Ram’s Super Bowl ad with Glen Powell is a twisted take on ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’

With electric vehicles failing to reach once-lofty sales expectations, automakers in recent months have sought ways to promote their breadth of offerings—including EVs, hybrids and gas-powered vehicles—all in a single ad. Ram is tackling this challenge with a rollicking Super Bowl commercial from GSD&M that puts a truck-fueled twist on “Goldilocks and the Three Bears.” Ram’s version of the classic children’s bedtime story stars actor Glen Powell in a Goldilocks wig, reading the tale to his real-life niece and nephew, Gwen and Witt. “Uncle Glen,” playing a “rugged woodsy dude,” samples various porridge, chairs and beds, just like in the story. But the tale takes a turn as Powell tests out a range of Ram pickups. He encounters a fire-breathing dragon, slays it for dinner and hauls it in a Ram 2500 Rebel heavy duty truck. He takes a RamCharger 1500 gas-electric into the woods, using it to power a couple of chainsaws to sculpt some tree art. Then he jumps a volcano in a sporty Ram RHO. Ram did not forget about the bears—two pick-up driving big ones stalk Powell at the end of the ad, while the baby bear is strapped in the middle backseat of Powell’s truck. Van Halen’s “Panama” is the soundtrack for the 60-second spot, which was released today and will air in the third quarter of Sunday’s game on Fox. The brief for the Ram ad was pretty straightforward: “It is the story of offering consumers the ability to choose what’s right for them,” Stellantis Global Chief Marketing Officer Olivier François said in an interview. “We didn’t always have hybrids, now we have hybrids, but we also have gas engines for the ones who like it. And we acknowledge that there is power in choice.” François, who is French, acknowledged that when he was pitched on the idea, he was not too familiar with the Goldilocks tale. But once it was explained, he said “Okay, now I get it, it’s brilliant,” he said. The ad, called “Drive Your Own Story,” was directed by David Leitch (Minted Content), whose credits include “Deadpool 2,” “John Wick” and “Bullet Train.” “We wanted to take a classic tale and give it a bold, unexpected twist,” Leitch said in a press release. More: Unsung heroes of some of this year’s Super Bowl ads Super Bowl commercials Tracking the latest brand and agency plans Click here Powell, known for roles in movies such as “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Hidden Figures,” has previously starred in Ram ads, including Ram’s collaboration with Universal Pictures for a campaign tied to last summer’s “Twisters” movie, in which Powell starred. “I spent most of the Twisters shoot in a Ram truck and it just felt right,” Powell stated in the press release. “Being part of this Super Bowl spot feels like a natural continuation of my connection to a brand that has already brought me so much joy behind the wheel.” As part of the Super Bowl campaign, Ram plans to sell branded merchandise on its website, including plush/stuffed dragons and bears, T-shirts, hoodies, blankets and even a dragon-wing hot sauce. Stellantis, which is also running a spot for Jeep, is the only confirmed automaker with ads in the game, marking a low point for the category, which once dominated the Big Game commercial breaks. Stellantis sat out last year’s Super Bowl, last appearing in 2023 when it ran ads for Jeep and Ram. The 2025 investment comes as the automaker is trying to reinvigorate its marketing in the wake of the December resignation of CEO Carlos Tavares, who reined in promotional spending, Automotive News recently noted. Changes include putting François over what the automaker described in a Feb. 3 press release as “a new marketing office” that is “regrouping the brand marketers to better support the brands, in particular through its advertising, global events and sponsorships.” François in the Ad Age interview said that “we need to be obviously extremely accountable and cautious and frugal and smart about the way we spend our money.” But he said Stellantis has changed its mindset about marketing, which is now seen as “being an investment and not just a cost.” “We believe in the power of our brands, and we know that the power of our brands needs to be fueled with equity,” he added. Equity is “a function of how you connect your brand through values with an audience, and that’s exactly where Super Bowl is priceless.”

Ram’s Super Bowl ad with Glen Powell is a twisted take on ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’

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