#kia nurse icons

[anthemnz]

Anthem July Newsletter

Kia ora and welcome to Anthem’s July newsletter. It is hard to believe we are already entering the second half of 2022 – it’s certainly been a jam-packed year so far, with the past few weeks being no exception.

Cure Kids released its annual State of Child Health report, highlighting the worsening impact of high-burden diseases on Aotearoa's tamariki. In June, Cure Kids also launched a special collaboration with Otis Frizzell and BLUNT, a consumer campaign in the name of driving funding towards children's health research in New Zealand.

Exsurgo and Chapter Zero New Zealand both facilitated important conversations: Exsurgo’s CEO Richard Little participating in a panel at Health Tech Week, and Chapter Zero facilitating a webinar for directors looking to make decarbonisation a priority in their boardrooms.

As we enter July, we inch closer to an exciting milestone for Education New Zealand as borders open to 5000 international students – to celebrate, we've compiled some special stories of students who have remained in New Zealand over the past two years. 

In recent weeks, Anthemites shared inclusivity insights at a Diversity Works webinar, welcomed students into the office for the day as part of AUT's #ShadowALeader programme, and celebrated several special birthdays. Plus, we share the news of our move! 

Best wishes from the Anthem team. Ngā mihi nui

CURE KIDS REVEALS STATE OF CHILDREN'S HEALTH IN AOTEAROA

In June, our friends at Cure Kids had a busy month releasing the second annual State of Child Health report. The report garnered huge media interest given the spotlight of inequalities in health outcomes which require our most urgent attention to ensure Aotearoa’s tamariki can thrive. The report confirms the worsening impact of high-burden diseases on New Zealand’s children, with Cure Kids urging for implementation of preventative strategies at a national level to reduce risk factors tied to various equity-based health concerns. To help drive funding for Cure Kids’ research into improving, extending and saving the lives of Kiwi kids living with serious health conditions, the charity also launched a special collaboration with a beloved Kiwi artist. Cure Kids receives a $20 donation from each purchase of a limited-edition BLUNT umbrella, inspired by Cure Kids’ ambassador, Eva Mitchell’s strength and resilience, and iconic Kiwi artist Otis Frizzell bringing the umbrella to life with his youthful design. To support the heart-warming collaboration and Cure Kids’ work, visit ShopGood.co.nz

To learn more about Cure Kids’ latest State of Child Health report, click below.

Read the State of Child Health Report

EDUCATION NEW ZEALAND WELCOMES INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

July marks a special month for the international education sector, as Aotearoa New Zealand’s border reopens to 5000 international students on 31 July. These students will return to centres across the country, bringing positive outcomes for our regions and communities.   We have been honoured to work alongside Education New Zealand over the past year to share stories of how international education benefits New Zealand. This has involved collaborating with economic development agencies across the country to highlight the broad range of social, cultural and economic benefits international students bring to our communities.   Whether it is nurses in Northland, international student-host family bonding in Southland, Auckland Mayor Phil Goff speaking to the benefits of international education, Whanganui’s International Commercial Pilot Academy training India’s upcoming pilots, or an international student finding a passion for horticulture in Manawatū; there are endless stories of international students making an impact in New Zealand. We’re looking forward to sharing even more stories of international education as New Zealand continues to reopen to the world.

EXSURGO WEIGHS IN ON NEUROTECH CONVERSATIONS

It’s fantastic to see our clients being recognised for their contributions towards important conversations that better the lives of New Zealanders.   As New Zealand’s annual Health Tech Week kicked off at the Cordis Hotel last week, Richard Little of Exsurgo was invited to join a highly skilled panel to discuss the latest innovations and collaborations in neurotech.   While the panellists agreed that New Zealand is punching above its weight in neurotech given the resources that are available, they also stressed the importance of these necessary discussions and that further collaboration will be needed to help all Kiwis live longer and healthier lives.

