Jeep To Sponsor Italian Soccer Club Juventus, Launch New Products For European Expansion
Jeep is hoping to sell 125,000 vehicles in Europe by 2015, and in addition to new product, the brand is also undertaking a sponsorship deal with one of Italy’s most popular soccer teams.
Jeep will sponsor Juventus in a three-year deal that will begin this summer. With European soccer jerseys often displaying corporate logos on the front, having the Jeep brand on stadium signage and authorized merchandise will help give a boost to Jeep, which sold just under 24,000 vehicles in Europe last year. Like Fiat, Juventus is owned by the Agnelli family.
Starting in the middle of 2013, Jeep will begin a product blitz for Europe, with the new Liberty (which, according to AN will be called the Cherokee on the continent) featuring a 4-cylinder diesel engine. A new crossover based on the Fiat 500X and a Compass/Patriot replacement will follow in 2014.
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First Chevrolet, and now Jeep. Are American companies opening up to the idea that Soccer(Football) is actually, really, honestly the most watched sport in the world (rather than American Football)? Are they finally realizing that their brand will have higher visibility if they are associated with a true world sport? Good to see at least someone in the company (ans in the United States) has a global outlook. It will be interesting to see how this sponsorship money pays off though.
In the land of Unimogs, Kubelwagens, 2CVs and who knows what else, why Jeep? They're gas-hogs and we all know how expensive fuel is across the pond.
And where in the states can we get a CRD? Hum?
Well, since the Liberty has always continued to be Cherokee here, I'm not surprised. And hmm.....I wonder how realistic that target is. Jeep sales are nowhere near in line with their competitors (now). In the past they used to be beyond all but Land Rover.