In a first-of-its-kind cultural moment where fulfillment of car purchases was challenged by product and parts shortages, as well as category-wide supply chain issues, Dodge was looking for a way to keep the brand top of mind and drive traffic to Dodge.com in order to:

1. Capture user data for future marketing engagement

2. Generate UGC that could be leveraged across media channel

COVID and the great resignation changed the job market, allowing Americans to express lack of fulfillment in their current work, and find opportunities to align their careers with their passions. Whether it was a new work/life balance or resolve to just not ‘take it anymore,’ the American worker was newly empowered to rethink the role that their work should have in their lives. Our idea tapped the two things that were not in short supply: Brand passion and a voracious appetite to feel fulfillment at work. We created the ultimate side hustle – a job as Chief Donut Maker for one of the world’s most iconic performance car brands. The role comes with a $150k paycheck, Dodge-branded wardrobe, and the use of a Dodge SRT Hellcat. Passion, performance and a paycheck, without even having to quit their day job.

Dodge fans are disproportionately passionate about the brand. This audience truth was at the core of our strategy to celebrate their devotion, reward their appetite to be a part of something they love so much, and invite their passion to drive engagement numbers to new levels. We shaped the ultimate superfan opportunity with the Chief Donut Maker job and put it out to brand fans, not only through the places and people they follow, but strategically in job posting sites which were experiencing booming traffic from the swell of discontented workers.

Through owned and paid media including job listing sites, we announced the role, driving fans to Dodgegarage.com where they could apply. We leveraged Dodge-a-lebrity Bill Goldberg to explain the application steps which included submitting a short video pitching themselves for the job. After viewing the inundation of submissions, we picked the top 10 candidates and announced them on Dodgegarage.com. A diverse mix of top 10 superfans would then be put to the test in the final ultimate Chief Donut Maker showdown. We partnered with MotorTrend to produce a reality TV style elimination series where the top 10 were put through a series of challenges, and judged by known auto celebrities including 3x NHRA Champion Matt Hagan and WWE Hall of Famer Bill Goldberg.

$12,784,615 EMV (earned media value)

298 News Articles

4,746,666,731 site visits (+4% WoW)

173,529 Initial applications (+8% Wow)

576,820 Engagements (+10% Wow)

Our video submissions were 128% higher than the contest administrator’s best performing video submission contest in 2021.