* Jeep will give 100 Wranglers to residents named George

Washington if the US wins World Cup

* America-first ads also help carmakers align with Trump's

manufacturing focus

* GM staged a Corvette stunt at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

By Nora Eckert

DETROIT, July 2 (Reuters) - U.S. automakers have long

infused their marketing campaigns with American pride and

imagery. But this summer's combination of the nation's 250th

birthday and World Cup matches taking place on U.S. soil has

them going full George Washington.

A promotion from Jeep-maker Stellantis ( STLA ) vows to

give away Wrangler SUVs to 100 U.S. residents legally named

after the country's first president - if the underdog Americans

take home the World Cup trophy.

"Fully loaded with freedom, the tears of our opponents, and

a middle finger to the metric system," said comedian Iliza

Shlesinger in a Jeep ad for the promotion, speaking in front of

a painting of the founding father crossing the Delaware River in

a white Wrangler.

Chevrolet is reviving its "Heartbeat of America" campaign

from last century as part of a yearlong push around the 250th.

The General Motors brand recently had a Corvette ZR1X

speed around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to extinguish 250

jumbo-sized birthday candles along the track.

Impassioned or nostalgic events like the World Cup and

America's milestone birthday give companies a chance to resonate

more deeply with a wider range of potential customers, said

Americus Reed, professor of marketing at the Wharton School of

the University of Pennsylvania.

"The idea is to make these connections in the cultural

relevancy of the moment, and that will pay off in some elevation

of your brand," he said.

On-the-nose patriotic pushes can alienate a portion of the

customer base, Reed added, but leaning into a global event like

the World Cup is a lower-risk tactic.

TAPPING INTO CULTURAL MILESTONES

For the carmakers, there's an added benefit to the

America-first messaging: appeasing U.S. President Donald Trump,

who has long had a fixation with American car factories and

workers.

Following the president's barrage of tariffs in the spring

of 2025, aimed at spurring U.S. manufacturing investment, the

automakers touted their American factory roots across media

platforms, from commercials to newspaper ads.

A Ford campaign last year, launched the month after

Trump's tariffs were announced, offered employee pricing deals

to shoppers across the country as concerns about tariffs

threatened to keep some buyers away from dealer lots. Ford

executives have said the "From America, For America" campaign

helped push monthly sales up 16.3%.

The campaign won the direct approval of the president, who

posted on Truth Social: "A Great Ad by FORD!"

This summer, Ford is offering discounted employee pricing as

part of its "American Value. For American Values." campaign.

Ford CEO Jim Farley has frequently emphasized the company's

commitment to American workers, saying it employs more hourly

workers in the U.S. than competitors.

TWO 'VERY SPECIAL MOMENTS'

For Stellantis' ( STLA ) global marketing leader Olivier Francois,

the George Washington campaign was a continuation of his years

of work trying to create a consistent message of what the

automaker's brands mean to America.

One of the first ads he developed for then-Chrysler depicted

George Washington charging a pack of British soldiers in a Dodge

Challenger.

"I try to always do something that by accumulation, by

repetitiveness, by consistency, we build the brand over time,"

Francois said.

The automaker also launched a Captain America campaign

around the 250th, bringing the superhero's iconic shield to the

Jeep Wrangler's tire cover, which Francois described as a "more

playful" ode to the country than the traditional flag.

The combination of the World Cup and America 250 landing in

the same few months is a rare opportunity for automakers to grab

audiences' attention, he added.

"These are two very, very special moments in the same year,"

Francois said.