“Mission: Impossible 8”: Tom Cruise saves the day in the ocean and the sky
Superspy Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) needs to stop Rogue AI from taking over the world with “Mission: Impossible – Final Calculation.”
- Stellantis and Paramount Pictures put together a joint advertising campaign to place the Jeep vehicle in the final film of the action film franchise, “Mission: Impossible.”
- Tom Cruise character Ethan Hunt is behind the handle of a Jeep Wrangler 4xe.
- In addition to product placement, Jeep and Paramount run 30-second ads promoting not only the movie but also the vehicle.
In the “Mission: Impossible” franchise, Tom Cruise is behind the steering wheels of various vehicles (or slipping down or hanging over). This summer, Cruise drives a jeep as his creepy character, Ethan Hunt.
The final article in the film franchise, “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning,” partners with Jeep in a joint advertising campaign that includes the placement of film products.
The film, which will be released in theaters on May 23, will feature Tom Cruise behind the wheels of the Jeep Wrangler 4xe, Stellantis said. Along with the Jeep cars featured in the film, Stellantis and Paramount Pictures also run 30-second ads to promote both the car and the movie.
The ads will run on television and social media networks, including broadcasting baseball, basketball and golf, Stellantis said in a statement.
“Our mission, and we chose to embrace it, was to work with the Jeep team on a partnership campaign that included shared doctrines from both brands: a partnership campaign that included Pulse Pond action adventure and authentic enjoyment.”
In a commercial promoting the Jeep brand and movie, Jeep buyers fall from the ceiling of the wire above the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon X. The ad will be cut into scenes from upcoming films where Cruise drifts and flips the Wrangler over.
How effective is the product placement?
Ayala Ruvio, dean of Michigan State’s wide-ranging business schools and marketing professor, said the Jeep’s combination of brand aesthetics and action-packed films is perfect.
“The Jeep’s target market is a very specific target market. Jeep drivers are very loyal to the car. They see themselves in a very specific way: off-road racers, the adventurous type of people,” Ruvio said. “And putting a Jeep in this particular film only strengthens that awareness and its community.”
Ruvio said that the placement of film products could go a long way to help the brand if the brand is done right.
“How effective is it if the product is placed correctly? It’s very effective,” Ruvio said. “So if you think of Marilyn Monroe as ‘Diamonds is a girl’s best friend’, then with that film and its song, she basically changed the diamond industry for generations. ”
The correlation between the Jeep brand and “Mission: Impossible – Final Calculation” may not be as strong as Monroe’s Diamond, but Ruvio said it can highlight Jeep’s position as a rebellious, action-focused automaker.
“People don’t come to the movies just to see Jeeps on screen, right? And people won’t buy Jeeps because of the movie,” Ruvio said. “But it’s the combination that makes a difference for a brand.”
Liam Rappleye covers Stellantis. Please contact him: lrappleye@freepress.com
