Dodge Dart gift registry lets other people pay for your car
Buyers can specify trim levels and options they want as gifts from family and friends.
With more young drivers forgoing licenses and car purchases, automakers have to get creative to sell cars to that desirable, elusive and tech-savvy demographic.
The latest example: Chrysler is marketing the 2013 Dodge Dart through an online gift registry, a creative ploy to attract young couples getting married or ambitious high-school and college graduates who can't afford a car on their own.
The Dodge Dart Registry allows customers to configure and customize cars to their specifications, and lets friends and family purchase some or all of the car’s parts as wedding, baby or graduation gifts. Think of it as Pottery Barn for Pentastar fans.
Using the registry, future Dart owners can specify how much money they want others to spend on them. Then, they can ask family and friends to buy them specific parts such the engine, wheels and interior options, without choosing a specific trim level. After registering on the site, the user can spread the word through Facebook and Twitter, and thank those who are generous enough to contribute to the cause. Chrysler, of course, scores even if no one kicks in a dollar, as anyone using the registry will post about the Dart's features through social media.
Participants can visit the Dodge Dart Registry website to set up their own registry, fundraising goals and an expiration term of up to 90 days. Registry users and funders must be at least 18 and U.S. residents.
The Dodge Dart Registry is managed by RocketHub, “a crowd-funding platform that has helped thousands of artists, scientists, entrepreneurs and social leaders raise millions of dollars from around the world,” Chrysler said in a press release. RocketHub handles the funding process, and money raised on the registry can be used to purchase a new Dodge Dart, minus the processing fees.
The registry launched Jan. 20 with a 30-second commercial titled, "How to Change Buying Cars Forever" that aired during the NFC playoffs broadcast, riffing off of the 90-second "How to Change Cars Forever" Dart commercial released last summer.
We have to ask: Would you actually buy someone the equivalent of a car hood or set of rims? Or would you get them a set of bedsheets and call it a day?
GIFT registry! DAMN! Why hasn't anyone thought of this before? I wish I had enough family and knew enough stooges to give me a monthly payment or two. All you need is 36 people to pony up $400 (or $500 if you wanted a REAL pony car. Ah, the ingenuity of Madison Avenue.
And if you wanted to cross a Falcon with a Dart, you'd have a Fart, while a cross between a Valiant and a Comet would be a Vomit. (Well, they were yuk yuks when I was in high school).
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