Clint Eastwood Chrysler commercial

Ravine · February-06-12, 01:40 AM

Oh, Mr. Warm & Fuzzy, that's me, a misty-eyed sheeple if ever there was one.

**Crumbled_pavement** · February-06-12, 03:11 AM

With the exception of Lowell, I love how people around here are so pro-regionalism when convenient. I respect Lowell because he appears to be someone who supports regionalism through the good, bad, and ugly. Some of the rest of you are fair weather like Newt Gingrich.

**wolverine** · February-06-12, 03:14 AM

It was a nice ad. But I saw a couple shots that looked like the same photos and video from the last commercial. Last years Superbowl commercial made a big impact. This felt like leftovers.

**Gistok** · February-06-12, 03:48 AM

If I'm not mistaken, the last Crain's Detroit Jobs list had Chrysler as #1 of the big 3 in jobs in Detroit [[although I thought it was GM).

So this Chrysler HQ location venting is silly...

**FlyingJ** · February-06-12, 04:46 AM

Originally Posted by Gistok

this Chrysler HQ location venting is silly...

Next thing ya know they'll vent Walter P never built the Chrysler Building here...

**Wingnatic** · February-06-12, 07:24 AM

**Artistic** · February-06-12, 08:23 AM

Reality - A game where men kick and throw a ball and the world watches in excitement and amazement...Hmmmm.
Reality - A Chrysler commercial with a message has some complaining on this blog...Hmmm

**DetroitPlanner** · February-06-12, 08:24 AM

Originally Posted by Occurrence

Oh great, another cliched commercial to get some of the sheeple here to break out in tears.

If Chrysler is so proud of the city, why don't they move their corporate headquarters back?

If you want to split hairs that finely, Chrysler never had an HQ of any signifigance in Detroit. Detroit is a region it is not simply defined by imaginary lines running down 8 Mile, 5 Points, West Parkway or Alter

**noggin** · February-06-12, 08:52 AM

The part that struck me that was weird were the guys standing on the side of a river staring out. Unfortunately it reminds me of the Chrysler workers at the Jefferson plant that got busted for getting hammered on their lunch break at a park on the side of the Detroit River.

**jolla** · February-06-12, 09:03 AM

At the end of it, a bunch of us yelled "get off my lawn, you zipperheads!"

**justanotherboy** · February-06-12, 09:13 AM

Great commerical but lets not forget that the U.S. taxpayers lost $1.3 billion on it's bailout in exiting Chrysler.

http://money.cnn.com/2011/07/21/auto...exit/index.htm

**canuck** · February-06-12, 09:15 AM

The urban/suburban dichotomy exists in other cities, but Detroit's divisiveness is sharper. It keeps popping up in threads like these. Some folks from the burbs who don't think twice rooting for Detroit teams at sports venues in or outside city limits, will dump on the city driving on their way home to the burbs. Detroit is a region, and a state of mind. The future of Detroit is in cohesive solutions.

**313WX** · February-06-12, 09:19 AM

Originally Posted by Crumbled_pavement

With the exception of Lowell, I love how people around here are so pro-regionalism when convenient. I respect Lowell because he appears to be someone who supports regionalism through the good, bad, and ugly. Some of the rest of you are fair weather like Newt Gingrich.

Very well said.

Any other time when the news its negative, borders matter and we're in SE Michigan [[insert arbitrary number of miles away) from Detroit in [[insert irrelevant township) or "we're not in Detroit" or "we're not near Detroit" or "that's in Detroit."

Then on the flip side, you have the Ford commercials which, after using "See your Metro Detroit Ford Dealers" for decades, all of a sudden changes it for whatever reason to "See your SE Michigan Ford Dealers."

Yeah, that's what the so-called "negative" comments are about.

**Pam** · February-06-12, 09:20 AM

Meh. Why use Clint? He sounds like he should be pitching throat spray or lozenges instead.

**sycloneman** · February-06-12, 10:00 AM

At the end of it, a bunch of us yelled "get off my lawn, you zipperheads!"

LOL. Not to mention we went from a FORD Gran Torino to touting Chrysler. Anyway I thought it was good ad but boy Clint is sounding rough! I think HE needs a bailout!

Oh and I know it has been talked about before, but it was the first time I noticed a trademark symbol following the "Imported From Detroit" brand.

**iheartthed** · February-06-12, 10:17 AM

Originally Posted by Cinderpath

Chrysler *IS* in Detroit, with thousands of jobs. Have you by chance ever heard of Jefferson Ave Assembly? Seriously. Yes Fiat inherited a company with an HQ that happens to be able go from design to prototype in Auburn Hills. Be happy they never moved it to Germany or Torino, Italy. I don't get the idiotic hate on this list about arbitrary borders. Don't you realize its about us against a global economy, not Detroit vs. Troy. Did you listen to Clint's message: divided we fall. Grow up, or get out of the way.

Good point. Chrysler is the largest private employer in Detroit.

