• by Karl Greenberg , March 14, 2007

Jeep is launching an integrated ad campaign for its newest compact SUV, Patriot, aiming to lure younger consumers with an interactive video series, "Choose Your Adventure."

The campaign, using the same characters in traditional ads as it does in the online videos, lets consumers create and participate in the Web video adventure story about a treasure hunt and learn about Patriot in the process.

Spend wasn't divulged, but Jay Kuhnie, director of Jeep communications, says the campaign reflects an increase in Internet spend. "The media split right now is about 55% in TV, which is down significantly from where we have been," he says. "It's 22 to 25% on Internet, which is 10% higher than what would be normal if you averaged all Jeep spending on the Web."

The Patriot is now the seventh vehicle in Jeep's lineup, and the fourth new vehicle for the Chrysler Group division in the last eight months. "It rounds out our family," says Kuhnie, who adds that Patriot, priced at $14,500, will address the low end of the marketplace.

He says the target audience is male, 22-30, with single income between $25,000 and $45,000. "Because they are young people now entering a new life stage, we think Patriot will attract both a male and also a female audience--individual young people who have just gotten out of school, maybe in their first job--who are very social, active and do things outdoors."

The campaign--via BBDO of Troy, Mich., and Chrysler's interactive agency, Organic, New York, as well as GlobalHue, Southfield, Mich., handling the Hispanic campaign--includes TV, print and Internet and outdoor. All elements drive traffic to the Web campaign at www.patriotadventure.com, launching this week.

The site hosts a series of interactive videos called "The Way-Beyond Trail," which lets consumers participate in an adventure by building a narrative from among 44 scenes. The story begins with three friends Gary, Srini and Jodi--also on the TV spots for the effort--sitting around a campfire. One reveals an old leather binder, a diary written by his great-great uncle, Harold. The diary tells of a buried treasure, and the trio asks viewers whether they want to go along on the adventure to find the treasure, with an affirmative requiring an opt-in response.

Along the course of the adventure--which introduces various characters like a gypsy lady, a park ranger, a sheep herder, a tow truck driver and a bartender--the consumer learns about the vehicle through the trio's use of it to find the treasure.

"It allows us to say an awful lot about the Patriot," says Kuhnie, "because it gets put through its capabilities, allowing us to educate consumers in a fun and engaging way."

Two 30-second spots and three 15-second spots as well as print inserts support. The inserts are also interactive, with one showing a beach scene and providing removable stickers for readers to create their own beach scenes. Another one features connect-the-dot games. Ad rotation will exploit Chrysler's involvement with March Madness: TV ads will run on CBS Sports, College Sports TV, Fox Sports, and others. Sports-themed banners about Patriot will run on sports Web sites, AOL and Yahoo home pages.

Kuhnie says Jeep has garnered 15,000 to 20,000 hand-raisers for the vehicle from grassroots events around winter sports.

He also confirmed that Chrysler is mulling bringing in other agencies to handle the Jeep brand assignment. "We are expanding beyond [agency of record] BBDO, and will have a decision beyond this month," he says.