Liberty Launch Key for Chrysler

DaimlerChrysler’s ailing Chrysler Group has a lot riding on the launch of its newest model, the Jeep Liberty.

The campaign aims to expand Jeep’s appeal to urban consumers, including import-brand loyalists who have no desire to go off-road, said Bill Morden, executive vice president and executive creative director on the Chrysler and Jeep brands at PentaMark Worldwide, Troy, Mich.

These buyers are more “image-oriented” and the new campaign is meant to impress upon them that Jeep fits their lifestyle, Morden said.

“We’re trying to give Jeep a little broader appeal to a changing market without losing its mystique,” he said.

The estimated $50 million campaign behind the Liberty, which replaces the Jeep Cherokee, launches nationally the week of June 18.

Chrysler is undertaking a three-year revival plan to reverse a downward slide—the company posted a $3 billion loss over the past three quarters.