Jeep Ops @ Call of Duty XP

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The Jeep brand is in its second year of a branded partnership with Activision that features the Jeep Wrangler's integration into the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Franchise. In 2010 the partnership was supported by television, print and digital advertising along with a sweepstakes. In 2011, Jeep was looking for the partnership to connect more deeply with the COD audience, the gaming community as well as gaming and lifestyle media.

With the legendary capability of the Jeep Wrangler as the foundation, Relevent saw an opportunity to re-frame the test drive experience, delivering the rational product value through the once-in-a-lifetime emotional stimuli. At Activision's 2-day Call of Duty XP conference in Los Angeles - where the latest game in the franchise would be launched - we put Call of Duty fans, media and partners directly in the middle of Modern Warfare.

We secured 12 2012 Jeep Wranglers straight off of the production line
We enlisted the action direction and cinematography insights of the legendary Shane Hurlbut.
We recruited professional stunt drivers from The Matrix reloaded and Transformers.
We developed a scripted action sequence that was directly inspired by a previewed scene from COD: MW3.
We hired 40 stunt men, actors and active duty Navy SEALs.
We transformed a flat, 5-acre plot of land into a thrilling obstacle.
We built a 100-ft Canal, a 150 sq ft pond, a 20-ft hill with a 45-degree ascent and descent.
We turned Howard Hughes' historic office building into a tension filled extraction point.
We triggered propane explosions, simulated RPG strikes and fired thousands of rounds of blanks.
We created a sensation that garnered over 13 million unsolicited target-rich social media impressions in one week.

We created Jeep Ops - the most talked about live-action gaming experience at Call of Duty XP. Amidst the Zip Line, Paintball Map, Pit Run and even the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 game previews, Jeep Ops stood out as the #1 experience (by Activision's own post-event surveys) of the weekend. One that attendees waited up to five (5) hours to experience.

Forbes.com, Digital Spy, 3 News New Zealand along with a number of bloggers, and general consumers lauded the experience as akin to, if not better than some of the most notable and most expensive theme park creations in the world.

Why?

Because Every 5 Minutes, For 7 Hours A Day For 2 Action-Packed Days,
2-Jeep Convoys Brought 6 Rabid Fans of The Call Of Duty Franchise
Through 11 Minutes of Hyper-realistic, Pulse-Pounding Brand and Product Capability Immersion,
Re-inventing the Automotive "test-drive" and Instantly Initiating Them As Apostles of The Jeep Performance Legend.

 

Courtesy of tomorrowawards.com

Jeep Ops @ Call of Duty XP

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

The Jeep brand is in its second year of a branded partnership with Activision that features the Jeep Wrangler's integration into the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Franchise. In 2010 the partnership was supported by television, print and digital advertising along with a sweepstakes. In 2011, Jeep was looking for the partnership to connect more deeply with the COD audience, the gaming community as well as gaming and lifestyle media.

With the legendary capability of the Jeep Wrangler as the foundation, Relevent saw an opportunity to re-frame the test drive experience, delivering the rational product value through the once-in-a-lifetime emotional stimuli. At Activision's 2-day Call of Duty XP conference in Los Angeles - where the latest game in the franchise would be launched - we put Call of Duty fans, media and partners directly in the middle of Modern Warfare.

We secured 12 2012 Jeep Wranglers straight off of the production line
We enlisted the action direction and cinematography insights of the legendary Shane Hurlbut.
We recruited professional stunt drivers from The Matrix reloaded and Transformers.
We developed a scripted action sequence that was directly inspired by a previewed scene from COD: MW3.
We hired 40 stunt men, actors and active duty Navy SEALs.
We transformed a flat, 5-acre plot of land into a thrilling obstacle.
We built a 100-ft Canal, a 150 sq ft pond, a 20-ft hill with a 45-degree ascent and descent.
We turned Howard Hughes' historic office building into a tension filled extraction point.
We triggered propane explosions, simulated RPG strikes and fired thousands of rounds of blanks.
We created a sensation that garnered over 13 million unsolicited target-rich social media impressions in one week.

We created Jeep Ops - the most talked about live-action gaming experience at Call of Duty XP. Amidst the Zip Line, Paintball Map, Pit Run and even the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 game previews, Jeep Ops stood out as the #1 experience (by Activision's own post-event surveys) of the weekend. One that attendees waited up to five (5) hours to experience.

Forbes.com, Digital Spy, 3 News New Zealand along with a number of bloggers, and general consumers lauded the experience as akin to, if not better than some of the most notable and most expensive theme park creations in the world.

Why?

