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May 07May 07, 2003
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This Week:

• First pictures of the smart forfour

• Toyota And Lexus Dominate J.D. Power And Associates 2003 Initial Quality Study

• Jeep® Wrangler Rubicon - The Vehicle of Choice for Lara Croft, World Renowned Tomb Raider

• General Motors' Vehicles, Plants Make Impressive Gains In J.D. Power And Associates 2003 Initial Quality StudySM

• Honda of South Carolina Dedicates Second Plant in Timmonsville 

• BMW Group Year-to-Date Sales Increase 10.4 Percent

• The successful New Beetle Cabriolet: 6,100 Volkswagen customers already looking forward to summer in the open-topped New Beetle

• New Mercedes safety system PRE-SAFE collects its fourth award of the year

• Scénic II offers broad, competitive line-up

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Jeep® Wrangler Rubicon - The Vehicle of Choice for Lara Croft, World Renowned Tomb Raider

Photo: DC
 

Custom Jeep® Wrangler Rubicon Created for New Film "Tomb Raider: Lara Croft and the Cradle of Life" Angelina Jolie, as Lara Croft, Featured in Jeep TV and Print Advertising To Be Supported by 360-degree Integrated Marketing Campaign Auburn Hills, Mich. - The Jeep® brand and the virtual game heroine Lara Croft, played by Angelina Jolie, will be showing off their capabilities like never before as a customized Jeep Wrangler Rubicon and the world-renowned tomb raider team up for extreme adventure in the Paramount release, "Tomb Raider II: Lara Croft and the Cradle of Life." "We view Jeep as the perfect partner in this film because the brand's attributes are a natural fit with the Lara Croft character, " said Lisa DiMarzio, Senior Vice President, Worldwide Marketing Partnerships, Paramount. "Lara embodies Jeep core values: authenticity, mastery, adventure and freedom."

As part of the campaign, the Jeep brand is creating an original TV spot and print advertising that features Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft. The ads are part of a 360-degree integrated marketing campaign designed to be used in all levels of brand communication around this association.

The Chrysler Group's Jeep Design Studio team, in collaboration with Kirk Petruccelli and Graham Kelly from the Paramount Tomb Raider II production team, designed and built the customized Jeep Wrangler Rubicon featured in the film.

"To create the vehicle, we took the ultimate off-road machine, a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, and tailored it to fit what aristocratic Lady Lara Croft, would need to do her job as a tomb raider," said Trevor Creed, Senior Vice President, Product Design, Chrysler Group. "This specialized vehicle includes original Rubicon features, after-market components used by many off-road enthusiasts and unique never-before-seen custom features."

Lara's unique vehicle (three were built for the film) boasts an array of functional modifications, such as a roll cage with grab bars, a skid plate with simulated HID lighting and an interior with specially designed gauges, shifters, instrument panel, console and door trim. The aftermarket components used to complete the Lara Croft's Jeep Wrangler Rubicon include Hanson Enterprises front and rear bumpers, Mickey Thompson 35" Baja Claw tires and Classic II wheel with bead locks, Skyjacker four-inch skyjacker Double Flex suspension lift, Warn winch and Bushwacker riveted fender flares.

"Wrangler is the icon of the Jeep brand and continues to be the original "go-anywhere do-anything" freedom machine that provides maximum versatility and performance," said Jeff Bell, Vice President Jeep, Chrysler Group. "In the movie, this vehicle will be showcased in many rugged and extreme situations, highlighting key strengths of the brand in a new and exciting way. "You'll see the Jeep driving 80 mph across harsh desert and jungle terrain without any difficulty. That's real Jeep 4x4 capability and that's Jeep adventure."

To showcase Jeep vehicle capability and authenticity, the brand is creating 30- and 60-second ads that feature footage from the film as well as original footage in which Jolie appears as Lara Croft. The 30-second spot will run on national TV, and the 60-second spot will be shown in movie theaters.

The Jeep brand team and the corporation's advertising agency, BBDO Detroit, collaborated with well-known Hollywood talent to create the spots Simon Crane, second unit Director and stunt coordinator for the film, directed the spots and Aspect Ratio, well known and cuts movie trailers, edited the final spot.

There also will be print advertisements that feature Lara Croft. Broadcast and print spots will begin airing several weeks prior to the release of the film.

The first Tomb Raider movie was a massive blockbuster at $47.7 million in the opening weekend, the biggest opening ever for a film with a female star. Worldwide, the film went on to make nearly $300 million in its theatrical release.

Paramount Pictures is part of the entertainment operations of Viacom Inc., which is one of the world's largest entertainment and media companies, and a leader in the production, promotion, and distribution of entertainment, news, sports, and music.

Lara Croft and Tomb Raider are Trademarks of Core Design Ltd. The Cradle of Life is a Trademark of Paramount.

(April 23, 2003)