Ram
The 2017 Ram Farm Show Tour tallied it’s 5th and final summer show at the SunBelt Ag Show in Moultrie, GA.
This year’s tour recorded stops at:
- World Agriculture Expo, Tulare CA (February 13-17)
- Wisconsin Farm Technology Days – Kewaunee, WI (July 11-13)
- Farm Progress Show – Decatur, IL (August 29-31)
- Husker Harvest Days – Grand Island, NE (September 12-14)
- SunBelt Ag Expo – Moultrie, GA (October 17-19)
Of all 5 farm shows in 2017, there was only 1 day that we were unable to drive due to inclement weather – this must be a record!
With friendly weather and the best light and heavy-duty truck lineup in the market, the Ram ride+drive tracks were busier than ever this year. As the focus has been shifting more towards the towing/hauling capability of these trucks, our courses have changed to accommodate more demand there. We still offer an off-road ride course at all shows, but have also added an experiential towing portion to the drive, where guests can get behind the wheel of a 1500, 2500 or 3500 and actually pull a trailer to feel the power, torque and load -handling. Of course, the crowd favorite is the 3500 6.7L Cummins High Output w/max tow that is pulling 30,000 lbs worth of a Case backhoe on a Big Tex gooseneck trailer. How’s that for real-life experience?
2017 was a monumental year for FCA experiential marketing at the Chicago Auto Show! Not only did the automaker roll out a gigantic new build for Ram called the Ram Truck Territory (built by partner George P. Johnson Co.), but it also offered guests the ultra-popular Camp Jeep track and the City Drive, a showcase of FCA’s Dodge, Chrysler, and Fiat brands.
All 3 of these tracks gave guests the opportunity to ride in the newest vehicles offered by FCA, with Gordinier Group drivers behind the wheel. Tasked with delivering detailed information about each vehicle while piloting guests up over and through technical obstacles, the GG drivers made countless positive impressions on CAS guests. All 3 tracks operated at full capacity, bell-to-bell, for 10 days, setting a new record for registered guests at an auto show ride and drive.
Below, you will see a brief time-lapse video from a static location on each of the 3 tracks:
Ram Truck Territory-
This track consisted of specific turn-offs for each model Ram truck: a load-leveling demo for 1500, torque-wall pull for 2500 and max weight towing demo for 3500.
Camp Jeep –
The Camp Jeep track is always a crowd favorite in Chicago. This is no surprise, given the infusion of massive amounts of organic material (dirt, boulders, mulch) alongside the mobile properties that make Camp Jeep a thrilling ride that shows off the brand’s off-road prowess. The track features an 18-foot tall, pass-through mountain, staircase, Trail Rated pass, side-hill traverse, breakover and several other challenging obstacles.
https://youtu.be/6BBcU4EYKBc
City Drive –
The 2017 CAS City Drive track gave customers the chance to experience a ride in 2017 FCA vehicles such as Chrysler 300 and Pacifica, Dodge Charger and Challenger, or Fiat 500 and Spider 124. The track featured an ambient sound zone, Pacifica walkaround lab, vehicle info center, and everyone’s favorite, the acceleration/braking strip,
Gordinier Group drivers were blessed with another heavy season of auto shows in 2016. As the competition continues to try to emulate the Camp Jeep and Ram Truck Territory models, we continue to set the bar higher each year with bigger and better courses, improved throughput and better in-vehicle experiences.
We would like to express our thankfulness and gratitude towards our partners and clients at The George P. Johnson Company and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles for allowing us to represent the finest automobiles in the many opportunities listed below:
Jeep
- San Diego Auto Show – San Diego, CA: 12/30/15 – 1/4/16
- Washington Auto Show – Washington DC: 1/20 – 2/1
- Houston Auto Show – Houston, TX: 1/26 – 2/1
- Philadelphia Auto Show – Philadelphia, PA: 1/28 – 2/8
- Chicago Auto Show – Chicago, IL: 2/9 – 2/22
- Cleveland Auto Show – Cleveland, OH: 2/25 – 3/7
- Twin Cities Auto Show – Minneapolis, MN: 3/11 – 3/21
- Dallas Auto Show – Dallas, TX: 3/15 – 3/21
- Denver Auto Show – Denver, CO: 3/15 – 3/21
- New York International Auto Show – New York, NY: 3/22 – 4/4
- South Florida Auto Show – Miami, FL: 9/9 – 9/19
- Orange County Auto Show – Anaheim, CA: 10/5 – 10/10
Ram
- Houston Auto Show – Houston, TX 1/26 – 2/1
- Cleveland Auto Show – Cleveland, OH: 2/25 – 3/7
- San Antonio Auto Show – San Antonio, TX: 11/8 – 11/14
- Fort Worth Auto Show – Fort Worth, TX: 11/30 – 12/5
Other
- Chicago Auto Show – Chicago, IL: 2/9 – 2/22 (Dodge, Chrysler, Fiat, SRT)
We look forward to an equally fruitful 2017!
Ram has a brilliant marketing plan to sell their coveted trucks – bring the trucks to the places that truck-buyers congregate. This plan seems simple, but it is often overlooked by other automakers.
In 2016, Ram did just that. By bringing the Ram Truck Territory Ride & Drive to the 5 biggest agriculture shows (and letting them drive and ride in the trucks), Ram delivered many important impressions on buyers. This year’s ag show list included:
- World Agriculture Expo – Tulare, CA: 2/8 – 2/12/16
- Wisconsin Farm Technology Days – Zenda, WI: 7/18 – 7/22/16
- Farm Progress Show – Boone, IA: 8/28 – 9/2/16
- Husker Harvest Days – Grand Island, NE: 9/12 – 9/16/16
- Sunbelt Ag Expo – Moultrie, GA: 10/17- 10/21/16
Luckily, the ag events weren’t plagued with rain this year as they were in 2015. In fact, of all of the event days in this year’s tour, only part of one day was lost to foul weather conditions.
The new format for these events has Gordinier Group drivers piloting the trucks on the interior, off-road track. GG drivers tackle the precision driving on the off-road obstacles while delivering information – specs, features, and why buys – to the passenger guests.
Meanwhile, 3 tow vehicles circle the perimeter of the space, giving guests the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a tow rig to experience Ram’s best in class towing prowess. Guests chose between a 3500 dually with a gooseneck trailer (loaded with Case farm equipment), a 2500 pulling a horse trailer full of hay, or a 1500 with trailer loaded with a side-by-side or personal watercraft. In this situation, GG drivers ride shotgun, giving towing tips and product details.
Together, these two tracks give guests a nice picture of what the trucks are capable of doing in practical situations.
