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Thursday 10 February 2011

Detroit





This is one for the communication and branding nerds - Chrysler's super bowl effort to promote their new car the 200.

Visually it is good (although some shots are the standard issue car ad) but the script is very good (I'd suggest just listening to the narration alone).  It is a fine example of how a brand in trouble tries to reinvent itself and following Chrysler's near collapse and massive government bail-out it was certainly in trouble.  It co-opts the narrative of the city of Detroit.  This is far from an untroubled place but it is used to provide a parallel story of decline and return - been through hell but came out stronger based on good values.  In broader terms of appeal it tries to link in with the strength of American identification with "city".  


As all advertising tries to connect at an emotional level, the claims that some viewers were in tears would indicate it has been successful in those terms (although whether they can afford a luxury car in the present climate is a different matter).

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