The Dodge brand and Paramount Pictures have teamed up in a groundbreaking co-branded marketing collaboration that casts legendary news anchor “Ron Burgundy” as the new face of the new 2014 Dodge Durango as the automotive brand launches a multifaceted advertising and marketing campaign in advance of the holiday release of the upcoming film “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.”

Will Ferrell reprises his comedic role as Ron Burgundy, the boastful news anchorman, in a robust campaign which debuted from Dodge on Saturday, October 5. The integrated cross-promotion marketing campaign marks the first time a movie studio and brand tie-in has utilized starring talent, in character, to create original long and short form content. The co-branded promotional advertising campaign will span television, print, digital and social media. It debuted across television and online on Saturday, October 5.  The new 2014 Dodge Durango arrives in dealerships in North America this month. “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues” releases nationally in theaters December 20, 2013.

“The Dodge brand’s irreverent tone and attitude make Ron Burgundy the perfect pitchman for the new 2014 Dodge Durango,” said Olivier Francois, Chief Marketing Officer of Chrysler Group LLC. “By joining forces with Paramount Pictures, ‘Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues’ and Will Ferrell, we’re able to show the new 2014 Dodge Durango and its cutting edge technology in a completely unexpected approach that is fresh, funny and culturally provocative to our audiences.”

The campaign brings together the might of the Detroit automaker, the Hollywood studio and the actor/comedian in a unique collective experience that promises to engage consumers through specifically created content across multiple platforms.

“Ron Burgundy as the new Dodge Durango spokesperson brings together two iconic American legends,” said Josh Greenstein, CMO of Paramount Pictures. “This campaign was an unprecedented opportunity to collaborate with our filmmakers to create new original content and distribute it worldwide in advance of the long awaited ‘Anchorman’ sequel release this December. With the personal involvement of Will Ferrell, our writer / director Adam McKay, the comedy team at Funny or Die, and the Dodge creative team at Wieden+Kennedy, we were able to create a truly epic partnership.”

The campaign’s co-branded television commercials and online content, directed by Jake Szymanski, are set in a colorful auto showroom where Ron Burgundy hilariously brings to life what makes Dodge such an entertaining, spirited brand and the Durango a superior SUV. As a leading news anchor and celebrity, pitching for Dodge—or anything else for that matter—is a cinch. He doesn’t need scripts or to study up on auto features. And because he’s Ron Burgundy, interpreting the modern Dodge Durango through his 1970s brain, he’s got a decidedly different take on the cross-over sport utility vehicle.

Debut television spots and web video include:
“Horsepower”: Ron Burgundy chastises a horse on the showroom floor regarding Dodge Durango’s 360 horsepower telling viewers, “On my right is the new Dodge Durango with up to 360 horsepower. On my left is one horse (points to horse). With one horse power.That makes you feel pretty dumb, doesn’t it?”

“Glove Compartment”: Ron deflects speaking to Dodge Durango’s available Hemi V8 engine and instead compliments the luxuriousness/spaciousness of its “beautiful injection-molded thermoplastic olefin” glove box, letting viewers in on the fact that “it comfortably fits two turkey sandwiches or 70 packs of gum!”

“Ride”: Ron stumbles over his script noting the Dodge Durango’s m.p.g fuel performance. Given Ron’s propensity to read everything as written, he can’t figure out what m.p.g is, trying several times to get it right. “emm..pah..gahs? What? mup-ah-gahs? Imp-a-gahs? I’m saying it right…but it just doesn’t sound familiar.”

“Ballroom Dancers”: This two-part spot (a .60-second and .30-second spot) will debut on “Dancing with the Stars” on Monday, October 7. In the .60-second spot, Ron walks alongside the vehicle with ballroom music playing in background, noting its “power, precision, elegance, grace in form, truth in function” when a couple dancing glides upon the scene. Ron loses his temper and chases them off, yelling, “Hey, get out of here you dumb dancers! I told them 100 times they can’t dance in here.” He apologizes, asks them to come back, then proceeds to go after them a second time. In the 30-second spot, the couple sneaks onto the quiet floor presuming it’s safe to once again begin to dance. Ron suddenly leaps out from the back seat of the Dodge Durango, in full pursuit of them.

Additional spots will roll out in the coming weeks, all of which can be viewed on the uniquely-branded BurgundyDodge.com page, as well as Ferrell and McKay’s comedy website FunnyorDie.com. Television spots will air across broadcast and cable including ESPN, Comedy Central, E! Entertainment Television, FX, Esquire Network, MLB Network, MTV, NBA, NBC Sports, Spike, TBS, TNT, Travel Channel, Discovery Channel, USA Network, Animal Planet, Adult Swim, Food Network, Nick at Nite, Science Channel, Big Ten Network and AMC, among others.