EA and Jeep go for a cruise

by Conrad Quilty-Harper { May 25th 2006 at 7:25PM }

EA has signed a deal with vehicle manufacturer Jeep to feature one of the most recognizable icons of the Second World War, the Willys-Overland Jeep, in their upcoming title Medal of Honor: Airborne. According to a communications director at Jeep, the deal is designed to "celebrate [the Jeep brand's] history while helping to take this medium to its next level".

We're a little confused by this deal. The way it looks to us is that either Jeep is planning to slap their logo all over the jeeps in the game (a blatant anachronism: "jeep" was just a nickname back in the war) and to lobby EA to place the term "jeep" in every other sentence of the script, or EA is taking Jeep for a ride. Surely Jeep could have just sat back and let EA do their marketing for them? It's nearly inconceivable that anyone could create a FPS World War Two game without the legendary Willys-Overland (which most people already call a Jeep). Marketing works in mysterious ways.

Tags: EA, Jeep, Medal of Honor, MedalOfHonor, Willys-Overland, World War Two, WorldWarTwo

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Sabre @ May 25th 2006 7:32PM

Yea...being able to drive "authentic" virtual Jeep in over-done genre theme in an over-used time frame will REALLY make me want to play a series that has been surpassed by others.

carl @ May 25th 2006 8:17PM

Willys-Overland was only one of four companies to produce the WWII-era "jeep." One of the other companies was ford, the other two escape me. It wasn't until after WWII when Wily's won the right to produce the jeep brand for commercial civilian production.

flyguy @ May 25th 2006 9:21PM

To #2
You said exactly what I was going to say (about different companies that had made the "jeep").

It may be another lame attempt by Jeep (or maybe this time, the entire Daimler brand) to appeal to young males.

While they wont be selling WW2-ers vehicles, they will be pushing their products and tie-in with the game on commercials, G4TV, THE GAME ITSELF, etc.

Jeep has three new vehicles coming out soon. One in particular, the Patriot, that will primarily appeal to young males. The Patriot reminds me (and others) of the old Cherrokee. The Cherrokee was replaced by the girly named and girly vehicle, the Liberty. The Liberty went on to sell very well early on, but unlike the Cherrokee, it did not appeal to young males or really the broad appeal which the "kee" did so well at.
Instead, it became a bitc...I mean "chick car". Jeep, after dissapointing Liberty sales of late, finaly decided...to keep the damn car and instead offering two cars that start "well below" the Liberty's base MSRP, including the Patriot.

The point is don't be surprised if they push a product in which have little to do with the Willys-Overland...and that no matter how "trail-rated" the Liberty is...it's still a bitch car.

-From a previous owner of two Cherrokees

(I am also aware of the new Wrangler, but they sell well regardless so there is no need to advertise it much)

cringer8 @ May 25th 2006 9:42PM

Thank you, Flyguy. I did not know about this Patriot. I, too, was enraged when the Cherokee was phased out by that "rounded" Jeep imitator. I just hope they keep the "analog" 4 wheel drive lever.

Technology isn't always a good thing.

Jonn @ May 25th 2006 11:30PM

For some reason, Gorillaz "19-2000" is playing in my head now.

dsub @ May 26th 2006 12:43AM

a.k.a. In game advertising. Jeep did the same thing with tomb raider legends, as did ducati.

A message to EA: I don't give a rats ass if my "jeep" in Medal of Honor is an "officially liscenced jeep" or not. The vehicles in COD2 looked just like a jeeps, and I didn't need the official endorsement and the Jeep logo stamped onto them to make my gaming experience any more enjoyable, or for me to recognize what they were for that matter. This is pointless. EA tries to make it sound like the game will be more realistic, when the only thing it's doing is putting cash in EA's pockets so they can take more from ours. In-game advertising and liscensing does NOTHING to improve gameplay.

JJ @ May 26th 2006 1:07AM

I dont see any difference between this and what cadillac is doing with PGR3 and thier Downloadable V series of cars.

Same thing, different types of game. Face it, we're heading to an era of ingame advertising. So its alright if they do it in racing games but not other genres?

Eric @ May 26th 2006 1:23AM

The Result of EA partnering with Jeep:(

First Mission: Destroy a battery of Nazi 88's.

Ensuing dialogue before mission start:
Captain: “Alright boys, we’ve been ordered to take out a group of 88’s that have been giving us hell for days. If we don't take them out now our offensive will fail!"

Company: “But sir, those guns are over 2 miles from here, how are we going to get there in time?"

Captain: “With this!”

He points to the sparkling magical JEEP. Everyone gazes in amazement.

[Player sees slow motion video with dramatic camera angles to really capture the greatness that is JEEP! Even a quad SLI machine’s frame rate would chug along
at this point because there can never be too much detail in rendering the JEEP.
To EA and Jeep, anything less than photorealistic perfection would be a disservice to the greatest machine ever made…the JEEP]

“This is what they call the JEEP*. It is the greatest thing to happen to the allies since those pussies the French surrendered.

*With every utterance of the word Jeep, the Heavens part, the Earth shakes, and the word Jeep is heard with a thunderous clap of a Godlike voice, echoing loudly.*

Company: “But sir, the Germans made sure to block and demolish every road leading to the 88’s. Whatever will we do??”

Captain: “Roads?” “Gentlemen this is the f***ing JEEP!* We don't need no stinkin roads!”

“This bad boy went through sand dunes in Africa and mountains in Italy!”

“Its so rugged and well engineered, I once took a panzerfaust right in the engine block and it still was able to drive me another 1,000 miles straight up Romel’s ass!”

“Roads?!—Nuts!” “Now get your asses movin on the double!”

Company: “Sir, yes sir!”

--Partway through the mission your team is met by very heavy German resistance—

Remaining Company: “Agh, Jesus Christ Captain! Most of our company is dead, what the hell do we do now?!”

Captain: “God damn it! Rally around the remaining JEEP!”

[Player sees Sub-Mission objective flash on screen: Protect the JEEP at all costs]

[During the ensuing firefight, the Player sees a German throw a potato masher at the Jeep. The Player fails the mission when they do not dive on the grenade to save the Jeep. However, the Player completes the mission when he sacrifices himself to save the Jeep.]

Upon the player’s death they are greeted with a dramatic CG sequence of the Jeep heroically driving itself into Germany, killing Hitler and single handedly defeating the entire German army---All with spectacular background music composed by John Williams.]

--END GAME—

Following the credits for EA is an ad by Jeep reminding you to “LIVE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE” followed by an extravagant video ad for the Jeep Patriot, followed by the message “TAKE THE LEAD. ADVENTURE WILL FOLLOW.”