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?

1942 Jeep CJ-2A Hot Wheels Art

Love this piece of art from Hot Wheels.

This Custom 1942 Jeep CJ-2A featured a roll bar, a parachute, a blown V8 engine, and rear paddle tires. According to Hot Wheels this Jeep® 4x4 "eats up the competition like a ham sandwich."

M38 Jeep Altar

The Wichita Eagle had a nice tribute to Father Emil Kapuan who served as a chaplain in the Korean War. This image is of Father Emil Kapaun as he celebrates Mass using the hood of his M38 Jeep 4x4 for an altar. Image was taken on Oct 7, 1950. According to kansas.com Kapaun was captured by Chinese troops less than a month later. He died in a prison camp May 23, 1951 at the age of 35.

Image: Col. R.A. Skeehan

Schande auf Audi

2012 Audi A6 Avant "internal communication" on YouTube?
2011 Chrysler 200 ad from Super Bowl XLV.

No subtlety here. It's a total rip off. Guess imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Same riff, same imagery, same angles. Audi says the video is not an ad? Good luck in court.

UPDATE: Audi has gracefully admitted its error and settled with Detroit rapper, Eminem over the sound-alike track used in this Audi A6 Avant video. The offending track was created from an unauthorized sample of Eminem's Oscar award winning "Lose Yourself" song used in the Chrysler 200 commercial. One of the terms of the out-of-court agreement was that Audi would support specific Detroit-area charities.

Willys Quad Capitol Steps

Willys Quad Capitol Steps, a photo by lee.ekstrom on Flickr.

Contrary to popular belief, the name “jeep” does not derive from “general purpose.” The name likely combined two elements. The first was the extraordinary “Eugene the Jeep” character from the Popeye comic strip. Able to do extraordinary things, and do anything. The second came from military slang for any unproven piece of military hardware, human or mechanical. In early 1941, Willys-Overland staged a press event in Washington D.C., having the Quad drive up the Capitol steps. Irving “Red” Hausmann, a test driver on the Willys development team had heard soldiers referring to the Quad as a “jeep.” Katherine Hillyer, a reporter from the Washington Daily News picked up Red’s usage of the term “jeep” and printed the headline “Jeep creeps up Capital steps” — forever fixing the name in public awareness.