Bob Dylan Croons “We Will Build Your Car” in Chrysler Super Bowl Ad
“Is there anything more American than America?” That’s the somewhat head-scratching message that begins the Chrysler Super Bowl ad, “America’s Import,” whose perplexing rationale becomes a bit clearer one when realizes the speaker. The words, as well as the music, are provided by a true American original and arguably one of the most prolific songwriters of this or any generation, Bob Dylan.
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The Chrysler Super Bowl ad promotes the Chrysler 200 and shows the automaker’s commitment to reaching out to a wider audience. Not only did they manage to wrangle one of the most recognizable names and voices of the past 50 years, but they paid more than a pretty penny for the ad time alone. Some perspective: 30 seconds of Super Bowl ad time cost $4 million this year; the “America’s Import” ad runs a full two minutes. You do the math.
“America’s Import” made its premiere in the third quarter, which Forbes suggests may have cost it some of its outreach potential due to how one-sided the game itself ended up being. However, many Monday morning quarterbacks are calling the Chrysler Super Bowl ad a success for its use of powerful American iconography (e.g. diners, baseball under the lights, farmlands, Route 66, James Dean, Rosie the Riveter, and Dylan himself).
The smooth trot of Dylan’s “Things Have Changed” scores the slow and focused tempo of the sacrosanct singer/songwriter’s words, hich tell us that “Detroit made cars, and cars made America.” He extols the virtues of the American road, of the very value of American Pride in Chrysler vehicles. He closes: “So let Germany brew your beer, let Switzerland make your watch, let Asia assemble your phone. We will build your car.”
Also notable: lion-headed steampunk griffin graffiti. Also undeniably American. USA! USA!
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