"One of things we've been working on for last couple of days is a
dealer kit," said Joe Staples, creative director for Wieden, of
Portland, Ore., which created the Super Bowl spot. "How can we make
dealers around America feel like Detroit embassies? How can we put
this feeling about Detroit and its optimistic resurgence in
dealerships? We'll help them keep that stuff rolling."
Wieden will also use the "Imported from Detroit" theme in
regional and advertising.
Aaron Allen, an agency creative director on the Chrysler
account, said future advertising will talk more about the Chrysler
200's attributes than the national TV Super Bowl commercial did:
"[National] is meant to grab people's emotions and heart. With
[regional], people want more details to include our car into their
shopping considerations."
Wieden devised the "Imported From Detroit" theme, in part,
because Chrysler is aiming at import buyers with both the 200 and
upcoming 2011 Chrysler 300 sedans.
Because of his own hard-luck story, Eminem was the perfect
character for a commercial about the comeback of a brand, a
company, a city and an industry, Mr. Allen said.
"There's a scrappiness and honesty to him that's the Detroit
story. As famous as Eminem is, he's not a massive showboater," he
said. "The culture of Detroit is one of hard work and excellence,
but not one of a city that pats itself on the back."
Saad Chehab, head of Chrysler brand communications, said Eminem
"symbolizes the city's history, its stumble and recovery." The
message from the campaign is that "you no longer have to cross
oceans to get what you can have from these shores," he says.
Chrysler Group CEO Sergio Marchionne helped craft the
commercial, once watching rough cuts more than 100 times on a plane
flight. That's unusual for the CEO of a major company, the agency
execs said.
Said Mr. Staples: "He sits down with scripts and talks about
what words are right. He's a big-picture guy but he also
understands writing."
Said Mr. Allen: "We were surprised us from beginning of our
relationship how specific he could be in a good way."