Coca Cola Friendship Machine - 2 for 1

Love the idea behind this Coca-Cola marketing. Check it out at YouTube. The Coca Cola Friendship machine case helped Ogilvy Argentina win Argentina Direct Agency of the Year for 2011. The idea: What if you can climb up a huge Coke machine and get 2 coke bottles for the price of one?

Boy Scout earns Eagle Rank and Hornaday Conservation Award

I'm awful proud of my son Samuel for recently earning his Eagle Scout award as well as the Hornaday Conservation award and badge. Sam was highlighted in the Clarkston News and Oxford Leader for his accomplishments. Over 250 man hours were invested by Sam and his volunteers to help rid the Shiawassee Basin Preserve of over 200 invasive Autumn Olive bushes. Many thanks to the Davisburg Rotary, Rotary sponsor Collin Walls, and Troop 192 Scoutmaster Gary Maley for all their efforts in getting Sam through this ambitious Eagle Scout Service Project.

Kudos to Phil Custodio for the nice article:September 14, 2011 - Boy Scout Sam Ekstrom took on an invasive species for his Eagle Project, removing more than 200 Autumn Olive bushes from Shiawassee Nature Preserve.

"I like the outdoors – I hate seeing wild life areas taken over by invasive species," said Ekstrom, 16, scout with Davisburg Troop 192. "It looks good – they haven't grown back."

It will take an ongoing effort to keep out the plant, which was imported to the United States from Asia in the 1800s and grows up to 40 feet high and 50 feet wide.
Collin Walls, Springfield Township supervisor and Davisburg Rotarian, suggested the project. Completed last June, the project took a lot of organizing and coordination of scouts, adults volunteers, and business donations, he said.
"It took my communications skills to a whole new level, talking to youths and adults too," Ekstrom said.

They made their own herbicide applicators out of PVC pipe, and spent two days tagging then removing the plants.
Sam Ekstrom, who lives in Springfield Township with his parents Lee and Heather Ekstrom, also received the Hornaday Conservation Award for distinguished service in natural resource conservation.
"We're proud of him," Heather said. "His dad is an Eagle – that helped motivate him. Boy Scouts are truly fabulous. They give him a lot of skills he'll be able to use his whole life."

Sam plans to stay in scouting, working for his Eagle Palm award.
His 10 years in scouting include serving as instructor, senior patrol leader, patrol leader, chaplain aide, troop guide, den chief for Pack 133 of Andersonville Elementary School, flag coordinator, and summer camp counselor at Camp Tapico in Kalkaska.
He also earned the Baden Powell Award, the first for Troop 192, for exhibiting the highest ideals of Scouting during Summer Camp. He earned 33 Merit Badges and the WEBELOS Arrow of Light.

Jeep Wrangler Call of Duty: MW3 Edition Word Search

Can you find the twenty plus Call of Duty achievements references in my Wrangler Call of Duty: MW3 Edition copy on jeep.com? Hint - check out my last post. Here's a word search to help you find key words associated with this special edition model. Not for the faint of heart - there are 111 words and acronyms (including the achievements copy) in this wicked word search.

