I have watched the downward trend of automotive
spots in the Super Bowl over my two-plus decades of coverage, and it’s an interesting phenomenon, even if it makes me kind of sad.
There have been no shortage of amazing spots
generated by automakers, with many of the most memorable coming from Stellantis (which I began covering when it was simply Chrysler, then DaimlerChrysler, then Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and now
Stelllantis.)
As it happens, the only two automotive spots actually in the Big Game this year were from Stellantis brands, Ram Trucks and Jeep. The automaker went so far as to
embargo my Jeep story until the exact moment the poignant two-minute spot starring Harrison Ford appeared in the game. I was at the ready to hit “current” on my story as
soon as it played during the first commercial break in the fourth quarter.
advertisement
advertisement
I wonder who was actually watching the fourth-quarter spots. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen
a Super Bowl more lopsided than the one last night, with the Philadelphia Eagles so completely dominating and destroying the Kansas City Chiefs the entire game.
Statistically,
both spots did well. For the tenth consecutive year, TV outcomes company EDO analyzed every Super Bowl ad, measuring the highest levels of incremental online activity immediately after
airing to determine the most engaging spots.
Ranked #2, the Ram Trucks spot featuring actor Glen Powell as “Goldilocks”
generated 748% more engagement than the average Super Bowl ad.
Ranked #8, the Jeep spot outperformed the benchmark by 537%.
That Jeep ad will live on long
after the game. I’ve seen it shared on social media, and a lot of viewers will watch it for the first time from their office today. It’s not even 10 a.m. ET, and the YouTube link is
already registering more than 1.3 million views.
It’s quiet and deliberate; you really have to pay full attention to what Ford is saying to appreciate it.
During a conversation I had last week with Stellantis Global CMO Olivier Francois, he was emphatic that the company didn't intend the ad to be political.
But
when you wave an American flag and talk about freedom, it’s hard not to think about politics and the extremely divided state of the USA.
The monologue — which was
written in-house by Francois, Raj Register, CMO of North America, Stellantis, and other Stellantis executives without the aid of an agency — encourages viewers to wave at strangers
(totally acceptable if you drive a Jeep, since the Jeep wave is actually a thing). It also says it’s OK not to agree with someone, because “our differences can be our strength.”
I actually thought about politicians in general when I heard Ford deliver the lines “Real heroes are humble. They're not driven by pride. Pride is a terrible
driver.”
Then he says “Freedom is the roar of one man's engine, and the silence of another’s” -- meant to communicate that it’s OK to want a loud
gasoline-powered engine OR a silent electric battery-powered vehicle. Ford is shown driving an electric Wrangler, which he says “makes me happy, ...even though my name is
Ford.” His delivery is spot-on.
The life lessons the spot suggests are simple but worth considering: “The most sacred thing in life isn't the path, it’s the
freedom to choose it. … Choose what makes YOU happy.”
As the Constitution says, we’re all entitled to the pursuit of happiness. It leaves the details up to
us.