Suzuki ATV Ads Carve Out New Terrain

Advertiser: American Suzuki Motor Corp.

Agency: Colby Effler & Partners, Santa Monica

The Challenge: Carve out a position for the Suzuki Quadrunner, the company’s first new all-terrain vehicle in nearly a decade.

The Ads: Print ads tout the ATV as a rugged, no-nonsense machine for people who like to keep things simple. “It’s a world with 300 television channels,” declares one magazine ad aimed at recreational users that features a mud-splattered ATV. “Get as far away from it as you can.” Another print ad targets farmers and ranchers who might use ATVs for work. “Take it out when you need it. Put it back when you’re done,” says the ad, while asserting that a spanking-clean Quadrunner is “your favorite tool.”

Comment: Suzuki, the first company to introduce four-wheel ATV vehicles, has a lot of catching up to do. It is duking it out with several ATV makers for third place in the market, behind American Honda Motor Co. and Polaris Industries. Whereas Honda stands for quality and Polaris touts automatic transmission, Suzuki effectively uses the truck-like suspension and standard transmission of its ATV vehicles to make a statement about simplicity and ruggedness. $$$