An energetic original song sung by Morgan Dorr and scenes of powerful Jeep activities make this anthem spot via DDB Chicago, the second of two Jeep ads in Super Bowl 50, a standout in the game. It doesn't scream "event advertising" with the spectacle of some Super Bowl epics, but it brings a lot of energy to a venue where viewers are looking to be energized. Parent Fiat Chrysler Automobiles also may have helped the impact of "4x4ever" by refusing, in line with its standard strategy, to release the ad early.
Along with halftime's "Portraits," "4x4ever" helped kick off a yearlong campaign promoting Jeep's 75th anniversary. That anniversary came at an opportune time for Fiat Chrysler, as sales of trucks and SUV's continued to propel the auto industry, thanks in part to low gas prices. Jeep brand sales were up 15% in January 2016, enabling the automaker to post an overall sales increase of 6.9% despite declines for Chrysler and Fiat.
So it was not a surprise that FCA-Global Chief Marketing Officer Olivier Francois and his team chose to dedicate its Super Bowl buy to Jeep. "We are going to be more prolific than ever in 2016 with the Jeep creative," Mr. Francois told Ad Age in early January.
Jeep made prior Super Bowl turns in 2015 ("Beautiful Lands"), 2014 ("Restless"), 2013 ("Whole Again") and 1995 (the classic "Snow").
Director: Lynn Wittekind. Production company: Caviar Content. Directors of photography: Dimitri Karakatsanis, Andrew Wheeler. Producers: Dawn Guzowski, Natalie Ksiazek, Chris Lutz, Bernard Rahill, Jude Vermeulen.
DDB chief strategy officer: David Perone. Strategt director: Josh Drueck. Chief production officer: Diane Jackson. Creative directors: Nathan Monteith, Tim Green. Account director: Gwen Hammes. Account executive: Alexander Wood.
VFX/design/color: The Mill. Executive producer: Andrew Sommerville. Producer: Natalie Ksiazek. 2D lead artist: Udesh Chetty. 2D artists: Jonathan Freeman. 3D artists: Nic Yiallouris. Motion graphics: Patrick Arrington. Executive producer, color: Laurie Adrianopoli. Color coordinator: Jamie Hoskins. Colorist: Luke Morrison. Color Assist: Mikey Pehanich.
Editorial: Whitehouse Post. Editor: David Cea.
BRAND: Jeep
YEAR: 2016
AGENCY: DDB
SUPERBOWL: 50
QUARTER AIRED: Q4