Chrysler criticized over commercial
A Dodge Ram Super Bowl ad that used a speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. drew ire on social media Sunday.
The ad showed people doing service-oriented tasks set against audio of King’s speech, which urges people to be “great” by serving the greater good rather than being successful. It was supposed to highlight Dodge’s volunteer program, Ram Nation.
It was criticized by viewers and ad experts alike for forging too tenuous a connection with the civil rights hero.
Fiat Chrysler said in a statement that it worked closely with the King estate on the ad.
The firm managing King’s intellectual property, Intellectual Properties Management, said in a statement that it approved the ad because it embodied King’s philosophy.
The Dodge ad was emblematic of a change in direction many companies took this season. After a divisive year, advertisers worked overtime to win over audiences with messages that entertained and strove not to offend.
Budweiser, as usual, the largest advertiser during the game, eschewed the usual puppies and Clydesdales to showcase employees who send water to places in need. Verizon showed people thanking first responders who saved them. And Tide tried to make people laugh (and perhaps forget about its Tide Pod problem ) with a humorous series of ads that starred “Stranger Things” actor David Harbour.
“This is a year where people are feeling a little frayed around the edges because the divisive political environment on both sides,” said Kelly O’Keefe, a professor at VCU’s Brandcenter. “They want to feel like there’s something still good in the world.”
Tide took a novel approach with ads each quarter that poked fun at typical Super Bowl ads. Harbour popped up in familiar-looking ads that appear to be about different products: a car, an insurance company, jewelry and Old Spice (another P&G product). The twist? They’re really all Tide ads, because there are no stains on anyone’s clothing.
Tame comedy like the Tide ad was a theme throughout the night. In a year in which the #MeToo movement shined a spotlight on sexual harassment, the vast majority of ads still featured men but there weren’t any that focused on scantily clad women or sexual innuendo, save for an awkwardly dancing — and fully dressed — woman in a Diet Coke ad.
Comedian Keegan-Michael Key cut through complex jargon to put things plainly in a humorous ad for Rocket Mortgage by Quicken Loans. When a restaurant patron is confused by what a “beef-protein, gluten-free pate” is, he explains: “It’s a burrito, filled with plants pretending to be meat.”
An Amazon ad showcased different celebrities — including actress Rebel Wilson, actor Anthony Hopkins, singer Cardi B and chef Gordon Ramsay — subbing as the voice of Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant.
M&M’s featured Danny DeVito as a human M&M. And Mountain Dew and Doritos staged an epic hip-hop lip-sync competition between actors Morgan Freeman and Peter Dinklage. The two synced to Missy Elliott and Busta Rhymes, respectively.
An ad for Blacture, rapper Pras’ new media platform, was one of the few ads to make an overtly political statement. It showed an African American man standing alone on stage with tape over his mouth and a blindfold on his eyes. “Blacture. Be celebrated. Not Tolerated,” text on the screen read. And T-Mobile’s ad showed babies and enlisted Kerry Washington for a voice-over that talked about equality.
“The (T-Mobile) message is terrific but all the way through, if you asked consumers who the ad is for, nobody would know,” said Kimberly Whitler, marketing professor at the University of Virginia. Celebrity sightings: The cold weather in Minneapolis didn’t stop the celebrities from attending the Super Bowl — a bevy of singers, actors and athletes made their way to U.S. Bank Stadium to watch the Eagles and Patriots.
Among them was the Warriors’ Stephen Curry, who took in the game with strength and conditioning coach Mike Irr, USA Today reported. The two flew to Minneapolis to see the game and Curry was said to be rooting for the Eagles. Irr apparently is a New England fan.
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives host Guy Fieri also appeared in the crowd, notably seen with Raiders owner Mark Davis — in what one news outlet on Twitter called a “hair power couple.”
Philadelphia native Bradley Cooper played an Eagles fan in “Silver Linings Playbook,” and is also an actual fan. He was seen celebrating in the luxury box next to Eagles owner Jeff Lurie. (Cooper also narrated an Eagles hype video that was released ahead of the game.)
— Dianne de Guzman, SFGate.com