MAKING DECARBONISATION A BOARDROOM PRIORITY

We’re proud to be the official communications partner of Chapter Zero NZ supporting the Institute of Directors to make climate change a boardroom priority.   Chapter Zero hosted a webinar last month, where Air New Zealand Chair Dame Therese Walsh and fellow director Dean Bracewell shared detail about Flight NZ0 – Air NZ’s commitment to reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. In addition, Chief Executive and Secretary for the Ministry for the Environment Vicky Robertson talked about key governance implications from the recently released Emissions Reduction Plan and how they will impact New Zealand businesses.   Follow the link below to watch the session on demand and read the key highlights.

Learn more about the webinar

ANTHEM WELCOMES SHADOW A LEADER STUDENTS

Anthem was honoured to take part in AUT’s #ShadowALeader programme in the final days of June. Two students joined us at our offices for the day, getting the opportunity to join meetings alongside Carolyn and the team and learn more about the world of communications. We loved having Hayden and Aashna join us and were honoured to give them some valuable insights into the world of communications, entrepreneurship and business. We cannot wait to see what the two get up to throughout the remainder of their studies.

UNDERSTANDING THE INCLUSIVE CONSUMER WITH DIVERSITY WORKS

What is behind the rise of the ‘inclusive consumer’? Why are customers and employees increasingly voting with their feet when it comes to brands? And how can organisations both meet and lead shifts in consumer demand authentically?

Carolyn was recently a guest on Diversity Works’ webinar 'Are you ready for the inclusive consumer?' in which she answered these questions alongside Martin Wylie of Altus Enterprises and Oliver Mander of the New Zealand Shareholders’ Association. The webinar was an opportunity to share insights into social responsibility and inclusion, as well as how businesses and organisations can best position themselves to be more authentically inclusive.

Carolyn thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to speak alongside such talented industry leaders, and welcomed the questions from attendees. It was a sign of the exciting developments to come as New Zealand organisations look to embrace inclusivity and authenticity.

ANTHEMITES OUT AND ABOUT

June was a busy birthday month at Anthem, with many of our Anthemites celebrating a special day. We marked Nalika, Anna, Sarah, Hannah and Chanelle's birthdays in a team huddle, complete with cake and a sing-along!

Anthem is also on the move! Having welcomed several new team members, we were after a bit more space to come together. We're excited to say that from this week, you can find us on a new level in the same Alberts building. Come and say hi to us on level five, when you're next in the city. 

[wbbicxns]

kia nurse

icons

please hit that ♡ if you save or use

#kia nurse #nurse #kia nurse icons #nurse icons #canada womens national basketball team #cawnbt icons #new york liberty #new york liberty icons #wnba #basketball #basketball icons #icons #no psd #no filters

[kicksaddictny]

Jordan Brand Signs Luka Dončić

According to NIKE

Luka Dončić, the 2018-19 NBA Rookie of the Year, is the latest member of Jordan Brand's basketball roster.

"It is exciting to join such a talented roster and being given the privilege of defining the next generation of the Jordan Brand," says Dončić. “Michael Jordan was a hero of mine growing up, so being able to represent this iconic brand, especially as a kid from Slovenia, is an honor.”

The Slovenian national joined the Dallas Mavericks after a highly decorated European career during which he won the 2018 EuroLeague title and was named the contest's MVP. Dončić has entered his sophomore NBA season on a historic clip — he is the first player since Oscar Robertson to average at least 30 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists through the first 16 games of a seasons. Through his NBA career to date, Dončić has also tallied more 30-point triple doubles than any player under 21-years-old in history.

“We’re very pleased to welcome Luka to the Jordan Brand,” says Craig Williams, Jordan Brand President. "He is an undeniable talent, and he's already demonstrated a fearlessness in the clutch that we prize in the Jordan Brand family.”

Dončić's addition caps a year full of new talent joining Jordan Brand, including Jayson Tatum, Rui Hachimura, Zion Williamson, WNBA players Asia Durr and Kia Nurse and NFL quarterback Dwayne Haskins.

Here's what Michael Jordan has to say about Dončić:

“Luka is a phenomenal player, and at such a young age. He’s demonstrating skill it takes many guys years to develop. It will be incredible to watch him continue to advance in the league," says Jordan. "We are excited to welcome him to the Jordan Brand family. He rounds out a roster of incredible new talent united to represent Jordan Brand for the next generation.”

