A new play for the advertising dollar

When the executives at DaimlerChrysler AG's Jeep division wanted to promote an extra-rugged version of their Wrangler brand in the United States last year, they commissioned a video game that allowed players to drive a Wrangler Rubicon up steep inclines and across rivers. The game, Jeep 4x4: Trail Of Life, was relatively inexpensive to produce and the company gave it away online.

Within six months, 250,000US consumers had downloaded it and handed over their names and email addresses to Jeep. Nearly 40per cent of them said they were considering buying one of its vehicles.

Jeep says it has sold hundreds of the limited-edition, $US29,000 ($41,000) vehicles to people who played the game. Video games are so effective as advertising, "it's shocking", says Joel Schlader, Chrysler Group's senior specialist for interactive marketing and games.

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