• by Gavin O'Malley  @mp_gavin, February 9, 2007

Working with Marvel Comics, Jeep is asking comic buffs to go online and help construct the plot of a story spotlighting its Patriot compact SUV.

Marvel artist Bing Cansino has laid the story's foundation with five pages, which people can now find on Jeep's microsite, PatriotAdventure.com. To complete the 28-page comic, Cansino will draw from ideas submitted by fans who are being encouraged to weave the car's features into the story line.

The project, which reflects a popular trend in consumer-assisted ads, is the forerunner to a multi-channel national ad blitz for the Patriot, which is slated to break next month. Omnicom Group's Organic developed the microsite with the help of sister agency BBDO, which will handle broadcast and print initiatives come March.

"This is just a pre-launch campaign to garner initial interest," said Organic's Adam Wilson, creative director on the Jeep account. Since the rise of YouTube and the blogosphere, consumer-created ads have become quite trendy on Madison Avenue. During this year's Super Bowl, General Motors' Chevrolet and PepsiCo's Doritos brand, among others, ran spots that were either created by or inspired by consumers.

Analysts seem generally encouraging about this new trend in consumer-made ads, although they say it's not for every brand.

"It not only saves money on production, but giving consumers creative control can effectively close the gap between what companies think their brand stands for and how consumers perceive the brand," explained Forrester Research analyst Josh Bernoff. "Cars and young people are an obvious fit, but I don't know if a soap brand could get away with it."

Asked whether Jeep might be going after too niche an audience with comic books, Bernoff expressed confidence in the strategy. "It's something that every kid has experience with at some point, and comics lend themselves to creativity in general. I think it's a terrific idea."

And other automakers seem to be in agreement with Bernoff. Marvel is currently partnering with Mazda on various out-of-home initiatives. And another Chrysler brand, Dodge, recently teamed up with Marvel for a large ad buy, which included product placement in Marvel comic story lines.

According to Jay Kuhnie, Jeep's communications director, collaborative comics are a perfect fit with the Patriot brand. "At a base price of $14,985, the 2007 Jeep Patriot is designed to attract a younger customer who has always wanted a Jeep but couldn't afford one," Kuhnie said in a statement. "With the explosion of online communities, the expansion of the comic book genre into film and video games, and the continued popularity of comic books, 'The Patriot Factor' is an excellent way to introduce the Jeep Patriot to and engage our target audience with the product and the Jeep brand."

Comic book buffs are in fact ahead of the curve when it comes to company/consumer interaction, according to Robert Sabouni, vice president of business development for Marvel Entertainment. "Our readers are always getting in touch with us and providing comments on fan sites about our various comic book series," he said.