#kicksaddict #jordanbrand #nike #jordans #lukadoncic #luka

[jeramymobley]

Super Bowl LII: FCA Leads Auto Ads But Sparks Backlash

Fiat Chrysler Automotive surprised with a record slate of five Big Game advertisements during Super Bowl LII, including a statement ad featuring the voice of Martin Luther King Jr. that proved controversial on Twitter.

Overall, there wasn’t as significant an auto-industry presence in Super Bowl advertising as in most recent years. And it was concentrated in the efforts of four brands, which also included Toyota, airing three commercials plus a Lexus spot; Hyundai, two commercials; and Kia (more on those ads below). So the lane was open for FCA to dominate Super Bowl automotive ad spending on behalf of its two prime brands, Ram and Jeep.

The pickup-truck brand, which will have a new version of the Ram 1500 later this year, got two spots and Jeep, which has become the company’s most dynamic brand, got three ads to tout new versions of its iconic Wrangler off-road icon and its Cherokee mid-size crossover.

The launches “represent the collective efforts of the men and women at FCA who instinctively recognize their responsibility to these authentic brands,” stated FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne in a press release. “These vehicles, and these commercials, reflect our continued commitment to each brand and serve as a validation to our actions to realign our industrial output in the United States to meet customer demand.”

The Ram Trucks-highlighting “Built To Serve” ad, which aired late in the second quarter, used audio of Dr. King’s last major address, “The Drum Major Instinct” sermon, which he gave on February 4, 1968—exactly 50 years ago, and exactly two months before he was assassinated in Memphis.

“We recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be the servant,” King’s voiceover states. This “means that everybody can be great,” he continues to deliver over scenes of a student, athletes, a teacher, a cowboy, fishermen and professional heroes including firemen, Marines, and a nurse. Ram Truck-drivers are shown pitching in, from helping at disaster sites to hauling a small wooden church down a highway in a salvage operation.

The ad aimed to invoke American heroism, and unlike some of the politically provocative ads during last year’s Super Bowl, invoke unity around the notion of service and being a good neighbor. As FCA puts it:

The Ram Truck brand believes in Dr. King’s notion that “everybody can be great because everybody can serve,” and Ram owners demonstrate this commitment every day in lending helping hands to their families, friends and communities. The spot is comprised of 26 powerful images of those serving others, with Dr. King’s commanding voice calling for all of us to serve.

Super Bowl viewers, however, took to Twitter and other social media platforms to object to Dr. King’s words being used to sell trucks. As TIME reported,

Viewers were taken aback. It didn’t take long for social media users to inquire whether King’s family approved of the company appropriating the civil rights leader’s words as a marketing tool. The late Reverend’s youngest daughter, Bernice King, took to Twitter with an unambiguous response:

No.

— Be A King (@BerniceKing) February 5, 2018

Neither @TheKingCenter nor @BerniceKing is the entity that approves the use of #MLK’s words or imagery for use in merchandise, entertainment (movies, music, artwork, etc) or advertisement, including tonight’s @Dodge #SuperBowl commercial.

— The King Center (@TheKingCenter) February 5, 2018

Here is #DrumMajorInstinct in its entirety. Learn about #MLK from him. Please listen to/read his speeches, sermons and writings. Understand his comprehensive teachings and his global perspective. Study his nonviolent philosophy. It’s more than a tactic. https://t.co/56fiF8r6iP

— Be A King (@BerniceKing) February 5, 2018

While FCA and Ram parent Dodge had not worked with the King Family, TIME (citing Slate) pointed out that the automaker had worked closely with the King estate on the ad:

Dodge confirmed that the company “worked closely” with the Martin Luther King, Jr. estate, which manages use of King’s intellectual property, to obtain approval to use the speech, Slate reports. The estate is a separate entity from the King Center, the nonprofit established by the Reverend’s wife, Coretta Scott King. “Estate representatives were a very important part of the creative process,” a Dodge representative said.

