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Jeep?s mobile ads provide context for controversial Super Bowl commercial

American automaker Jeep is aiming to clarify its reasoning behind its newest TV commercial that premiered during the Super Bowl with mobile ads on publisher apps, such as USA Today, that click through to its Web site and explain further.

The commercial featured the song ?This Land is Your Land? but showed clips of foreign countries, which angered some viewers. To reverse the momentum, Jeep is enticing viewers to ?watch the commercial everyone is talking about,? seeking more views and brand awareness while explaining why the commercial provoked a response.

?We have seen in recent years brands try to get more life out of their Super Bowl plans by either teasing clips or the entire TV spot early, sometimes a full week before the game,? said Alexis Berger, vice president of Midwest & West sales at Kargo, Chicago. ?Social media has provided a great platform for helping to build pre-game buzz. 

?It only makes sense that marketers look to extend that reach into the halo that occurs in the days following the game, too,? she said.

Continuing conversation
When Jeep?s new commercial appeared during the Super Bowl on Feb. 1, some viewers were disappointed. The commercial features the song ?This Land is My Land,? which is about America. The commercial initially shows images and video clips of the U.S. but then moves abroad and shows images of other countries. 

Jeep likely took this approach to show that its brand is worldwide even though it is an American brand. Jeep is also likely trying to appeal to a broader market that extends past the U.S. 


Some viewers responded negatively to the ads, making the point that the song does not reflect the entire world.

However, some believe that bad press is good press, and Jeep is jumping at the opportunity to keep people talking about the ad. Therefore, its mobile ads on the USA Today app read, ?Watch the commercial everyone is talking about.?

When users click on the ad, they are taken to Jeep.com, where they can watch the embedded YouTube video and learn more about the new 2015 Jeep Renegade.

On the site, Jeep also promotes its efforts of supporting Water.org, an international nonprofit organization that provides access to clean water. Furthermore, Jeep introduces the singer of the song from the commercial.


Jeep claims that the singer?s voice was the perfect one to tell the brand?s story. The automaker also claims that the Renegade model promotes adventure and aims to educate viewers on why Jeep chose to execute its commercial ad the way it did.

Users can click through to learn more about the automaker?s support of Water.org, the musician from the commercial Marc Scibilia and icons that Jeep has chosen that represent its definition of Renegades. 


Jeep.com

Driving with mobile
The automaker has been using mobile for the last few years to further its marketing reach.

Jeep wrapped up a mobile, tablet and desktop campaign in 2013 that resulted in more than 50 percent of impressions reaching the same consumer across multiple devices.

The car brand worked with Universal McCann and Millennial Media on the campaign that ran during the third and fourth quarters of 2013. Jeep?s campaign pushed the 2014 Patriot and Compass vehicles with messaging tailored to each platform (see story).

Earlier in 2013, Jeep promoted its 2014 My Cherokee with a mobile ad that engaged consumers by asking them to pull down the ad to expand.

Jeep partnered with Universal McCann, Celtra and Kargo to launch the IAB Rising Star Pull Down unit. The ad ran until Dec. 31 across publishers such as Bauer, Harris, CBSi and AMI (see story).

?Mobile is the place to be, so it makes sense to shift efforts for these campaigns to phone and tablet screens,? Ms. Berger said. ?It's where more and more people are ingesting and sharing content - editorial and paid. 

?We're also starting to come into the age where mobile is providing brands a true storytelling canvas,? she said. ?Brands like Jeep, who are trying to tell more emotional narratives through their ad creative, will likely be doing so more in mobile starting this year.?

?It will be interesting to see next January how mobile plays a role in Super Bowl advertisers' plans, as its historically a TV-dominated event.?

Final Take
Caitlyn Bohannon is an editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York