Marvel Comics to Woo Jeep Buyers

Chrysler called on Marvel Comics to let Jeep enthusiasts and potential customers experience awesome adventures through creative thinking of the masses. The web-based marketing campaign is resorted to by the automaker to promote the 2007 Jeep Patriot - a compact sport utility vehicle.

In the said campaign, customers can submit dialogues and plots suggesting how the four young protagonists should handle villains. Customers can also solve a mystery in "The Patriot Factor, " an online comic. The Chrysler Group, composed of the Dodge, Jeep and Chrysler brands, together with Marvel Comics, endeavor to create the comic to be viewed at www.patriotadventure.com.

Jeep Patriot and Marvel set out the adventure to create a new online comic book. The online book is designed to transform sketch to ink and finally to color. The evolution could be created cell by cell or page by page.

Marvel Comics is known for its famous stories linked to super powers. Spiderman and X-Men are just few of its popular masterpieces. The joint venture is aimed at attracting the young car purchasers since they are hard to reach with the conventional types of advertising.

The comic story happens in an unnamed metropolis. It started when Ryan Singer, an acclaimed electronic musician and producer, composes a song based on a series of numbers he overheard two strangers whispering. Eventually, the strangers show up at Singer's loft with the intent to create mayhem.

Singer's wife, Natalie, and best friend, Joe Starks, are introduced. Mason Black, the fourth character and a mentor of sorts, guides the trio driving a Jeep Patriot through their adventures. Black also provides them with gear. What will happen next is up to consumers to supply. Customers have to register online to help build gangs adventures and fate.

The online marketing strategy is an attempt of the automaker to get its new Patriot noticed by making customers actively and creatively involved. "It's driven by a need for advertisers to connect more deeply with their potential customers, " said Stephen Lovett, director of client development at consulting firm Harris Interactive in Ann Arbor. "More companies are test-driving co-called consumer-driven marketing to engage potential buyers. There is a trend for far more involvement."

The Jeep Patriot, officially introduced at the New York Auto Show, is one of Jeep's first crossover SUVs. It is placed between the Liberty and Compass models. So far, it is the most affordable sport utility vehicle in North America. The Jeep Patriot, based on DaimlerChrysler/Mitsubishi GS platform, uses a four-cylinder 2.4 L GEMA gasoline engine and EBC Active Brakes Direct. It will also get a 2.0 L Volkswagen-designed diesel engine for the European and Australian markets. The Jeep Patriot, priced at $14, 985, efficiently combines on-road and off-road capabilities. Its target customer is young and upwardly mobile.

The first five pages of the comic adventure will immediately be displayed online. The upcoming 15 pages will be displayed as scheduled by the judges. "It's all about connecting people to the brand and involving them to the Jeep experience, " said James Kenyon, Chrysler spokesman.

"If I'm watching a TV spot that was developed by a customer, that person who developed it was extremely involved and probably came closer to the brand as part of spending their time researching, " Lovett added. "You definitely impact the people who do get involved and raise their hands and connect. But how many others can you also get to feel some of that?"

A team from Jeep and Marvel Comics will pick the most interesting story ideas. Those participants will be given the original illustrated panel created by Bing Cansino, Marvel artist. They will also be credited as authors in the printed book.