AUBURN HILLS, MI – Stellantis’ Ram brand is launching a new advertising campaign, “Never Stop Being American,” as it looks to continue what CEO Tim Kuniskis says is strong momentum in the U.S. retail market.
The new marketing effort comes on the heels of the creation of a new tagline for the brand – “Nothing Stops Ram” – and follows by less than a week an announcement that Ram is reentering NASCAR racing.
Earlier this month, Ram also revealed it was bringing the Hemi V-8 engine back to its light-duty pickup lineup, part of what the Ram CEO says will be more than 25 new product announcements or model releases between now and the end of 2026.
The efforts are meant to build on momentum Kuniskis says he has generated in the U.S. retail market since rejoining Stellantis in December after a brief retirement. While overall sales have been flat, a focus on the consumer side of the business has U.S. retail sales (not counting fleets) pacing toward what he says will be a 25% gain year-over-year by the end of 2025.
“Our go-to-market strategy has been a little tighter,” Kuniskis says in assigning some of the credit for the reported jump in retail demand. “And in the second half (of the year) it’s going to be even more focused on that.”
That’s where the new ad campaign and emphasis on NASCAR come in.
The advertising campaign centers around the traditions, pastimes and people of America, says Ram. A 60-second commercial debuting on June 14, Flag Day in the U.S., features narration by Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) CEO Dana White and a version of the “Star-Spangled Banner” performed by guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd. NASCAR, as well as other elements of American life, including fireworks, tattooed grandmas, rodeos, burnouts, fighter jets, mullets and Hemi V-8s, are featured in the spot.
As for Ram’s return-to-racing strategy and aggressive effort to keep the brand top of mind with NASCAR fans, Kuniskis notes the series' robust fan base.
Speaking at a backgrounder here on Ram’s recent product initiatives, he says there are 20 million NASCAR followers, with half of those pickup owners. Some 20% of those pickup owners are Ram customers, making the racing circuit a critical mining ground for the brand. He’d like to help quadruple that audience to 80 million people, he says, but doesn’t reveal any strategies to do so.
“We’ve got a whole bunch of stuff that’s exciting,” Kuniskis says in terms of proposals expected to be put in front of NASCAR officials.
He himself appears in another new series of Ram commercials focused on NASCAR and the Hemi, dubbed “Ram-Demption.”
Part of a plan to drum up enthusiasm for Ram at NASCAR tracks is a specially built “donut trailer” that will be towed down the straightaway ahead of the start of the race. The enclosed trailer’s sides will open up to reveal a high-powered Ram pickup spinning in circles as the driver guns the engine. Ram also plans to run advertising on broadcasts and at tracks just ahead of the start of each race, further pushing its brand.
Once Ram establishes itself with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Stellantis will pursue a car entry in the NASCAR Cup Series, as well, he says. However, the racing plans are less than fully formed, the executive admits, saying he’s not actually “thought this through all the way to the end.”
Although Ram has a truck ready to go, it still needs a race team, Kuniskis says, promising more details to come later in the year. “We’re looking for a date to the prom right now.”