But I didn't really care for the commercial. I think it was missing a little bit of the edge from last year.

**rb336** · February-06-12, 10:18 AM

Originally Posted by Crumbled_pavement

With the exception of Lowell, I love how people around here are so pro-regionalism when convenient. I respect Lowell because he appears to be someone who supports regionalism through the good, bad, and ugly. Some of the rest of you are fair weather like Newt Gingrich.

Regionalism is, really, the only rational response to what ANY major city needs. I'd go so far as to embrace a Toronto model

**iheartthed** · February-06-12, 10:28 AM

Originally Posted by Pam

Meh. Why use Clint? He sounds like he should be pitching throat spray or lozenges instead.

Yeah, I'm not sure the image of a racist octogenarian who worships his vintage gas guzzler was the best image to try to associate with Detroit [[city or industry).

**cman710** · February-06-12, 10:30 AM

I thought the advertisement was good and I enjoyed watching it. That said, it would have been hard to top last year's commercial, if only because of the surprise factor.

Auto-industry wise, I thought the most notable commercial was the Chevrolet commercial with the pick-up trucks. I thought the critique of Ford was a bit dirty and unwarranted, and I think it reflected poorly on GM. Also, this sort of GM vs. Ford dirty play plays right into the hands of all the other foreign manufacturers who are happy to see the American companies tearing each other apart.

**Gannon** · February-06-12, 10:30 AM

Seeing auto production ramp up at the Jefferson plant over this past year alone has served to stir up memories from my youth. It is merely a hint of what we used to do in this town, but seeing that activity while they talk of adding even more production...with that Maserati SUV...tweaks a deeply-buried and atrophied sense of pride.

I don't even mind getting caught in their little traffic jams at shift change!

As for this commercial and Clint?! I'd love to learn the back-story on this...who approached who, and how many writers had their fingers in the pie. Contrary to previous commentary, commercials are NOT only designed to sell product. They establish branding, and put a face on a usually impersonal company. GE, anyone?!

Chrysler has chosen to put our faces, collectively, up as theirs. They surely know of the ruin porn which permeates popular press...but have chosen to put it all on the line. The juxtaposition is huge.

I daresay this tactic could only have been dreamt up by outsiders. Years ago, I half-heard Howard Hertz tell a story about a visit to a Swiss record store, where fully a third of their vinyl were in bins labelled "Detroit Music". He was trying to impress a round-table of locals of the image Detroit had in other parts of the world. Further you get away, the stronger the positive vibe...from those who haven't ever visited here.

Given that, I'm betting this campaign would never have flown without that Italian passion at the helm. I'm happy to feel that in the automotive world again.

Cheers!
John

P.S.: Last year's ad will always be special, since I caught it while in San Diego. Neither my ex-pat friend or I could believe what we were seeing for over two minutes during the SuperBowl!

**sycloneman** · February-06-12, 10:35 AM

I thought the critique of Ford was dirty and unwarranted, and I think it reflected poorly on GM.

Wha? It's a commercial! Is this world becoming that politically correct that you can't compare and contrast your product against those of other companies? I don't see Ford backing down at all touting the fact that they have been the best selling truck for 8 million years running...but then again since they aren't the longest lasting truck on the road, Ford die-hards have to replace them more often, thus padding the sales figures! Ha!

I'm just waiting for some environmentalist to chime in about the abuse of frogs in the commercial...

**mallory** · February-06-12, 11:17 AM

I'll admit it was a good spot [[had me in tears of pride), and I'll agree that it wasn't as good as last year, but at least it was a Detroit commercial. My question is, did it sell cars? It seemed like a campaign commercial for Obama or Romney, unlike the MnM spot that actually highlighted a car AND the city.

As for the comment about the Chevy truck commercial, I thought it was one of the best spots of the night. "Lighten up Francis!"

**MikeM** · February-06-12, 11:23 AM

Meh...too sappy.

**old guy** · February-06-12, 11:25 AM

Damn, tough crowd here. I think every time these ads air they create more interest with people around the country to maybe visit Detroit. Even the other Chrysler ads that have been running over the last few months show a side of downtown Detroit that you don't normally see if you live somewhere else. The average person knows of all the graffiti covered buildings and burnt out houses. But you rarely see the vibrant, functioning side of Detroit.

I still prefer the ad from last year too. All in all I think the whole Super Bowl ad mystique is totally overblown. I'm a huge football fan but I don't really care for the Super Bowl extravaganza. I turn it on at the start of the game, off at half time and switch channels after the last play.

I'll probably get beat up on this one but, I really don't understand the dislike between the people that live in the city, people that live in the suburbs or even the surrounding area. How does that help anything?

Ravine · February-06-12, 11:25 AM

Originally Posted by iheartthed

Yeah, I'm not sure the image of a racist octogenarian who worships his vintage gas guzzler was the best image to try to associate with Detroit [[city or industry).

It's people like you who used to bug Robert Young for medical advice.