How do you top two of the most talked-about Super Bowl ads in history? If you are Chrysler Group LLC, you create two more.
But this time, you do it for a cause.
In 2011, Chrysler captivated viewers with a love letter to Detroit, starring local rapper Eminem. Last year, the company topped that with a pep talk to America delivered by Clint Eastwood. As the countdown to Super Bowl XLVII began, Fiat-Chrysler marketing maven Olivier Francois knew the nation would be waiting to see if Chrysler could do it again. Instead, the company decided to use its time in the spotlight to give back to the country that gave it a new lease on life.
"In the past two years, what we have been collectively trying to do was to connect with America. That was the main problem we needed to fix with Chrysler," Francois told The Detroit News in an exclusive interview Monday. "This year, the picture is a little bit different because Chrysler's recovery is rolling ahead … we thought maybe this year is a year to give back."