“Built To Serve” joins FCA’s other Super Bowl big statements includes the “Imported From Detroit / Born of Fire” commercial in 2010 that featured a soaring gospel choir, Eminem, the City of Detroit at the beginning of its comeback—and a model, the Chrysler 200, that the company no longer produces; Clint Eastwood in “Halftime in America,” urging the nation on in its economic recovery; and Ram Trucks’ “Farmer,” which featured a voiceover by the late radio icon Paul Harvey in  an ode to American agriculture.

In its other Ram Trucks spot during the game, the company artfully tapped into the current cultural context, borrowing mythology from the Vikings of old and relevance from the Vikings of the NFL to pay homage (above) to the real star of the commercial: the coming, new 2019 Ram pickup truck.

In the second quarter, the 30-second “The Road” spot introduces the new 2019 Jeep Cherokee — “the most capable mid-size sport-utility vehicle — now boasting a new, authentic and more premium design, with superior on-road performance with unmatched Jeep 4×4 capability.”

The 60-second “Jurassic World” commercial in the third quarter paid homage to the iconic scene in Jurassic Park in which Dr. Ian Malcom (Jeff Goldblum) escapes danger while in the back of a Jeep Wrangler — as he is being chased by a rampaging Tyrannosaurus rex — in a nod to Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom opening on June 22.

In the fourth quarter, Jeep’s ‘Anti-Manifesto’ took a swipe at the endless automakers that make declarations or promises of what their brand or vehicles deliver, “A Manifesto.” The Jeep brand takes an approach that only it can unquestionably deliver while introducing the all-new 2018 Wrangler. The brand instead chooses to show the world that there is only one vehicle that needs no words to demonstrate the true meaning of “Manifesto.”

It was a curious spot for Jeep Wrangler, showing the vehicle traversing a pond and climbing up its rocky banks. “How many car ads have you seen with grandiose speeeches over the years …  big declarations, making claims to some overarching human truth? Companies call these commericals ‘manifestos.'”

Then, as the off-road-champion Wrangler makes it up and over the bank on the shore effortlessly, the voiceover concludes, “There’s your manifesto.” Anyone watching the entire Super Bowl including all the Ram and Jeep ads might fairly be left with the question: “Did the Ram marketers know what the Jeep people were doing, and vice versa?”

Other automakers took a different tack this Super Bowl. GM, Ford, Subaru and Honda all took a break this year, although Subaru spots pooped up during the Puppy Bowl marathon on Animal Planet.

Hyundai ran two spots, one during the pre-game show and one in the fourth quarter—the emotional “Hope Detector” (for every Hyundai purchased, a portion of proceeds benefit childhood cancer research) and “Ref to the Rescue,” about a special referee and his Hyundai Kona SUV:

Toyota-owned Lexus (promoting its Black Panther movie tie-in) and Kia (featuring Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler) each ran one spot:

Toyota‘s flagship brand ran three spots from two different campaigns in the first quarter, halftime and second half. Two spots were from its first-ever global campaign, “Start Your Impossible,” which promotes its shift to a mobility company, aims to inspire consumers and supports its role as the Worldwide Mobility Partner of the Olympic and Paralympic Games ahead of the Winter Olympics.

Toyota bought the Super Bowl’s first ad slot for “Good Odds,” introduced fans to the incredible story of Lauren Woolstencroft, who beat the odds to win eight Paralympic gold medals:

Its second spot, “Mobility Anthem,” also showed a disabled basketball player using its Exo-Wheel prototype wheelchair and also shows the iBot wheelchair which can go down stairs:

The third spot, “One Team,” was from its long-running U.S. campaign “Let’s Go Places,” and highlights the power of sports fandom.

“This is an unprecedented opportunity for our team at Toyota to share messages of unity, friendship, diversity and perseverance,” stated Ed Laukes, group vice president, Toyota Marketing, Toyota Motor North America.

“With the Super Bowl and the Olympics just days apart on NBC, we’re excited to join fans’ enthusiasm for these two world-class events and connect with them by sharing meaningful and inspiring TV spots.”

The post Super Bowl LII: FCA Leads Auto Ads But Sparks Backlash appeared first on brandchannel:.

