CoolGlobalBiz, February 7, 2011
OKAY, ONE SUPER BOWL commercial deserves mention: Chrysler's "Imported from Detroit" ad by Wieden + Kennedy, the brilliant minds behind the Nike, Tiger Woods and Old Spice ads. The Chrysler ad speaks positively to America's tough-as-steel heartland and the traditional values of the industrial belt. Featuring rapper Eminem, the ad also rings pro-American without being xenophobic or protectionist -- unlike many race-baiting ads during the 1980s, when Japanese autos stormed the United States market. Wieden + Kennedy also knows that much of global consumerism today is all about state of mind and lifestyle, not geography.
Interestingly, a full-page Chrysler newspaper ad running at the same time could appeal to patriotic U.S. citizens from the heartland, plus immigrants who love America but still feel close to their ancestral homelands. The ad, which features a kid of any ethnic origin standing proudly with his arms crossed, reads: "Show Where You Are Going Without Forgetting Where You Are From."
Bravo to Wieden + Kennedy, which is going global and recently opened an office in Brazil, the host country of the 2016 Summer Olympics. Good profile on the firm in Advertising Age, which recently named Wieden + Kennedy the ad agency of the year.
- Advertising Age, "Wieden + Kennedy is Ad Age's Agency of the Year" by Rupal Parekh.
- Crain's Detroit Business, "The Eminem Chrysler ad, and what Detroiters think" by Bill Shea.
- AOL's AutoBlog, "Opinion: Chrysler advertises Detroit with Eminem during Super Bowl, chooses wrong car" by David Kiley.
- TheTruthAboutCars.com, "Chrysler Has a City to Sell to You" by Bertel Schmitt.
- Wieden + Kennedy blog, "W+K Super Bowl Spots."
- OregonLive.com, "Wieden + Kennedy gets ready for Super Bowl" by Allan Brettman.
- MotorTrend.com, "Image, Attitude, Class: Chrysler's Eminem Super Bowl Ad Hits Hard" by Todd Lassa.
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