DETROIT, Feb. 1 (UPI) -- What some call a Muppet on steroids is part of a $30 million campaign to convince young U.S. males that sports utility vehicles are not invincible.
The beast-like SUV, named Esuvee, is part of a campaign mostly funded by the Ford Motor Co. through a settlement of a lawsuit brought by 50 state attorneys generals, the Detroit Free Press reported Tuesday.
The campaign shows people riding on the beefed up Muppet to illustrate the point that drivers need to treat SUVs differently than cars, because they sit higher than cars, making them more prone to roll over in an accident.
The ad campaign is part of a $52 million settlement reached with Ford after the company depicted its SUVs as safe, USA Today reported.
Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller research shows people in SUVs feel "kind of invincible."
"It's a huge challenge to try and reach the right population -- young males -- and pierce through the invincibility factor here," he said.