ABS, ACE, A CLOSER ANALYSIS, ANY WORLD, AUTHENTIC, AXLES, BACK IN THE SADDLE, BADGE, BLACK, BODY ARMOR, CALL OF DUTY, CAPABILITY, CLAN, CODE, CRAWLER, CRAWL RATIO, CUSTOM INTERIOR, ELEVATE YOUR SENSES, ELITE LOGO, ENDS JUSTIFY THE MEANS, EPIC, ERM, ESC, ESC OFF, FANS, FIRST TERMER, FOG LAMPS, FOR THE RECORD, FREEDOM, FUN, GAME, GENUINE, GRIZZLED VETERAN, GROUND CONTROL, HEAVY DUTY AXLES, HERO, HOOD, HORSEPOWER, IN A JAM, IRON FIST, ITS ALL ABOUT PRESTIGE, JEEP, JEEP BRAND, JEEP WAVE, LEVEL, LIGHTFOOT, LIVE, LOCKERS, METALLIC, MOD, MOPAR, MUD TERRAIN TIRES, NEW PENTASTAR ENGINE, OFF ROAD, ORIGINAL, OWN, POWER DOME HOOD, PREVENT COLLATERAL DAMAGE, PROFESSIONAL, PURPLE HEART, RAINING PAIN, READY FOR DEPLOYMENT, REAR BUMPER, REMOVABLE DOORS, ROAD TO VICTORY, ROCK RAILS, ROCK TRAC, ROUND HEADLAMPS, RUBICON, SEARCH, SEMI GLOSS BLACK WHEELS, SEVEN SLOT GRILLE, SHOCKS, SILVER, SKIP PLATES, SLUSH MATS, SNOW, SOFT TOP, STYLE, SUN, SWAY BAR DISCONNECT, SPECIAL ELITE LOGO, SPECIAL OPS, SQUAD, STEALTH, SUNRIDER SOFT TOP, SURVIVOR, SUSPENSION, SYMBOL, TEAM, TERRAIN, TIRES, TIRE COVER (2x), THE DRAGON WITHIN, THE SETTING OF THE SUN, TORQUE, TOUGH, TOWING, TRACTION, TRAIL RATED, TROPHY, TRUE, TRU LOK ELECTRONIC LOCKERS, UNLIMITED, UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL, VETERAN, WAVE, WINCH READY, WRANGLER, WRANGLER RUBICON

Jeep Wrangler Call of Duty: MW3 Edition

Recently wrote copy for the new 2012 Jeep Wrangler Call of Duty: MW3 Edition on jeep.com (note: "toughest vehicle in the world" headline was supplied). Keeping with the Call of Duty game-theme, I incorporated over 20 achievement/trophy phrases into the headlines and body copy. This helped raise key word and search awareness as well as give an authentic tone to this hard-core special edition Wrangler.

Jeep Brand History iPad App

The Jeep brand just launched a new free iPad app on iTunes. This app was an extension of the Jeep Touch Screen Display that our SapientNitro team put together to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the Jeep brand.

I had to shorten some of the copy to fit, but it's almost the same copy throughout. Great execution with nice touches by Art Director Extraordinaire, David Fasullo.

The app lets consumers explore photos and copy of
Jeep vehicles from the past seven decades, including the Willys MB - the original 4x4 freedom machine.

You can download the app at the iTunes store. If you like what you see, give a good rating and leave a nice comment at the iTunes store.

Jeep Wrangler Renegade Concept

Jeep Wrangler Renegade Concept, a photo by lee.ekstrom on Flickr.

This sketch is more of a "what could be" than a concept vehicle. The Renegade debuted at the 2011 Easter Jeep Week in Moab, Utah.

The Renegade features foglamps, fancy wheels, wicked black and red interior, chrome fuel filler cap and obligatory Renegade hood decal. I like the hood power bulge and bull bar as well.

Nice tribute the the venerable Renegade name.

Jeep Wrangler Pork Chop

Jeep Wrangler Pork Chop, a photo by lee.ekstrom on Flickr.

LEAN AND MEAN
The Jeep Wrangler Pork Chop vehicle was introduced at the 2011 Jeep Easter Week in Moab, Utah. This sketch by Kyle Evans was used to help guide the design process. Interesting name - I like the vertical stripe - kind of reminds me of the 1971 Hurst Jeepster.

Mopar engineers cut the fat and lost nearly 850 pounds by dropping the doors, liftgate and bumpers. The Pork Chop name comes from this major trimming of JK.

The hood weighs a measly 8 pounds thanks to the carbon fiber and aluminum mashup. Who needs carpet - certainly not Pork Chop!

Interior designers gave the nod to the sporty Sparco Chrono Road bucket seats.

Off-Road Features Include:
* Custom roll cage
* Aluminum cold air intake
* Long-tube headers leading to a dual-exhaust with integrated H-pipe
* Bilstein two-inch shock setup
* TeraFlex air bumps
* 35-inch Mickey Thompson Baja Claw radials
* 17X8 E-T Vintage V wheels
* Dynatrac ProRock 44 front and rear axles with 4.88 gears
* ARB air lockers
* Aluminum differential covers

Now where's the applesauce?