Because Every 5 Minutes, For 7 Hours A Day For 2 Action-Packed Days,
2-Jeep Convoys Brought 6 Rabid Fans of The Call Of Duty Franchise
Through 11 Minutes of Hyper-realistic, Pulse-Pounding Brand and Product Capability Immersion,
Re-inventing the Automotive "test-drive" and Instantly Initiating Them As Apostles of The Jeep Performance Legend.

 

Courtesy of tomorrowawards.com

2012 Chrysler 300 SRT8 Road Test

Alpine and Vapor | 2013 Jeep® Grand Cherokee SRT8 Special Editions

Already an award winning head-turner, the Jeep_® Grand Cherokee SRT8 is further staking its claim as The Ultimate Performance SUV. New for 2013 are bright white Alpine and brilliant black Vapor special edition models that take the legendary Jeep performance, capability, and luxury to a new level. Both new models feature the addition of Black Vapor Chrome finish to the standard split 5-spoke, 20 inch wheels along with unique gloss black exterior appointments including:

 

 

•             Jeep hood badge
•             Grand Cherokee door badge
•             Front grille surround and inserts
•             Rear light bar and step pad
•             Rear SRT8 badge

Performance

Powering the 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee is the 6.4-liter HEMI® V-8 with Fuel Saver Technology that delivers 470 horsepower and 465 lb.-ft. of torque. The SRT8 delivers fuel efficiency and an extended range of 450 miles on one tank of gas, with blazing standing starts and improved straight-line performance.

 

The Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 is the best-handling Jeep vehicle ever, with its SRT-tuned, adaptive damping suspension managed by the Jeep Selec-Track system, which interacts with different systems to tune the dynamics of the vehicle. Choose among five dynamic modes for specific driving conditions.

 

Capability

It’s not a Jeep vehicle if it’s not capable. The standard Jeep Quadra-Trac SRT active on-demand four-wheel-drive transfer case does a few things. It uses sensor input to take corrective action at the earliest detection of tire slip, allowing the Jeep 4×4 system to transfer up to 100% of available torque to one rear wheel. The transfer case also enhances handling by proportioning torque between the front and rear axles.

 

Other features include five-spoke, 20-inch forged aluminum wheels and a trailer tow rating of 5,000 lbs.

 

Luxury

Building off of the Jeep Grand Cherokee’s refined, luxurious interior, the SRT8 interior features race-inspired technology and SRT-exclusive appointments. Drivers assume the role of racer with a leather-wrapped steering wheel with a satin chrome rim section and paddle-shift controls on both sides. Nappa leather and suede seats, sculpted bolsters, and contrast stitching enhance the race-inspired luxury.

 

Drivers receive instant feedback thanks to the SRT-exclusive Performance Pages, showing horsepower, torque, 0-60 time, G-forces, expanded engine information, and more.

 

The 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 is the most powerful Jeep vehicle ever, the best-performing Jeep vehicle ever, and the best-handling Jeep vehicle ever. It comes with standard luxury, race-inspired appointments, and exclusive SRT features. And with the new Alpine and Vapor special edition models, the 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 truly is The Ultimate Performance SUV. Visit Jeep.com to schedule a test drive at a Jeep dealership near you.

The Dart Story: Dual Dry Clutch Transmission

On the 2013 Dodge Dart SXT, Rallye, and Limited models equipped with a 1.4L MultiAir engine, there’s a new and innovative type of transmission available that many Americans have never sampled before:  the Dual Dry Clutch Transmission, or DDCT for short.

 

The concept behind the DDCT is to provide the convenience and pure driving ease of a fully automatic transmission with the performance and fuel efficiency of a manual gearbox. You don’t have to compromise to get the best of both worlds — it’s a win/win.

 

The “dual-clutch” in the name might throw people off:  Yes, there are two dry-fiber clutch assemblies inside the transmission. However, there’s no clutch pedal for the driver to operate – only a shift lever with the traditional P, R, N, and D positions we know so well.

 

And in ordinary driving, DDCT is intended to operate like any automatic; or, when the driver wants to take charge, they can use the AutoStick® feature in the shift lever to up/down-shift manually.

 

Dodge engineers focused on making the Dart’s transmission as silky and unobtrusive as possible.  The early reviews are already coming in, and the reports are they succeeded.  One road tester noted that the DDCT-equipped Dart doesn’t sound, operate, or behave much differently, if at all, than a standard automatic transmission.

 

And that’s the whole idea.

Monday Maintenance - Driving in a Tornado

When you prepare for tornado season ahead of time, you can increase your chances of protecting yourself and your property in the face of a tornado or heavy windstorm. If you’re in a tornado’s path, you don’t have much time to find shelter.

