Gordinier Group
Another successful Ram summer ride and drive series has sadly come to an end. The 2015 rodeo and farm show tours saw the best weather and more importantly, the best crowds that we have experienced to date.
This year, both tours saw the addition of the 2015 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel, which was a great addition to the drive fleet! Guests were amazed by the torque, lack of typical diesel noise, and the amazing fuel economy (up to 29 mpg).
As the Ram Trucks brand continues to build momentum and win market share, we continue to see (and welcome) increased interest and participation in the ride and drive events.
Hats off to Ram on another great season!
Rodeo Tour:
Cheyenne Frontier Days – Cheyenne, WY
Colorado State Fair – Pueblo, CO
Oklahoma State Fair – Oklahoma City, OK
Heart O’ Texas Fair – Waco TX
Farm Show Tour:
Wisconsin Farm Tech Days – Madison, WI
Farm Progress – Decatur, IL
Husker Harvest Days – Grand Island, NE
Sunbelt Expo – Moultrie, GA
February 12 – 22, 2015
In terms of indoor tracks, the Chicago Auto Show Camp Jeep and City Drive are the Superbowl of consumer test drive events. It is safe to say that this event has no peers when it comes to throughput , and the 2015 edition did not disappoint. Both tracks consistently maintained a 45-90 minute line from open until close each day of the show, proving that FCA is producing excellent product that people want to experience.
Camp Jeep –
This is our favorite indoor course every year. By using organic materials in conjunction with GPJ-designed modular steel obstacles, we create the atmosphere and feel of an outdoor setting, complete with live pine trees, dirt, mulch, logs and boulders. This course really gives consumers a chance to share a true off-road driving experience with us as they learn about the vehicle and it’s capabilities from our pro drivers. As an added bonus, we were thrilled to debut the 2015 Renegade Trailhawk, giving the public first crack at riding in this exciting new B-segment SUV from Jeep. As predicted, the vehicle was met with enthusiasm as it handled the course with aplomb. Both competitive vehicle owners and Jeep fanatics walked away from our course with smiles on their faces. Represented at Camp Jeep was the full Jeep lineup, including Grand Cherokee, Cherokee, Wrangler, Renegade, Patriot and Compass.
Here is a quick video produced by FCA’s social media team:
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10154636548441515
City Drive – In 2015, the SRT brand returned to the City Drive to the delight of the Chicago guests. The SRT Charger (and Challenger with Scat Pack), could be heard from anywhere in the McCormick Place when it hammered down the acceleration lane. Also represented on the City Drive track were the 2015 Doge Dart, Chrysler 300, 200, T&C, as well as the Fiat Abarth, 500L, and 500.
And here is a video of the City Drive (City Drive content starts at 4:19)
Cheyenne Frontier Days
Cheyenne, WY
July 19-28, 2014
Colorado State Fair
Pueblo, CO
August 23 – September 2, 2014
Oklahoma State Fair
Oklahoma City, OK
September 11-21, 2014
The Ram Rodeo Test ride Series provides excellent exposure for the brand. Unlike the farm show circuit, these fairs are 10-12 days long and feature top country music acts, pro rodeo and bull riding events, carnivals, and other attractions that help to bring scads of people through the gates.
At these shows Gordinier Group/Dirt Designs has the opportunity to design and build organic off-road courses that feature, logs, rock piles, axle articulation rollers, dirt mountains, and as many other obstacles that we can pack into our footprint. While the simulated off-road courses provide an excellent medium to provide a consistent experience, we always jump at the chance to get on the heavy equipment and move some dirt around.
All 3 fairs brought us great weather and provided us a truly enormous amount of people to show off the 2014 Ram 1500 to. We really racked up the rides at these shows and were able to make a ton of positive impressions. This is easy to do when you are you are promoting the Motor Trend “Truck of the Year”, winner (for the last 2 years, thank you very much).
Wisconsin Farm Tech Days
Steven’s Point, WI
August 12-14, 2014
Farm Progress
Boone, IA
August 26-28, 2014
Husker Harvest
Kearney, NE
September 9-11, 2014
In the outdoor event world, when dealing with Mother Nature, you win some and you lose some. With 3 major farm shows on the schedule this summer, Gordinier Group pro drivers had to battle with some serious rain and storms to bring Ram trucks to the masses.
The farm show circuit began with Wisconsin Farm Tech Days, which featured excellent weather and mobs of Ram test riders. The simulated off-road properties and 2014 Ram 1500 and 2500 trucks were a huge hit with consumers who lined up to participate in our experience. Our job of showing off the features of these amazing trucks gets easier each year as they continue to get better and better – no convincing needed, thank you.
From Wisconsin, we moved on to Boone, Iowa, for Farm Progress Days. This is where the rain began. We arrived on the first show day to 6 inches of standing water on our track. Luckily, we brought some trucks to the entrance, put on our Product Specialist hats, and were still able to have a good number of positive guest interactions, despite being unable to drive. The rain continued throughout the show, causing an eventual morning cancellation on the last day.
When we finally dried off, the Gordinier Group crew made their way to Kearney, Nebraska for Husker Harvest. Once again we battled torrential downpours and weren’t able to drive. Back to our vehicle walk-arounds and Product Specialist duties. Not a bad gig, but our team are drivers and really like to be behind the wheel where we can demonstrate the features that we are explaining.
The weather didn’t cooperate this year, but our guys and gals are scrappy and still managed to get in front of a lot of Ram and potential Ram owners.
The farm shows provide an audience that is the perfect demographic for the brand and even with the wet weather, still an excellent series.