Chrysler?s Jeep is putting consumers in the driver?s seat with a new mobile advertising campaign that highlights the Grand Cherokee?s spacious interior.

The car brand?s mobile ads promote the 2014 Grand Cherokee and aim to drive foot traffic to dealerships. The Jeep ads are running within the CBS News iPad application.

?Mobile creative ad units embedded in mobile Web properties are a good investment for Jeep,? said Gary Schwartz, author of ?The Impulse Economy? and ?Fast Shopper, Slow Store.?

?The impulse nature of mobile makes for good click-through and path-to-purchase results,? he said. ?Mobile auto ad click-through jumps significantly with familiar car brands, but 65 percent of consumers are still undecided.
 
?Studies show that mobile Web sites such as Auto Trader and Cars.com are ideal hubs for this ad spend. Local for auto purchases is also key to drive contextual conversion.?

Mr. Schwartz is not affiliated with Jeep. He commented based on his expertise on the subject.

Jeep did not respond to press inquiries.

Mobile test drive
The tablet banner ads feature animation and encourage consumers to learn more about the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee by clicking on the ad.

When clicked on, the banner ad expands to show the interior of the car.

Copy on the ad promotes a 360-degree tour of the vehicle.

In the tour, certain parts of the car?s interior include a small button that users can click on to learn about that particular feature.

For example, when users click on the Jeep?s leather seat, a small blurb explains how the seats are trimmed with Natura Plus leather and are also heated.

As users swipe around, they are taken in a full circle within the interior of the car.

Although the iPad presents a big opportunity for marketers, few have developed campaigns that take advantage of the device?s bigger screen size.

In this case, Jeep?s ad would still be effective on a smartphone, but the campaign has a greater impact on the iPad because it makes consumers feel as if they are in the driver?s seat.

Driving to dealerships
The other feature of the ad is a button that directs users to the 2014 Grand Cherokee page of Jeep?s Web site.

Via the site, consumers can search new inventory, find a dealer and sign up for mail and email updates.

There is also an option that lets consumers build and price a car or compare Jeep models.

This is not the first time that Jeep has tapped in-app advertising for its Cherokee line.

In 2010, the company sponsored JiWire?s Wi-Fi Finder app, which lets consumers find local hotspots through a directory of 315,000 locations (see story).

Jeep also rolled out a branded app in 2010 that helps car enthusiasts create and share a trip with friends and family (see story).

?Tablets are ideal for couch pre-shopping but in-auto-lot impulse search discovery on the smartphone is an essential part of this path-to-purchase,? Mr. Schwartz said.
 
?A healthy brand spend for an automobile brand needs to include Jeep?s targeted creative ad units, but also needs to include targeted search and the ability for CRM opt-in to allow for loyalist reengagement,? he said.

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is associate reporter on Mobile Marketer, New York