How Sweet Is That Chocolate-Coated Jeep?

Finger-lickin’ goodness - that’s a Jeep. Sweet and luscious Jeep! Huh? Yes, Jeep is offering a chocolate-coated treat…with a driver’s seat!

But why? The company has this to say:

Are you a chocolate lover? Do you believe anything is better when it's covered in chocolate? What about a Jeep?

With Sweetest Day right around the corner, the Jeep brand is inviting consumers to prove just how "sweet" their "sweet tooth" is in the Sweetest Day the Jeep Way challenge.

On Thursday, Oct. 18 in Cleveland, Ohio, where the Sweetest Day tradition began, 7 randomly selected participants will lick their way through 1 of 7 chocolate-covered Jeep vehicles, representing each of the models in the brand's lineup. The first two participants to lick their way through the layers of chocolate will make their way to the Jeep Liberty, filled with wrapped chocolate and candies, in search for the keys to an all-new Jeep Liberty 4x4 with a Sky Slider roof.

And because Sweetest Day revolves around the giving of sweets, the Chrysler Foundation, on behalf of Jeep, will make a "sweet" donation of $7,000 - $1,000 for each of Jeep vehicle - to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland.

How sweet are those vehicles? There’s only one way to find out. Lick it!

For complete registration details, official contest rules, or more information about the full line of Jeep vehicles click here http://www.jeep.com/en/pr/sweetestday/. Consumers with a “sweet tooth” for a Jeep can register online at http://www.sweetestdaythejeepway.com/.

The sugary stunt, called "Sweetest Day the Jeep Way," is in conjunction with Sweetest Day, a holiday invented 85 years ago by Cleveland candy makers.

If you think you have what it would take to lick six other chocolate-chomping contestants, go to Chrysler's Sweetest Day Web site, fill out the form and write a 250-word essay on why you should be picked to lick. Hopefuls also must be residents Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Kentucky, Pennsylvania or West Virginia and at least 18 years old.

“With the growing popularity of Sweetest Day, the Jeep brand wants to give consumers the opportunity to celebrate ‘Sweetest Day the Jeep Way.’ Jeep vehicles love to get dirty, but instead of covering the vehicles in mud, we’re going to cover them in chocolate and let participants have fun getting the chocolate off. The prize - an all-new 2008 Jeep Liberty,” said John Plecha, the Director of Jeep Brand Marketing and Global Communications.

According to a national survey conducted by the Jeep brand, 67 percent of Americans do not know the history behind Sweetest Day. In fact, the survey results revealed:

• The Sweet Spot: Only one in three adults are aware that Sweetest Day was founded by candy makers in Cleveland as an act of goodwill.
• Chocolate Covered Confusion: Nearly one in five adults (20 percent) mistakenly believe that Sweetest Day was founded by greeting card manufacturers, while 13 percent believe it was founded by a floral company.
• Nuts About Chocolate: Forty-six percent of Americans agree that nuts are their favorite chocolate-covered food.