- Product/Brand - Jeep
- Spot - All-New Renegade
- Song Title - Be Renegade
- Composer - Racket, Faulds
- Publisher - Hush Music
- Artist - George The Poet
- Master Rights - Hush Music
- Music Supervisor - Hush Music
- Ad Agency - Arc London ( Leo Burnett)
- Creatives - Paul Faulds
- Film Company - Arc London
- Film Director - Arc London
- Air Date - 2/2/15
It is a truth universally acknowledged that music can provide a global TV advertising campaign with the unifying branding thread needed to guarantee its appeal to diverse audiences and cultures in many different territories.
Which is one reason why US motor manufacturer Jeep is to be applauded for zigging where others zag by deciding to mark the UK launch of its All-New Renegade 4x4 model not with a catchy, catch-all rock song but with a voiceover by Universal-Island rap artist and Brit 2015 nominee George The Poet.
The film, which was shot in Italy, clearly showcases the versatility of the Renegade as well as its sense of fun. But, according to Jeep Head of Brand Damien Dally, “we also wanted to appeal to a younger demographic and demonstrate its urban positioning through the soundtrack.”
Leo Burnett’s Arc London division, which created the commercial, brought in supervisor Hush Music to help find an exciting and credible new UK urban artist to deliver a piece of punchy prose written by its Creative Director Paul Faulds.
“The agency very quickly identified George the Poet (aka George Mpanga) as somebody who encompassed the Jeep Renegade mentality, which is all about defying convention and standing out from the crowd,” Dally continues.
“His recent award nominations, including BBC Sound of 2015 and the BRITS’ Critics Choice certainly position him as a rising star, so the timing for the collaboration seemed ideal.”
Says Hush Music Head Of production Sari Morein: “We invited George to re-work the words if he wanted but in the end he was happy with the originally scripted lyrics and lent his wonderful voice and performance style to a backing track we produced at Sarm Studios.”
Cambridge University graduate Mpanga, whose hard-hitting debut Island EP The Chicken And The Egg was released last November, has often criticized fellow rappers and grime stars for not giving enough back to the inner city areas which spawned them. Under discussion as part of his deal with Jeep is a potential project involving and supporting members of his own local North London community.