Tornado Driving Safety Tips:

• Try not drive during tornado conditions. Drive only if the tornado is far away and the traffic you will be driving in is light.
• Never try to out-drive a tornado in a vehicle. Tornadoes can change direction quickly and can lift a car or truck and toss it through the air.
• If you can see the tornado, and it is heading away from you… just sit tight. If it is heading toward you, and you have the time, drive away from it at right angles. Example, if it is heading north, travel east or west. If it is too close, find safety below ground if possible, or in the nearest depression. Do not stay in your car, as it will be tossed around with you in it.
• Do not, under any circumstance, drive over a downed electrical line.
• Get out of your vehicle immediately and seek shelter in a nearby building.
• Be prepared with a disaster kit in the car at all times. Take it, if possible, when you leave your car.
• If there is no time to get indoors, or if there is no nearby shelter, get out of the car and lie in a ditch or a low-lying area away from the vehicle. Be aware of the potential for flooding.
• Heavy rains often accompany tornadoes. Do not travel down a road submerged in water — underlying currents could carry your car away. Another likely threat: a collapsed roadway. If your vehicle stalls in water, immediately abandon it — floodwaters can rise several feet in a matter of minutes.

You should know these about tornadoes: 

• They may strike quickly, with little or no warning.
• They may appear nearly transparent until dust and debris are picked up or a cloud forms in the funnel.
• The average tornado moves Southwest to Northeast, but tornadoes have been known to move in any direction.
• The average forward speed of a tornado is 30 MPH, but may vary from stationary to 70 MPH.
• Tornadoes can accompany tropical storms and hurricanes as they move onto land.
• Waterspouts are tornadoes that form over water.
• Tornadoes are most frequently reported east of the Rocky Mountains during spring and summer months.
• Peak tornado season in the southern states is March through May; in the northern states, it is late spring through early summer.
• Tornadoes are most likely to occur between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m., but can occur at any time.

Other Tornado Safety Tips:

What to do Before a Tornado

Be alert to changing weather conditions.

• Listen to NOAA Weather Radio or to commercial radio or television newscasts for the latest information.Look for approaching storms
• Look for the following danger signs:
  • Dark, often greenish sky
  • Large hail
  • A large, dark, low-lying cloud (particularly if rotating)
  • Loud roar, similar to a freight train.

If you see approaching storms or any of the danger signs, be prepared to take shelter immediately.

What to do During a Tornado

If you are under a tornado WARNING, seek shelter immediately!

If you are in:	Then:
A structure (e.g. residence, small building, school, nursing home, hospital, factory, shopping center, high-rise building)	Go to a pre-designated shelter area such as a safe room, basement, storm cellar, or the lowest building level. If there is no basement, go to the center of an interior room on the lowest level (closet, interior hallway) away from corners, windows, doors, and outside walls. Put as many walls as possible between you and the outside. Get under a sturdy table and use your arms to protect your head and neck. Do not open windows.
A vehicle, trailer, or mobile home	Get out immediately and go to the lowest floor of a sturdy, nearby building or a storm shelter. Mobile homes, even if tied down, offer little protection from tornadoes.
The outside with no shelter	Lie flat in a nearby ditch or depression and cover your head with your hands. Be aware of the potential for flooding. Do not get under an overpass or bridge. You are safer in a low, flat location. Never try to outrun a tornado in urban or congested areas in a car or truck. Instead, leave the vehicle immediately for safe shelter. Watch out for flying debris. Flying debris from tornadoes causes most fatalities and injuries.

 

 

Courtesy of Car-Use.net

Dodge Ram is Egg-shell-ent!

 

 

As Ram engineers, we deal with kinetic energy, bodies in motion. Our job is to help make sure that when a moving vehicle comes to a sudden stop, it does not transfer the energy to the vehicle's occupants. Learn what makes the new 2013 Ram 1500 our safest truck yet.

Monday Maintenance: Cleaning the Interior

#1: Refer to the owner's manual before attempting to clean the interior of your vehicle. I've found that many of today's auto components are very sensitive to cleaners. Before you start, test each of the interior materials in small, out-of-the-way locations, where consequences won't be too terrible if it doesn't work out. It's better to be safe than sorry. Do you want to look at the spray pattern from a can of Super Duper Quikkie-Kleen for the rest of the life of your car?

#2: Don't vacuum hard to reach places - instead, blow it out by connecting your vacuum hose to the vacuum outlet. It is most effective to rapidly toggle the power switch on your vacuum between "on" and "off." Here's why. If you blow the debris out at full speed, it's going to fly all over the vehicle. Doing it at a reduced power, however, will move the debris just far enough so you can access it, then easily vacuum it up.

#3: Get a paint brush and a toothbrush. These are the two best tools for accessing hard-to-reach cracks, crevices and corners. The paint brush is great for reaching into deep locations. Vacuum with one hand as you brush those hard-to-reach locations, and you'll quickly clean up tricky spots. Leave both brushes in your glove compartment, so you'll have them when you stop by your local car wash and vacuum emporium.

#4: To thoroughly remove debris from carpets and mats, use a sturdy brush and run a vacuum right behind it. Don't get too aggressive with the brush. Mats and carpets are (sadly) poorly made these days, even on high-end vehicles. You can easily cause fraying or other damage by using too much force.

#5: For gum, wax and other materials use chewing gum remover. It actually freezes the gum, so that it can easily be scraped off. Use a dull paint scraper to remove the gum once it's frozen. If you can't find chewing gum remover, you can also use dry ice. Get the gum cold enough so it will crack when you apply light pressure with the scraper.

Chewing gum remover may not be available at your local automotive parts and accessories store. You may have to purchase it through an auto-detailing company or a janitorial supply company.

#6: Skip the ArmorAll on the interior. I find it actually attracts dust. If you do use it, buff it in with a moist rag.

#7: Be very cautious cleaning the transparent plastic on your vehicle's instrument cluster. A lot of these plastics are extremely soft, and will scratch easily. I use Plexus plastic cleaner.

#8: The dirtiest spots in a car's interior are the locations you touch, meaning the steering wheel, seat belt, the shifting knob and the driver's side door panel. The "V" between your legs, where your Egg McMuffin and coffee winds up, can also be very dirty. Locate these components and plan to spend a few extra minutes cleaning them.

#9: When you're cleaning seat belts, only use a diluted, mild laundry soap. This will protect the integrity of the belt fabric.

#10: Windows should be cleaned inside and out with glass cleaner and paper towels. Then, lightly buff the windows with a 100% cotton towel.

#11: The dashboard and vehicle panels should be wiped with a dampened cloth with water. To remove grime, use an all-purpose cleaner, diluted with water. As always, use the mildest soap possible.

#12: Need to get rid of smells? Vinegar works very well, and it's a whole lot cheaper than commercial products. Start with a 20:1 water-to-vinegar concentration, and scrub thoroughly. If that doesn't work, slowly increase the ratio until you have success.

#13: No matter what you're doing to your car, be gentle. Because of manufacturers' interest in saving a buck, and the desire to increase the EPA fuel economy, a lot of manufacturers are using less durable materials. So, whether you're working on the inside or the outside, be gentle, or you may permanently mar or damage your vehicle.

 

Courtesy of Car Talk

Navigate Your World – 2012 Jeep® Compass

North. South. East. West. The idea of navigation is a core component of American history. The compass rose displaying the orientation of the four cardinal directions was the original GPS, before our modern-day navigation systems, leading to discovery and expansion of our country from sea to shining sea. But our means of navigating and exploring have changed. The Jeep_® brand and its line of capable vehicles have evolved, too.  Consider the 2012 Jeep Compass a perfect example of that evolution.

 

 

Stylish value and courageous capability aren’t often mentioned in the same sentence, and yet the Jeep Compass encompasses both of those traits. Taking design cues from its sibling, the Jeep Grand Cherokee, the Compass has the iconic seven-slot grille with chrome surround. Elsewhere, a diverse array of standard and available wheels adds to the look while its steering and suspension system offers exceptional ride – even in less-than-ideal weather conditions.

 

 

Looks and performance don’t matter much if you can’t keep driving, which is why the 2012 Jeep Compass 4×2 offers an EPA estimated 29 MPG HWY, and the 4×4 version comes in just behind at an EPA estimated 28 MPG HWY. In other words, this is like one of those well-built, handcrafted compasses your father or grandfather might have handed down to you – steady and ready to keep you going for longer.

 

Standard interior refinements like air conditioning, remote keyless and illuminated entry, and power windows, mirrors, and locks ensure that driving in the most challenging conditions can feel comfortable. And how, exactly, does the Jeep Compass take on those rough surfaces and that tough weather? With the available Freedom Drive I™ full-time, active 4WD system with lock mode. And for advanced Go Anywhere, Do Anything® capability, you can equip your 2012 Jeep Compass with the Trail Rated® Freedom Drive II® Off-Road Group.

U.S. women define word 'team'

LONDON -- There was no need for a Kerri Strug/Wheaties box cover/"SportsCenter" moment when the U.S. women won their first Olympic team gold medal since the 1996 Atlanta Games. And if Bela Karolyi was going to carry a hero to the podium Tuesday, he would have risked a hernia from carrying the whole American team.

Whether these 2012 gold medalists are the best group of American Olympic gymnasts can be debated -- though U.S. coach Marta Karolyi says they are -- but they are almost certainly the best team.

"That [1996 gold-medal squad] was a beautiful team made up from great individual athletes," Bela Karolyi said when asked to compare the two gold-medal teams. "Dominique Dawes, Shannon Miller, Amy Chow -- all these great kids; but they trained in different ways. When we got them together, it was a beautiful bouquet of individual athletes rather than a team. And that made a big difference tonight."

Robert Deutsch/USA TODAY Sports

 

After failing to qualify in the individual all-around, Jordyn Wieber rebounded and set the tone for the U.S. women's team win Tuesday.

What also made the difference was the mental and competitive edge the Americans had, an edge exemplified by Jordyn Wieber.

Wieber is the reigning all-around world champ, but she won't get a chance to win gold or any medal in the individual event later this week. A new rule restricts the number of gymnasts in the all-around final to two per country, and Wieber was edged out by Gabby Douglas and Aly Raisman after finishing fourth in qualifying.

"She was hammered by a stupid rule, a stupid rule," Karolyi said. "To eliminate the best gymnast in the Olympic final? That isn't an Olympic final, that's an Olympic invitational."

Wieber put aside the qualifying loss, received a pep talk from teammate McKayla Maroney and went out determined to help her team win gold Tuesday.

"She proved she has a very strong character," Marta Karolyi said. "That she's a fighter, and if she has a situation that puts her down, she is able to fight back. She wanted to prove herself that she is one of the highest international gymnasts."

Wieber so wanted to put Sunday's disappointment behind her that she didn't even wait for the arena announcer to finish her introduction Tuesday before she started flying down the runway for her vault in the first rotation. "I was just ready to go," she said. "I just wanted to get the best start I could and ended up sticking it."

She did, receiving a score of 15.933. Then Douglas posted a 15.966. And then Maroney received a 16.233 with a jaw-dropping vault. And when the rotation was over, the Americans had a lead they would not surrender the rest of the event.

"It was definitely a confidence builder," said Douglas, who piled up a score of 61.465 in four rotations. "When [Wieber] nailed that vault, it was contagious. It was, 'OK, I'm going to nail this vault, too.' And we all nailed it. And it's contagious from there. It goes over to the bars, to the beam, to the floor."

Part of the reason the confidence continued was that mental edge again, plus intense preparation. Marta Karolyi and the staff put the team through intense rehearsals leading into Tuesday's competition, even piping in recorded crowd noise at odd moments to simulate competition conditions. "Everything was implemented in preparations," Karolyi said.

So while the other teams were slipping -- 2008 champion China finished fourth behind silver medal-winning Russia and bronze medalist Romania -- the U.S. just kept rolling, with not a single bad routine and only two with a score lower than 15. Bela Karolyi said he has rarely seen such a 12-for-12 performance and not since Soviet times.

Marta Karolyi said she was confident the Americans would win after their strong balance-beam performance in the third rotation, and the gold medal was all but guaranteed when two Russian gymnasts stumbled in their floor routines just ahead of the United States. To stay focused, the Americans were trying their best not to watch the Russians, but couldn't help but realize what happened from the crowd reaction.

"When the crowd goes, 'Uhhhh,' you just know something went wrong," Douglas said. "So we knew."

The U.S. had such a commanding 10-point lead as it started the floor routine that all it had to do was avoid tripping on the mat. The Americans did just that, performing superbly to clinch the gold by more than eight points over Russia. They hugged, they shouted, they celebrated. They were Olympic champions.

"I think this is really important just for a little redemption," Wieber said. "It definitely was a disappointment with the new rules [in the all-around] and it kind of stinks, but in the end, I wind up with a gold medal."

Where the Americans get their mental edge became obvious when the Karolyis talked about how the athletes would not let down following this gold. They will not go shopping, they will not go sightseeing, they will not lose focus until the competition is over here. And even then, they won't let down.

"It's a fantastic achievement, but at the same time, we don't need to get our noses up in the air because you are just as good as you are on your performance day," Marta Karolyi said. "This is the result of a lot of work for many, many years, and if you want to stay competitive, we have to follow with the same level. We can't think, 'Just because we're Olympic [champions], we can relax.'"

After all, the U.S. will need to defend its medal in Rio in 2016. And that's just four years away. Better get back in the gym.

 

Courtesty of ESPN.com