American Suzuki Motor Corp. Launches Largest National Advertising Campaign in the Company's History.

BREA, Calif.--(AutomotiveWire)--Sept. 17, 1998--American Suzuki Motor Corp. (ASMC) on Sept. 21 will launch its largest ad push in the company's history, a blitz to introduce the all-new 1999 V6 Grand Vitara and to re-introduce consumers to the Suzuki brand.

The successful launch of the Grand Vitara represents the cornerstone of the Japanese auto maker's plan to rebuild the Suzuki brand image in the North American market employing the company's new tagline -- "Engineered to fit your life."

Through a six-month, $30 million media blitz, Suzuki will reach its target audience of adults 25 to 54 with an annual income of $35,000 - $75,000. These consumers who lead active, outdoor lifestyles are attracted to the power, style and versatility of larger SUVs but don't want to pay the higher price.

"Suzuki believes the significance of the entire campaign is in the product itself. The success of this product is predicated on the re-emergence of Suzuki into the mini SUV category with the first and only V6 engine," said Gary Anderson, vice president sales & marketing for American Suzuki Motor Corp.'s Automotive Division. "Suzuki's unique campaign builds on the innovative nature of the Grand Vitara."

Designed to provide consumers with the complete package, the print and television ads produced by asher & partners in Los Angeles, focus on both the V6 power and dynamic styling of the Grand Vitara while dimensionalizing the message by highlighting the abundance of other distinctive features the soon-to-be segment-leading SUV offers.

By taking the complete package and combining it with bold, beautiful images, the television and print executions will also carry an important new brand message -- quality, refinement and advanced technological engineering on vehicles that fit the needs of consumer's diverse lifestyles. A NEW IMAGE

From focus groups across the United States, American Suzuki learned that many consumers had little or no brand awareness for its automotive products. This consumer feedback introduced challenges that Suzuki realized it must first overcome, before introducing the product-strength of the Grand Vitara to the company's six-vehicle line-up. The Grand Vitara ad campaign aims to address those challenges by pulling hard on the advantages of the Grand Vitara over its competitors to help clearly define in SUV intender's minds that within this growing segment lies a more advanced vehicle than the rest.

With this new compelling campaign comes a new tagline for Suzuki: "Engineered to fit your life," which describes a brand new focus for the company. It will provide long-term identification for the brand and for its future products. This tagline conveys the advanced technology and precise engineering Suzuki builds into its products that also fit consumer's needs and lifestyles. CREATIVE EXECUTIONS

In an effort to elicit positive emotions and make consumers take a second look at Suzuki, the three :30 second television spots feature creative, "never-seen-before" images from the company. And, like the print ads, the spots depict all the dynamic features of the Grand Vitara and also use a bit of tasteful humor when referencing Suzuki as the manufacturer of this magnificent vehicle.

The first of two spots to debut this week on CBS's "The Heisman Watch," appropriately named "Horses," showcases the Grand Vitara racing amidst a herd of galloping horses atop rugged canyon terrain. The spot focuses on the 155-horsepower, V6 engine and the quietly engineered cabin when, to the passenger's surprise along side her window as she's about to take a picture is a horse that turns and says, "That's a Suzuki?"

In the second spot, called "Moon," the Grand Vitara is shown nestled in a remote mountaintop setting on a moonlit night with romantic background music. It communicates the sophisticated styling of the vehicle, along with the powerful V6 engine, interior space and comfort as the man in the moon comes out of the heavens for a closer look at the Grand Vitara and says, "Is that really a Suzuki ... it's very nice."

In another spot, a car wash comes to life as the Grand Vitara enters. Next, the car wash nozzles and brushes lovingly caress the sheet metal followed by the towel boys drying the Suzuki to the beat of funky love music while the owner waits for his car back.

The three print ads developed to complement the television commercials, provide even more depth to the overall strength of the Grand Vitara campaign. Focusing on the 155-horsepower, V6 engine while also emphasizing the reduction of cabin noise through superior engineering, the introductory ad visually depicts the Grand Vitara racing along side a herd of stampeding horses with a headline that reads: "Outside: 155 horses running wild. Inside: The only sound is the padded steering wheel sliding through your fingertips."

In the second print ad. "Energize your soul, while cushioning the other parts of your body" the Grand Vitara is shown climbing a steep, rocky incline which highlights the vehicle's true off-road capabilities by focusing on the ladder-box frame and sophisticated suspension. The primary message is that the V6 power gives drivers the freedom to go anywhere, but Suzuki's precise engineering will make it an enjoyable, comfortable ride.

The third print ad dimensionalizes the Grand Vitara even further, by expanding the focus beyond the V6 engine and showcasing the vehicle's abundance of comfort and convenience features. As the Grand Vitara slices through the water in a backwoods stream, it reads: "Most mini SUVs have power windows and power locks. But only one has power."

"In consumer's minds, Suzuki has been away for a while. It is critically important that the new campaign be entertaining and likeable, in order to get re-invited into America's living rooms. The new Suzuki campaign is not just another SUV campaign, but is something you want to watch again and again," said Bruce Dundore, partner, creative director, asher & partners, Los Angeles.

Suzuki's goal is to set the Grand Vitara apart from its competition, by emphasizing the power of the V6 engine, the dynamic styling and its competitive price starting at $17,999. THE PLAN

With the support of an extremely motivated and excited dealer network, Suzuki's largest-ever national advertising campaign will focus the majority of its media dollars in television. Suzuki's national television plan includes both network television and national cable. By late September, the Grand Vitara will enjoy exposure on many prestigious cable networks including TNT, USA, CNN, ESPN, The Weather Channel and The Discovery Channel.

Suzuki believes this integrated advertising effort will help strongly re-position the Suzuki brand by establishing the Grand Vitara as a significant player in the market and placing it back on consumer's shopping lists. Working in conjunction with Suzuki's television exposure, the Grand Vitara will also appear in general consumer and automotive enthusiast publications.

In addition to the television and print elements of the campaign, Suzuki has secured major programming sponsorships and value-added merchandising programs. Examples of these exciting partnerships include, "The Suzuki Heisman Watch," which will air for 12 consecutive weeks during college football games on CBS; and the lifestyle ski program, "Suzuki Local Action" which will air on the Fox Sports Cable Network.

The V6 Grand Vitara represents the most significant product the company has ever introduced for the U.S. market and will be Suzuki's flagship vehicle as the company rebuilds its brand image. This vehicle has the product strength to establish the foundation on which American Suzuki Motor Corp. will re-launch the brand.

The Automotive Division of American Suzuki Motor Corp. (ASMC), Brea, was founded in 1985 by Suzuki Motor Corp. ASMC markets automobiles in the United States through a network of 300 automotive dealerships in 49 states.

ASMC's parent company, Suzuki Motor Corp. (SMC), based in Hamamatsu, Japan, is a diversified worldwide automobile manufacturer. Founded in 1920, SMC has 134 distributors in 175 countries.