“A rallying cry for Dodge customers—street smart people with active life-styles who are not afraid to express themselves by driving break-the-mold cars and trucks.” That’s Jim Schroer, executive vp, Global Sales & Marketing, DaimlerChrysler, who is talking about a tagline that will be part of the ads the company will be rolling, ads that are described by Schroer as “bold and uncompromising, a little edgy, and occasionally confrontational, but always fun.” (Sounds like he’s describing GloNo.)

Ready for the tagline? Have you steeled yourself for the banality that you know is forthcoming?

Here goes:

“Grab life by the horns.”

To which I can only proclaim with the highest level of underwhelmed faux enthusiasm:

“Isn’t that what active, street smart, expressive people who drive Dodge products are all about?” (Exit, disgusted.)

Of course, as this is a music, not marketing, site (although my whole schtick nowadays seems to be that popular music is marketing and marketing is popular music, and that’s all you need to know), I must provide the hook to grab onto, which is, as attentive readers know, Aerosmith.

If you’ve ever watched TV, you’ve seen actor Edward Herrmann either doing national Dodge ads, or playing Rory’s grandfather on “The Gilmore Girls.” Poor Edward and his “Dodge Different” spots are being punked by Steven Tyler and the boys of Aerosmith. Presumably, the “The Gilmore Girls” grandpa gig continues, but carbon dating of Tyler may put him in the running for guest appearances as the paternal pater familias.

Anyway, Schroer says, “Aerosmith will play a large role in conveying the edginess of the Dodge brand. This great brand, this great band and this great tag line will work together to yield powerful opportunities and benefits for Dodge vehicles.” [Check this out: dodgeaerosmith.com – ed.]

While all of that bombast resembles a great pile of shit, I wonder: Does anyone really care about yielding “powerful opportunities and benefits” for cars and trucks?

Just play on.