This Commercial Is So Good That You Can Listen to It as a Motivational Speech

The year was 2012, and Super Bowl had prepared its commercial pack. Chrysler paid big bucks, then, to warn everyone that it will survive. Detroit, once the reckoned Motor Capital of the World, was crumbling. In the ruins of the city, people tried to exist. And then this commercial came as one of the best motivational speeches, shown in front of a public who could understand it.

The previous year, Chrysler hired Eminem for a commercial about the 200. That commercial told people that it matters where a luxury car is built, and that was in Detroit, Eminem's hometown. Well, that didn't work that well. The 200 was not such a successful model. It wasn't exactly a luxury car, and the commercial didn't have that much of an impact. In 2011 it sold less than 100,000 units. It peaked in 2012 with 125,476 vehicles sold, but let's remember that the 2012 Chrysler's commercial with Clint Eastwood is the one that I consider to have had a significant impact on customers. The commercial was made by the Wieden+Kennedy agency, the same company that handled Honda's commercial "The impossible dream."

For starters, I don't think that anyone in the U.S. who's at the age of buying a car without asking their parents and don't know Clint Eastwood's fantastic, raspy voice. Even if they don't know whose voice it is, you must admit it has an impact. Then, there are the words. Those words are just an inspirational speech!

First, he speaks about the economic situation of those times when people didn't know what to do. Remember that some had just started working to find out they were fired. They were scared when it came to their future.

"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."

Then: "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." This was the moment when the upturn began. Eastwood admitted that he's been through some tough times himself. "I've seen a lot of tough eras, a lot of downturns in my life, times when we didn't understand each other."

It was a call to reality and asked people to get back together and fight against that economic downturn. "Because that's what we do. We find a way through tough times, and if we can't find a way, then we'll make one." And that's exactly what happened. After all those rough years, the economy hit bottom and started to rise back again. In those times, some economic analysts argued if it was a V-shaped crisis or a W-shaped one. But regular Joe and Jane didn't care about that. They cared about putting bread on the table. For some, that crisis was a final blow, while for others, it was a way to improve and find new opportunities.

This was, and is, an eternal question: how do we handle a challenging situation, and how can we win through it? It is something that each and every one of us has already faced. And it's the logical thing to do. What this magnificent commercial does is remind those who forgot what the next step is. "All that matters now is what's ahead. How do we come from behind? How do we come together? And how do we win?" This line is like a cold shower. This particular line woke me up when I watched the commercial.

Fortunately, the same speech gave us the solution. "Detroit's showing us it can be done. And what's true about them is true about all of us." We all know what happened in Detroit and how bad it was. It is still not good. But Chrysler kept its assembly lines from Sterling Heights open. It continued to do what it had to do. Even if sometimes that was bad for people, it was suitable for those who could keep their jobs there. Later on, the American carmaker hired more workers. If there is one automaker that could help bring Detroit back to where it is today, that's Chrysler.

Finally, there is something we already know, but Clint Eastwood's speech said it better: "This country can't be knocked out with one punch. We get right back up again, and when we do, the world's going to hear the roar of our engines." And that's what they are doing. Mopar people are still in business, and Jeep is rising again with an extended range of products and is doing even better than before. As for the RAM Trucks, the TRX has been the talk of the town for a long time already. Last but not least, Chrysler is getting ready for the future with the electric Airflow. Sure, the new Stellantis alliance is helpful. But Chrysler products are still proudly made by the people from Detroit.

In 2012, we didn't know if Chrysler or Detroit would survive. But now we know they do. But what people had back then was hope and trust. And that's proven by Eastwood's final words from the ad: "Yeah, it's halftime America and our second half is about to begin."