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RE: Jeep Anti Commercial?
 

Here you go all.


Formerly the Wildlife Legislative Fund of America
801 Kingsmill Parkway, Columbus, OH 43229
Ph. 614/888-4868 * Fax 614/888-0326
Web site: www.ussportsmen.org * E-mail: >[email protected]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Doug Jeanneret (614) 888-4868 x 212
January 14, 2002 Beth Ruth (614) 888-4868 x 214


Sportsmen's Voices Heard As Jeep Pulls Anti-Hunting Ad

(Columbus) - The people at Jeep have responded to the calls of sportsmen and
stopped running an advertisement that "took a shot" at deer hunters.

Last week, the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance sent a call to action for sportsmen
across the country about a commercial being run nationally by Jeep that
glorified anti-hunters and vilified sportsmen. Sportsmen immediately took
action, flooding the company with telephone calls and faxes expressing their
displeasure with the ad.

According to a letter received today, these actions prompted the auto
manufacturer to cancel the commercial.

"We did not anticipate this story line would evoke such negative emotion
among some viewers," stated Jeff Bell, vice president of marketing
communications for DaimlerChrysler, Jeep's parent company. "Obviously we
underestimated the sensitivity of this issue. [B]ecause this is so
emotionally charged, we will no longer continue this campaign."

In the 'Deer Hunter' commercial, a man drives a Jeep through a
wooded site with two deer tied on top of the vehicle. As the Jeep drives
by, hunters are shown in the woods, in close proximity to each other and the
road, admiring the man's deer. The driver of the Jeep then drives to a
location that shows a "No Hunting" sign. The Jeep stops, the man gets out
and releases the deer that appeared to be dead. The driver tells the deer
they are safe and the deer bound away. In the background, other Jeep owners
are shown doing the same thing.

"This is concrete proof that the sportsman's voice should not be taken
lightly," said Rick Story, vice president of the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance.
"When the voices of the millions of sportsmen in this country all speak as
one, a great deal can be accomplished."

Sportsmen weren't the only ones objecting to the commercial.

Jay Menuskin, facilitator for Prebul Chrysler-Plymouth-Jeep in Chattanooga,
Tennessee felt the commercial was offensive to his clients. He called the
U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance to "apologize for the tasteless ad that did not
serve any useful purpose."

DaimlerChrysler is to be congratulated for quickly removing the ad from the
air once it began hearing from sportsmen. Although the U.S. Sportsmen's
Alliance is satisfied with DaimlerChrysler's decision, the fact that the ad
even made the airwaves is still cause for concern.

"It is unbelievable that any company competing for customers would take an
action that would alienate a huge group of them," said Story. "I would
certainly hope that DaimlerChrysler officials get a better handle on how
their campaigns will be received before they launch them across America in
the future."

The U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance protects the rights of hunters, anglers and
trappers nationally in the courts, legislatures, at the ballot, in Congress
and through public education programs. For more information about the U.S.
Sportsmen's Alliance and its work, call (614) 888-4868 or visit its web
site, www.ussportsmen.org.

RE: Jeep Anti Commercial?
 

Here's what I got from Daimler:
Thank you for your comments regarding our 30-second Jeep Grand Cherokee
television commercial. We value your opinion and appreciate your
willingness to share it with us.

As you know, outdoor activities and communing with the environment are both
basic to the DNA of the Jeep brand. That is why for many years Jeep has
sponsored and supported a wide range of outdoor events and activities.

With this in mind, we created the spot to communicate the key attributes of
Jeep - off-road capability, ruggedness, safety and security. Because of our
innate involvement with nature and outdoor activities, we felt we could use
the hunting analogy in a tongue-in-cheek way to highlight the "go anywhere,
do anything" capability of Jeep vehicles.

Unfortunately, we did not anticipate this story line would evoke such
negative emotion among some viewers. That was never intended. We apologize
if we inadvertently offended any individual or group. Obviously we
underestimated the sensitivity of this issue.

Jeep, as the embodiment of the great outdoors, does not want to damage our
relationship with any groups or individuals that love, appreciate and enjoy
outdoor activities. Nor do we want to damage our relationship with our
loyal customers or prospects who reside on either side of this issue.
Therefore, because this is so emotionally charged, we will no longer
continue this campaign.

Again, thank you for sharing your views with us. We hope this clarifies our
position.

Respectfully,

The Jeep Brand
A Division of DaimlerChrysler Corporation

Scott Brown