Critical Analysis: Imported from Detroit

Orlando Sanchez

English 11000-B

4/20/15

Critical Analysis: Imported from Detroit

            Detroit has long been known as ‘the motor city” and the heart of America’s auto industry. Big companies such as Ford, General Motors and Chrysler provided employment to thousands of Detroit residents. However for a while, the city has been in a harsh decline, becoming apparent during the financial crisis of 2007-2008 and reaching its climax when it was declared bankrupt on December 3, 2013. There are many factors that led Detroit to bankruptcy such as corruption and too much borrowing, however perhaps its biggest problem was that it relied too much on a single industry- the automobile industry. The “Imported from Detroit” campaign is Chryslers attempt to show that Americas auto industry is not dead and that it can compete with the sought after foreign import cars.

            Chrysler is considered one of the “Big Three” American automobile manufacturers; however it was bought by Fiat-an Italian company, on January 1, 2014. The “Imported from Detroit” campaign was first launched in 2011 with its first commercial featuring Detroit native rapper Marshall Mathers. The commercial first aired during the 2011 Super Bowl, an event watched almost exclusively by Americans. Chrysler’s purpose with this campaign and the tagline “Imported from Detroit” is to show its main market which is North America, that there is no need to look overseas for a quality vehicle. It also shows that Detroit is still a large contributor to the American culture and economy despite the challenges it has face.

            The first commercial aired as part of the campaign is title “Born of Fire” and features popular rapper Marshall Mathers, better known as “Eminem”. The advertisement consists primarily of different shots of Detroit, showing numerous landmarks as well as factories. Using both a popular celebrity and famous landmarks help to show that, in addition to the advertisements target market of North America, the ad is also aimed at the residents of Detroit. Mather’s appearance in the commercial is their way of targeting the younger generation.

If a young person’s role model drives a Chrysler, then they will want to as well. While showing numerous parts of the city, the advertisement contains a voice over which speaks indirectly of the struggles the city has faced and how it has persevered. Lines such as “What does this city know about luxury?” and “What does a town that’s been to hell and back know about the finer things in life?” (Chrysler Eminem Super Bowl Commercial) are included to stir the emotions of not only those from Detroit but also those from the U.S. It is Chrysler’s way of stating that despite all the hardships, the city of Detroit is still able to stand up and engineer and produce amazing cars such as the Chrysler 300 shown in the advertisement.  In addition to the voiceover, Chrysler also utilizes music to appeal to the emotions of the audience.

The song “Lose Yourself”, written and performed by Mathers is playing in the background. Not only is this one of Mather’s well-known songs, but the lyrics also contain an important message. According to Chrysler, the “lyrics speak to the ability to do anything we set our mind to and that failure is not an option. The Chrysler brand, the company and its employees have adopted the principle that failure is not an option.” (Chrysler.com). The message of not giving in to failure is one that hits close to home for both Chrysler and Detroit who continue on despite difficulties after the recession. The final moments of the commercial also feature a choir singing in a theatre which displays “Keep Detroit Beautiful” above the entrance as Mathers exits his Chrysler 200 and enters. The choir stops singing when Mathers walks in. These factors are how Chrysler uses Pathos, or emotional appeal, to appeal to the emotions of their target audience.

The commercial also utilizes Ethos, or ethical appeal to attempt to get people to buy their product. Again, the voice over in the advertisement speaks about the hardworking culture that made Detroit the heart of the American automobile industry    in the past, and how that same culture has ingrained itself in the new generations to make Detroit great again. In addition, the visuals play a part as well, with shots showing factories and smoke stacks to push the image of the city being productive, and a mural depicting blue-collar workers hard at work. The final line spoken by Mathers at the end of the advertisement “This is Detroit, and this is what we do” serves as a testament to the hardworking ethics of those from Detroit (Chrysler Eminem Super Bowl Commercial).

Logos or logical appeal is seen in this commercial through the commercials tagline. The tagline “Imported From Detroit” actually does not make sense as a sentence. Detroit is in the United States so it is impossible to import something from Detroit. However the commercials logic comes from Chrysler’s insistence that their new vehicle is so luxurious that it is easy to mistake it for an exotic, imported car. This commercial specifically focuses on the “Detroit” part of the tagline because it is set and shot in Detroit and the voiceover speaks of the city’s struggles. It is Chrysler’s way of saying that luxury can be found here in the United States, even in a place like Detroit, and thus there is no need to seek luxury elsewhere. Their goal with this commercial and the entire campaign is to compete with the more sought after imported automobiles such as those made by companies like Honda, BMW, and Audi.

Chrysler hoped to move people who saw this commercial and have them considering a purchase of one of their new vehicles. The “Born of Fire” commercial was successful in getting people to talk and think about the Chrysler Brand. The commercial went on to win various awards, including four “Gold Lions” at the Cannes Lions 58th International Festival of Creativity, The awards won include those for best music, best direction, best script, best automotive commercial, and a “Bronze Lion” for best editing (Chrysler.com). In addition, the success of the commercial can be seen by Chrysler’s performance for that year. For 2011, Chrysler stated that it made $183 million as revenue rose to $55 billion (CBSNews.com). This marks a huge turnaround for the company, who lost $652 million in 2010 while it worked to revamp its model lineup (CBSNews.com). This is good news because not only has Chrysler made a comeback, but it showed good signs that the American auto industry and the city of Detroit would also be able to make a comeback.

In today’s world we have many options for almost every product. Because of this competition, it is crucial for companies and corporations to convince the average consumer that their product is better than the rest. This is done by using the Greek philosopher Aristotle’s rhetorical appeals known as logos, ethos and pathos. Effective advertisements are those who appeal to the audience’s logic, ethics and emotions and this is seen in Chryslers “Born of Fire”. By using clever tactics such as setting, music and a featured celebrity, Chrysler was able to create an advertisement which was able pull their audience in and make their product a desire of those who have seen it.

Works Cited

““Chrysler Brand’s 2011 Super Bowl Commercial "Born of Fire" Takes Home Five Awards at

the Cannes Lions 58th International Festival of Creativity”. Media.Chrysler.com.

Chrysler. n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2015

Chrysler. “Chrysler Eminem Super Bowl Commercial-Imported From Detroit” Online Video

Clip. Chrysler. Youtube.com. 5 Feb. 2011. Web. 10 Apr. 2015

“Big Jump in January Chrysler Sales; Company Posts $183M Profit.” CBSNews.com. Cbs

Interactive, 1 Feb. 2012. 18 Apr. 2015