When attendees at D23 turned a corner at the Anaheim Convention Center, they came face-to-face with a 1:1 toy car “action figure” box large enough for them to step inside, housing the special Jeep Wrangler America250 edition. But beyond photo ops, the eye-catching build delivered on a much larger campaign that linked down to the point of sale.
As official automotive partner for America250, Jeep in May kicked off “Origin Story,” which united Jeep and Marvel around two “American icons”—Jeep Wrangler and Captain America, both born in 1941 during World War II.
On top of developing content and custom products, the two brands collaborated on the design of the toy box activation, which debuted at an internal event for 15,000 Stellantis employees and their family members, before heading to the massive Disney fan event.
“They’re as creative as it gets, they’re as professional as it gets in terms of execution, they look at every single detail,” Randy Ortiz, head of advertising and creative services at Stellantis, says of working with Marvel on the campaign. “We wanted to make sure that it wasn’t a one-and-done, right? So, it connects to everything—traditional media, digital media, experiential and on-site activations here at our headquarters or at an industry event like D23. And the product was at the center of it all.”
A few details on the box itself: It was designed for the height of an adult and the gaze of a child, which is reflected in the graphics on the exterior—just the right size for young Jeep fans to pose with. The build can be easily disassembled and is made to withstand frequent relocations, as the toy box is expected to pop up in future locations this year.
Running alongside “Origin Story” is Jeep’s Twelve 4 Twelve program to celebrate its 85-year heritage, with a limited-edition Jeep Wrangler debuting each month. The America250 vehicle features a Captain America shield spare tire cover and a blue denim-style top.
Jeep and Marvel Comics Group also designed a special cover for the collectible “1776” Marvel comic series, depicting the Captain America characters and the original Willys MB Jeep built for WWII, as well as the America250 Wrangler.
“The stars just aligned where we could create all these different pieces of content and then take the activation into the real world and let people experience the vehicle, step inside the toy box and hold a Captain America shield,” Ortiz says. “There was so much connective tissue between everything that just made sense strategically and creatively.”
Helping to further drive buzz, Marvel released the trailer for “Avengers: Doomsday” during D23, which has amassed 70 million views, yet another synergistic moment for the campaign. Agency: Highdive.
More D23 Coverage:
