By The Malketeer
If most car ads are polished test drives through scenic valleys, Jeep just decided to take a detour through stand-up comedy.
And in the passenger seat? Iliza Shlesinger — comic, mom, and the first person bold enough to suggest that the 2026 Grand Wagoneer might just be “The Best Car To Have Sex In.”
Comedy Meets Capability
The brand’s new long-form reveal, “The Family SUV,” opens like a corporate pitch gone rogue.
Iliza walks into Jeep HQ armed with charm, chaos, and a pitch so steamy it could fog up the Wagoneer’s panoramic glass roof.
She riffs about mood lighting, massaging seats, and a sound system that could drown out any awkward noise — all delivered with that perfect Iliza mix of wit and mischief.
It’s not just a car reveal.
It’s a meta-ad about how car ads are made — and how far you can push a punchline before the marketing execs start sweating.
As Olivier Francois, Stellantis’s ever-game CMO, put it, “We wanted to make people smile.”
Mission accomplished — though a few viewers may be blushing too.
The Brand That Knows Its Wink
Jeep’s decision to let Iliza go off-script is a fascinating brand moment.
For decades, Wagoneer has been about old-money adventure: mahogany-panel nostalgia and rugged refinement.
This campaign adds something the category rarely sees — self-awareness.
By parodying the overly serious SUV reveal, Jeep signals that it understands the modern family SUV buyer: they’re juggling kids, chaos, and yes, the occasional romantic interlude between school runs.
It’s humour rooted in truth — something every parent watching instantly recognises.
From Off-Road to Off-Script
“The Family SUV” video lives primarily on Jeep’s social channels, with bite-sized edits for Instagram, TikTok, and X.
That’s where this kind of cheeky, self-referential humour thrives — short, shareable, slightly naughty but still brand-safe.
The approach feels closer to what a late-night host might do than a traditional automaker spot.
It’s reminiscent of how Ryan Reynolds blurs the line between spokesperson and storyteller for Aviation Gin or Mint Mobile — where the brand becomes part of the joke, not the punchline.
Lessons for Brands
Final Drive
Starting at under USD 65,000, the 2026 Grand Wagoneer resets Jeep’s flagship with new pricing and a more accessible personality.
But thanks to Iliza Shlesinger, it’s also managed to reset something more valuable — the brand’s sense of humour.
Because sometimes, the smartest way to sell a family SUV… is to remind people how families get started in the first place.
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