Jeep® Transforms Downtown Madison Into Snowboarding Experience

MADISON, Wis., Jan. 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Hey Madison, it's time to get your snowboard on and come check out the 2-1/2-story snowboard park shredding into the middle of downtown on February 18 – 20.  The snowboard park, which will take up two city blocks on Madison's historic Main Street, is sponsored by Jeep, the world's leading provider of sports-utility vehicles, and is a part of the Madison Winter Festival.  Jeep's presence at the Festival coincides with the brand's launch of the 2011 vehicle line up, which is available to consumers at dealerships nationwide.  

The Jeep snowboard park will play host to the most anticipated competition taking place at this year's Winter Festival – the 2011 Downtown Throwdown, which will put Midwest-area riders against one another in an intense battle for Winter Festival supremacy.  All competing riders must qualify at local resort competitions in the weeks leading up to the Winter Festival event.  The Downtown Throwdown will run Friday – Sunday, with pre-posted heats scheduled closer to the event date.  A panel of professional snowboarders brought in exclusively for this event will judge the competition.

"We are incredibly excited about taking part in the Madison Winter Festival, and creating a spectacle that consumers wouldn't think to see sitting next to their state's capital," said Lisa Labrecque, Chrysler/ Jeep Brand Marketing Manager. "Jeep's participation in the event will provide Wisconsinites with a chance to see competitive snowboarding in their backyards, and also check out the newest features and style of Jeep's 2011 line up and new Grand Jeep Cherokee."

In addition to the snowboard park serving as the centerpiece of the Madison Winter Festival, Jeep will also create a children's sledding area so that up-and-coming snowboarders or winter enthusiasts can get into the activities. Jeep will also bring its complete vehicle line up giving consumers the opportunity to get inside the vehicles to experience the new features for themselves.

"Madison is eagerly-awaiting this event, and we look forward to watching some of the region's top riders compete in such a fun and exciting competition," said Yuriy Gusev, Madison Winter Festival Director.

Jeep's participation in the Madison Winter Festival and the building of its snowboard park is being led by Out Cold Marketing (www.outcoldmarketing.com), a Chicago-based marketing firm that specializes in non-traditional, guerrilla, social media and event marketing, with experience in automotive, cellular and action sports industries.

About the Jeep Brand

Built on 70 years of legendary heritage, Jeep is the authentic sport utility vehicle (SUV) with class-leading capability, craftsmanship and versatility for people who seek extraordinary journeys. The Jeep brand delivers an open invitation to live life to the fullest by offering a full line of vehicles that continue to provide owners with a sense of security to handle any journey with confidence.

Jeep builds on its tradition of providing unique, iconic, versatile and capable vehicles for 2011, with its next-generation, premium flagship vehicle – the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee – and with significant improvements across the Jeep vehicle lineup. With the greatest range of SUVs under one brand, the Jeep vehicle portfolio consists of the Compass, Grand Cherokee, Liberty, Patriot, Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited.

SOURCE Out Cold Marketing