The World Series may be between the Houston Astros and the Philadelphia Phillies this year, but Jeep is betting the Grand Wagoneer and Derek Jeter will be the stars of the annual event.
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Derek Jeter and his wife, Hannah, have signed a multi-year deal to promote the 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer. The largest and most expensive Jeep ever built is scoring big sales for Jeep dealers. The campaign is called “Eyes Wide Open”. The three-row luxury Grand Wagoneer is helping grow the Jeep brand and drawing sales away from other luxury SUVs.
In a video conference discussing the new campaign, Olivier Francois, Chief Global Marketing Officer, Stellantis, said that both Derek and Hannah are the perfect metaphor for the American dream. Jeter grew up in Kalamazoo, MI. His parents met while both were serving in the military. Both Derek and Hannah are extremely determined. Hannah is a former tennis champion and currently is a fashion model and actress.
Embodiment of the American Dream
“Derek is more than an American sports legend whose grit, talent and determination propelled him to achieve the highest heights of professional success, he is also a businessman, family man, and a force in popular culture,” said Olivier Francois, Chief Global Marketing Officer, Stellantis. “Together with Hannah, a former tennis athlete who is a successful fashion model and television host in her own right, they have three young children, and embody the American Dream. As the Jeter family builds the next chapter of their legacy, the Grand Wagoneer will help take them there as part of our long-term relationship.”
“Family means everything to both Hannah and me,” said Derek Jeter. “Valuing the time we spend together and working to achieve the goals we set together are critically important, and those are priorities that have been imprinted on me from the example my parents set. I was raised in a city not far from where the Grand Wagoneer is built in Michigan, and this partnership means a lot to me to tap into that rich history and share it with our children.”
“Between school drop-offs and daily life, we spend a lot of time together as a family on the road,” said Hannah Jeter. “We wanted a vehicle that was authentic to our needs. The Grand Wagoneer will give us all of that, and so much more.”
“Wagoneer is steeped in American history, technology, and sophistication, that supports our customers active lifestyle” said Jim Morrison, senior vice president and head of Jeep brand North America. “The Grand Wagoneer Obsidian driven by Derek and Hannah Jeter, embodies American authenticity with and interior that has artisan levels of craftsmanship. And with the all-new Hurricane Twin Turbo 510 engine, delivering 510 horsepower and 500 lb.-ft. of torque, the Grand Wagoneer offers the power, range and dynamics that everyone, including one of America's most celebrated ballplayers, can truly appreciate.”
The ad references Jeep’s Detroit roots and Jeter’s success with the New York Yankees.
“Ever wonder why they call it the American Dream…And not the American goal?
Or the American plan?
Maybe it’s because in dreams, you can do anything.
You can be reborn in the motor city…
And rise up in the city that never sleeps.
You can turn time inside out, again and again.
In dreams, you can hold your entire world in the palm of your hand.
And you can do it all with your eyes wide open.”
The Jeters have signed a long-term deal with Jeep and agreed to post about the Grand Wagoneer on their popular social channels. It is fairly unusual to start a major advertising campaign during the World Series. Typically, auto companies spotlight new vehicles during the Super Bowl. Francois said that the company has better availability of the Grand Wagoneer now, after dealing with chip shortages. “Now is the time to accelerate, put the pedal to the metal and push,” said Francois. Ironically, the New York Yankees are not in the World Series this year. The Houston Astros are back in the series after winning it all in 2017. Texas is a huge market for Jeep and apparently the company’s number one Texas dealer is in Houston.
Francois also did not rule out advertising in the Super Bowl. He said they are currently exploring it and he is tempted. The company has had tremendous success with Super Bowl ads in the past, using rapper Eminem for Chrysler and actor Bill Murray in an ad campaign for Jeep.
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Mary Conway is a professional automotive journalist and has decades of experience specializing in automotive news analysis. She covered the Detroit Three for more than twenty years for the ABC affiliate, in Detroit. Her affection for the Motor City comes naturally. Her father ran a gas station while Mary was growing up, in Wisconsin.
Follow Mary Conway at @maryconwaymedia and send her car news tips for future stories.
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