must to get extra approvals from completely different individuals 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 method. We already talked of that previously as FCA, however that’s actually bolstered — it goes additional — with Stellantis.

Now we now have 14 manufacturers, a few of that are actually, actually iconic in numerous elements of the world, as a result of in the event you take Europe for example, Fiat is iconic, Alfa Romeo is iconic, Maserati to some extent. However now we now have additionally Citroen — very, very iconic in Europe — or Peugeot. That is actually attention-grabbing, the flexibility 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 keen about model constructing — carving a special 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, but it surely makes additionally the work a little bit bit much more attention-grabbing and synergic. My position right here is to create or amplify all of the artistic synergies to be able to deliver to every model the very best they might dream of. Earlier than there have been a little bit bit extra approvals. Now we have type of streamlined and simplified. Truly, it’s clearer and quite simple now.

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

I all the time wished to work with them. They share loads 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, known as Ram Band Van, one of many a number of initiatives we had across the model to be able 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 making an attempt 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 type 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 may do collectively?” It got here very naturally. Collectively, Ram and the Foo Fighters might not solely have the ability to shine a lightweight on these bands that we have been making an attempt to assist collectively, however one thing larger. Possibly we may have fun the actual rock stars on the market, which might be the mothers, the dads, the lecturers, the coaches, all type of mentors, who have been serving to the subsequent era grow to be the very best they are often.

Do you assume the pandemic goes to play any position in future campaigns?

I hope not, after having performed a unfavorable position for a yr or so. As you’ll be able to see on this marketing campaign, we’re not portraying individuals carrying masks. I believe that everybody needs to listen to constructive tales about what comes subsequent. So I believe that if the pandemic performs a task, will probably be the position of what stands behind us and must be left behind us.

I believe that now would be the time for constructive 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 realized. Be extra sustainable, give worth to what actually issues like household, to the human relationship, the straightforward moments. I believe 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 as a right. And so I believe again to the worth of easy issues, and that are actually the values of life — household, love, friendship and, for positive, a extra sustainable method to our every day life and to the planet. So I believe 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 issues that there won’t be sufficient vans when individuals 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. Based mostly on this, we now have an important artistic, we now have an important marketing campaign and they’re clearly going to make use of it as a instrument to push what they need to promote, the place they’ve it to promote.