Chrysler’s Super Bowl Ad Touting Detroit “Comeback” Filmed In New Orleans And Los Angeles… <iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/_PE5V4Uzobc?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0"></iframe> You can’t make this stuff up. Via Weekly Standard: One of the most popular Super Bowl advertisements last night was the Chrysler ad featuring Clint Eastwood, titled “Halftime in America.” The spot is supposed to be encouraging, as it focuses on the resilience of Detroit. “It’s halftime. Both teams are in their locker room discussing what they can do to win this game in the second half,” Eastwood says in the spot. “It’s halftime in America, too. People are out of work and they’re hurting. And they’re all wondering what they’re going to do to make a comeback. And we’re all scared, because this isn’t a game. The people of Detroit know a little something about this. They almost lost everything. But we all pulled together, now Motor City is fighting again.” But contrary to what the might ad suggest, the spot was actually filmed in New Orleans and Los Angles. “Yes, part of it was filmed in New Orleans . . . and some was filmed in various parts—such as Los Angeles,” Dianna Gutierrez said. She specifically points to the tunnel scenes as being taken at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, while the stadium shots were in New Orleans. Asked whether any part of the ad was filmed in Detroit, Gutierrez said that previously taken footage from various parts of the Motor City was used. No image of Detroit was shot for the specific use in this ad.
I don't care where that commercial was filmed. I do believe in the message though. I got lost in the "who cares about buying American" crowd. After buying American exclusively for all my life, I bought two Honda Accords in 2008. What woke me up was the result of a minor accident where we waited a long time to get a fender support after the Japan earthquake/tsunami. I swore that I wouldn't let that happen again. In 2011, we corrected this wrong and went back to buying American. I am tired of seeing jobs go overseas. I am ready to see a reversal of this trend. My company has started this reversal by moving our IT Tech support department back from India to the US. I will be so happy to be able to understand what the support people are saying and to be able to pronounce their names. Bring jobs back to America. If buying American will help do this, I am ready to continue doing so.
I don't want to get into a big political debate...and Tom, you know that I am as pro-American as anybody. I am, however, kind of a free trade guy. It is a new world...why is it so patriotic to buy a Chevy Cruz rather than a Honda Accord...when a higher percentage of the Cruz (55%) is manufactured and assembled outside of this country than the Accord (20%)? The top two "Most American made" cars are Japanese, and four of the top six "most American" manufactured cars are by foreign companies. Most American Cars Why is it so evil for companies to have plants overseas "taking jobs away" when at the same time it is evil for foreign car companies to have plants in the United States? Those jobs brought in by foreign companies don't seem to count whereas jobs "sent away" by US companies do.
I did not see the ad as pro anything but American initiative. That conservatives cry foul is not surprising to me, and I easily dismiss their conspiracy-oriented whining (There I go, using that word again.) I'll believe Clint before I'd believe Karl Rove. That the commercial was not shot in Detroit also is inconsequential. It was an outstanding commercial with a strong, positive message. I liked it. In addition to Chrysler transmision and GM truck plants in Indiana, there are three huge auto manufacturing plants, Honda, Subaru, and Toyota light truck, employing thousands of Hoosiers. That's only in Indiana. There are others elsewhere in the USA, employing tens of thousands American workers, which begs the question, what brands do you think of when you think of buying American?
Aw, it was a good ad... And I'm not going to dump on Clint for doing it. He's as pro American as anybody. But it WAS paid for, in part, by government dollars, and whining or not, I can see where it can be accused of being a bit political..."we're at halftime", and all that. Only question...does that mean "we're only halfway done...give us a second half"....or does it mean "Let's make some second half adjustments...we kind of didn't do so well in that first half." 8)
The times they are a changin' somebody once said.....it is a global economy and that is never going to change - there is no going back. In order for our domestic companies to succeed - and I think we can all agree that we want our domestic businesses/employers to be successful - they need to compete with global competitors. Their supply chains need to source raw materials, capital equipment and labor wherever and however it provides them the means to be successful. The majority of the worlds consumers live outside of our shores. The majority of the worlds production and economic activity takes place outside of the US. In our lifetime, there will become a point in time where we are no longer the big kid on the block.....China will one day soon boast of the worlds largest economy. In order for US enterprises to succeed and prosper, they need to be able to provide a competitive product - price, quality and service - to the people that want to buy it....increasingly the majority of those people live outside the US and they are going to prefer - as we do here in the US - that the products are made, assembled and sold locally. Our companies cannot be successful without being mindful of those realities.... Indeed today as we speak, GM sells more cars in China than in the US. Intel derives 85% of its revenus from overseas - primarily Asia. AMAT, GE, Dow Chemical, IBM etc, etc generate the majority of their business from overseas.....it is a new world and we must compete in that global reality or we cannot prosper......erecting barriers or otherwise forcing our businesses to ignore or place them at competitive disadvantages in the biggest pieces of the global business "pie" is to guarantee further decline in our global standing.....
My new American Chevy was partly made in Canada. Foreign car companies all have plants in the US, interestingly most of them build in states that don't require the union.
As someone who lives in the Detroit area I could give 2 turds where the commercial was shot. We make cars and we're proud of it. They make films in LA. That's how it is.
By God it's about time! Welcome home son. Too bad I could get no sentiments like this on this board when Detroit was imploding around me and I could see my excellent job slipping away daily back in 2008. In any event most of the new Big Three TV ads out these days...almost all of them are actually filmed in Detroit and also the suburbia scenes all look like my old neighborhood....Grosse Pointe. Not only does it highlight Detroit but it is a great cost cutting measure vs. costly filming in LaLa land.
Instead of taking bows, Dave, maybe a Thank you is in order. The American taxpayer has kept what's left of Detroit on life support.
We have spent about $85,000 this past year in Detroit and about $45,000 in Milwaukee. I'm doing kjldsfn l ... Ok Cindy... We're doing our part! 8) Now that is stimulus that works. Let me spend my hard earned money where I please rather than the Obamination in the White House giving it to others!
Too late for me and millions like me. Our new motto is to work 30% harder for 50% less. I know of virtually no one left in that cottage auto show industry that is still employed gainfully in their old jobs at near the same pay rate.....or even employed at all with the same company.....or even employed period in some cases. And then there was a good friend/co-worker who I spent many a sleepless cold night with at McCormick Place in Chicago or in the check-in trailer at the foot of the ramp at Javits in NY or on the docks of the LA Convention Center overlooking the Hollywood sign.......or on the blacktop in 98 degree heat next to the Texas State Fairgrounds right next to Big Tex.....a good man who lost most of his road work assignments after I was laid off because my former company couldn't hang on to the business. He committed suicide finally last July......a cruel result of a cruel recession.
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With the Obama administration trampling the rule of law in the process and making him the poster child of executive overreach.....and that was then!
SNL's funny ass spin on the Eastwood ad: http://gawker.com/5884370/watch-snl-parody-clint-eastwoods-chrysler-super-bowl-spot
I'm not sure that this is "life support." http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/Latest-News-Wires/2012/0119/GM-reclaims-title-as-world-s-No.-1-automaker