[laurastacey]

Who are your wnba crush?

look at my url and icon and take a wild guess ldajfd;lja;ljfk

kia nurse

[elitesportsny]

New York Liberty guards Kia Nurse and Asia Durr will be the WNBA's faces for Jordan after signing with the iconic company. http://bit.ly/2XnBKu7

[flauntpage]

Kia Nurse is Just Getting Started

When she talks about recognition, Kia Nurse is justifiably frustrated. Although she has an active following in Toronto and her nearby hometown of Hamilton, Ontario—she even overlooks a basketball court in Toronto's Harbourfront neighbourhood, in mural form—the gatekeepers didn't make it easy for those in her hometown to watch the rise of her rookie year with the WNBA's New York Liberty.

The WNBA offers an online streaming service, similar to other pro sports like the NBA's League Pass, and in Canada games are occasionally shown on premium channel NBA TV. Broadly, though, these are still barriers to accessing the WNBA if you're from where Nurse is from, leaving her in a weird purgatory of being known but not seen.

"This is where people know me, this is where my family is, and for them to not be able to see games, it gets frustrating in its own sense," Nurse recently told VICE Sports. "For us, it's a matter of trying to get recognition, trying to get visibility for young girls here so they can see it on TV and they don’t have to ask their parents to buy an app in order for them to watch a game."

Even if the platform isn't there, the talent demands for one. Nurse made her name in four years at the University of Connecticut, a tenure remembered for two national championships, an NCAA Defensive Player of the Year award and that iconic 111-game winning streak. In her final season, the school chose to host a regular-season game against Duquesne at Ryerson University in Toronto, finally getting her in front of some of those eyeballs from home. The tickets sold out.

Then she went to the WNBA, where, thanks to the variety of her experiences, she found that the pros weren't so new after all. "The transition was a lot easier than I expected it to be. I'm pretty fortunate to have come from UConn and the program there," Nurse said. "And I think that for me, there was a familiarity in being able to say, 'I've played against the Maya Moores and the Team USAs at the Olympics' and I've been able to be in that situation and that environment."

A week ago, Canada watched as Nurse went off for 29 points and six 3-pointers to lead Canada past Korea at the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup; in the next game, she dropped 18 with six assists to key a second-half run and come-from-behind win over No. 4 France to go 3-0 in group play. Things didn't go as hoped in the knockout stage, but Nurse was steady as Canada’s leading scorer and her 17 points were crucial in salvaging a 73-72 win and seventh-place finish over Nigeria on Sunday.

With involvement dating back to when she was 15 years old, the national team has watched Nurse grow into a driving force. For the tournament, her average of 18.2 points per game trailed only Australia's Liz Cambage, who famously set the WNBA’s scoring record in July with a 53-point game for the Dallas Wings (against Nurse and the Liberty), and Belgium's Emma Meesseman. The feature role for Canada, where Natalie Achonwa is the team's only other active WNBAer, is just another spotlight that Nurse has stepped into, and she should be a cornerstone for years to come.

At every stop, whether the NCAA, FIBA or WNBA, Nurse's upward arc keeps chugging along. When the Liberty selected her with the No. 10 overall pick in this April's draft, player profiles around the WNBA-minded internet identified her as a top 3-and-D player. While 3-point shooting and defence are obviously the identifiers of the mold, it still tends to connote a standstill catch-and-shoot type, someone waved off to the corner and trusted with little else.

In the months since the draft, Nurse has made a case that she can be more than that, that she can put the ball on the floor or threaten to score off screens. In the motion offence installed by Katie Smith in her first year as the Liberty coach, these were freedoms that she thrived in.

"She's added some pieces to her game, she's becoming more versatile offensively—finishing around the basket in different ways, shooting the ball coming off screens, integrating the pull-up a little bit more—so I think that's maybe the biggest growth area that she's made over the last year or so," Canadian assistant coach Carly Clarke told VICE Sports.

Within the flow of chances for the Liberty, Nurse was adaptable, attacking close-outs or secondary pick-and-rolls. In FIBA play, where she takes on more responsibility for Canada, she's showing that she can do the things that actual initiators must, like pull up from behind the three-point line.

