Clint Eastwood’s halftime Super Bowl commercial for Chrysler, entitled “It’s Halftime in America,” was Good, Bad, and Ugly.
The Good? It would be churlish to suggest that the script and production values were anything other than stellar, and Eastwood’s gravelly delivery is always a treat. The Bad? One might fairly ask whether Chrysler, which was bailed out, should be funding a commercial that will have cost almost $15 million just to air in the first year in seven in which it has made a profit. (The total costs of the commercial must be approaching 10 percent of the $183 million in profit that Chrysler made in 2011.) However you look at it, this is not a company that is out of the woods, and one that is ill-advised to turn up cap in hand wearing an Armani suit.
And the Ugly? The commercial’s theme was more closely informed by Barack Obama’s recent SOTU call for the country to put aside its differences and march to the president’s tune than by the rugged individualism that one usually associates with the star who played Dirty Harry and The Man with No Name. It was full of injunctions to “all pull together” and calls to “rally around what [is] right and act as one,” which are fine if one wishes to storm the beaches of Iwo Jima, but are the death knell of a healthy democratic culture.
The script aside, it’s odd that Eastwood should even have agreed to make such a commercial. He was the Republican mayor of Carmel, California, describes himself as a “libertarian,” and was against the auto bailouts. In a November 2011 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Eastwood said:
“I’m a big hawk on cutting the deficit. I was against the stimulus thing too. We shouldn’t be bailing out the banks and car companies. If a CEO can’t figure out how to make his company profitable, then he shouldn’t be the CEO.”
In the same interview, Eastwood claimed to be a fan of Herman Cain, largely because, “he’s a guy who came from nowhere and did well, obviously against heavy odds. He’s a doer and a straight-talker.”
Once upon a time, so was Clint Eastwood.
Maybe he needed the money, man can't live forever on the the residuals to Bronco Billy
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseHere is something left unstated in the ad, fr obvious reasons: the company declaring that it is, "Halftime in America" and urging us to let the world hear our engines roar is the government-rescued U.S. subsidiary of Fiat, an Italian car company. Fiat owns almost 60% of Chrysler and they ran an ad telling us to pull together as Americans. Now THAT is cynical.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseNothing about the ad makes any sense.
Chrysler (tries to) sell cars, right? What did that ad do to promote their product? They got in trouble because they haven't made or priced products that appeal to enough people. Now they spend a small fortune talking about how "the country" is going to come back?
Doesn't this just define why Chrysler (and GM) are troubled? They'd prefer to sell some vague notion to hearten (somehow) buyers into "liking" them instead of describing the superior attributes and value of their products.
And using Clint Eastwood? I like the guy enough but how does he symbolize a resurgent car company with worthwhile products? Surely all the suits loved this ad (and loved meeting Eastwood) but I'd sell the stock if this represents the best thinking they can come up with to increase sales.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI've never understood the "Buy American" appeals from Detroit. Why should I buy an inferior product to support the UAW and Big Three management (both of whom have pursued destructive policies for decades) in preference to a Honda made in Ohio or a Toyota from Kentucky?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseYou shouldn't.
In fact, the worst thing that happens to American car companies is that they have just enough customers to justify continuing to peddle crap.
If everyone stopped buying crap, then the Bankrupt 3 would have to improve their product, something they obviously refuse to do in the absence of a boycott.
The main problem -- bad product -- persists because American car companies make all their money off the sales of parts that are designed to malfunction quickly, and have an incestuous relationship with the auto mechanics who install their replacements.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIf Americans stop selling each other crap what will we do with the empty supermarkets and the silent three hours where the Rush Limbaugh show used to be?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseOMG! U r soooooo funnnnyyyy!
LMAO
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseGreat point! Buy American is code for,"give money to the Democratic Party's Labor Union money laundering scheme".
The real American auto industry is BMW, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Honda, Toyota and Hyundai. Forget about Detroit.
I wouldn't buy another bail out motors vehicle if my only alternative was walking.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseUnfortunately, the folks who market cars know the same thing the folks who market politicians know. Americans are easily manipulated by sights and sounds. It's how we ended up with an incompetent, inexperienced far left liberal as President. He looked good and sounded good, so we bought him.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI hate to think that Clint Eastwood is a sucker who was easily hood-winked by Chrysler, talent agents, lawyers, ad agency executives, etc., but I hate even more to think that he knew what he was doing and did it willingly. There are so few heroes left in Hollywood for Americans to admire that it's sad to think one of the few remaining has moved over to the dark side.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI found the commercial downright nauseating. After eating some killer chili dogs with homemade, traditional Cincinnati-style hot dog chili, and chopped white onion, it was none too appreciated.
I don't need a decrepit old man deploring me, on behalf of a car company that needed a taxpayer-funded bailout, to "pull together". "Pull THIS!"
With more companies like Chrysler -- who take taxpayer money to stay afloat, and have the rules concerning structured finance turned upside-down so the preferred creditors are subordinated to the union employees -- it will be GAME OVER much too quickly.
Perhaps the raspy-voiced Preacher on his White Horse can find a company to shill for that isn't so disrespectful of the taxpayers, before we're admonished during a football game to "all come together."
Halftime Kumbaya? BARF!
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseEastwood is a good spokesperson for Chrysler in that he resembles the company somewhat. He's 82 years old. We have a lot of fond memories of him. We *want* to like what he's doing. But you have to wonder if he knows what he's doing, and we can't buy what he's selling right now because it's not quite right.
And on the other hand you have GM. They're selling Chevy trucks, and advertising that they'll survive Armageddon. I suppose in the fine print, it states, "Armageddon" does not include literal Armageddon, acts of God, force Majeur, or chapters 7, 11 or 13 of Title 11, United States Code...
And on the gripping hand, Mike Rowe - who has made a career out of giving working men their due - is the Ford spokesman. He doesn't finger wag and admonish us to get our act together, but makes jokes and encourages to check out what Ford is doing because Ford is stepping up their quality and fuel economy. Ford didn't take a handout and in one ad (that the Administration hissed off the networks) Rowe pointed that fact out. Ford mooches as much as any other big company, but for the most part it is doing okay on its own. We shouldn't lump Ford Motor Co in the with the folks who took handouts, perverted the bankruptcy code and who are still being slippery and deceptive about the profit/loss statements and who owes whom what. .
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI'm curious if anybody involved with the President's SOTU address heard the audio of the comericial before the SOTU address.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI'm curious if anybody involved in the SOTU address heard the audio of the comericial before the SOTU address.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseAs a defrauded-by-Obama-fiat GM bondholder, I certainly can say that my "second half" would be better if I still had my money and investment which these people stole from me to give to union thugs and bureaucrats. Millions of everyday Americans all over, including in Detroit, are with me in that post-game analysis. In fact, maybe that's what the halftime show "goof" was really all about, with that rapper MIA standing in for Obama sending a message to Americans who respect the rule of law via a certain raised finger.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIt is halftime. Either we get rid of Obama or we die.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbusePlease don't quit your day jobs, this is Marketing 101, NOBODY wants you if your a loser, but a gritty comeback kid, where do you sign for a 300?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseLooks a lot like Reagan's '84 "morning in America" ad.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI can't believe so many people here are hating the message that Americans will raise together to meet the challenges and to continue to be the greatest nation on earth. Can't believe that some people so openly and sincerely root for the decline of America just to defeat Obama!
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseEverything isn't about politics. Chrysler was trying to sell cars during the Super Bowl. Nothing more. Please refrain from bringing politics into football and baseball. Thank you in advance.
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