When the WNBA announced its All-Rookie Team, Nurse wasn't awarded. Amid a deep rookie class, it isn't so surprising—the scoring breakdown for the Liberty last season shows perennial All-Star Tina Charles leading with 19.7 points per game, and then everybody else clustered along the single-digit spectrum. Even while coming off the bench for most of her rookie season, Nurse's 9.1 points were good for second on the team, but, you know, still only 9.1 points.

Her defence, which she describes as a big key to her game, was where the pros felt most like the pros. "The biggest thing about the pros is that it's not necessarily your speed, quickness or athleticism that's going to outdo them. It's more that they have so much experience, they have the basketball IQ. They know pretty much how to counteract everything that you throw at them."

Although bookended by a strong start and a strong finish—34 points as a reserve in her fourth game, 28 as a starter in her last—Nurse's splits during the season's bridge month of July dipped to lows across the board, including in minutes played. Like for many young players, the lulls between the flashes were her issue.

Still, as it does with the Canadian team, the potential shows. At 22 years old, Nurse's trajectory is without question pointing up. The Liberty face the real possibility that Charles leaves in free agency after a franchise-worst 7-27 year, which may soon become more responsibility for Nurse to fill. She, along with point guard Brittany Boyd, likely represents the team's best chance at cultivating a new offence. The question, if she accepts this role, is how much her game grows toward creating for others in addition to herself, and how often she brings that on a nightly basis.

Like many other WNBA players, Nurse will spend her nominal offseason playing overseas. Now concluded with the national team, her next destination is Australia and the WNBL's Canberra Capitals for a mid-October season tip-off. So far, things have been trending in her favour.

"A big part of the WNBA, and once you get up into that level, is consistency and understanding how you can be consistent on a daily basis," she says. "Understanding, if I'm helping the team in any way [while] I'm out on the court, how can I be consistent with that throughout my entire career?"

Nurse continues to ask the right questions, and maybe, in time, the recognition will follow.

This article originally appeared on VICE Sports CA.

Kia Nurse is Just Getting Started published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/

[markjsousa]

Super Bowl LII: FCA Leads Auto Ads But Sparks Backlash

Fiat Chrysler Automotive surprised with a record slate of five Big Game advertisements during Super Bowl LII, including a statement ad featuring the voice of Martin Luther King Jr. that proved controversial on Twitter.

Overall, there wasn’t as significant an auto-industry presence in Super Bowl advertising as in most recent years. And it was concentrated in the efforts of four brands, which also included Toyota, airing three commercials plus a Lexus spot; Hyundai, two commercials; and Kia (more on those ads below). So the lane was open for FCA to dominate Super Bowl automotive ad spending on behalf of its two prime brands, Ram and Jeep.

The pickup-truck brand, which will have a new version of the Ram 1500 later this year, got two spots and Jeep, which has become the company’s most dynamic brand, got three ads to tout new versions of its iconic Wrangler off-road icon and its Cherokee mid-size crossover.

The launches “represent the collective efforts of the men and women at FCA who instinctively recognize their responsibility to these authentic brands,” stated FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne in a press release. “These vehicles, and these commercials, reflect our continued commitment to each brand and serve as a validation to our actions to realign our industrial output in the United States to meet customer demand.”

The Ram Trucks-highlighting “Built To Serve” ad, which aired late in the second quarter, used audio of Dr. King’s last major address, “The Drum Major Instinct” sermon, which he gave on February 4, 1968—exactly 50 years ago, and exactly two months before he was assassinated in Memphis.

“We recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be the servant,” King’s voiceover states. This “means that everybody can be great,” he continues to deliver over scenes of a student, athletes, a teacher, a cowboy, fishermen and professional heroes including firemen, Marines, and a nurse. Ram Truck-drivers are shown pitching in, from helping at disaster sites to hauling a small wooden church down a highway in a salvage operation.

The ad aimed to invoke American heroism, and unlike some of the politically provocative ads during last year’s Super Bowl, invoke unity around the notion of service and being a good neighbor. As FCA puts it:

The Ram Truck brand believes in Dr. King’s notion that “everybody can be great because everybody can serve,” and Ram owners demonstrate this commitment every day in lending helping hands to their families, friends and communities. The spot is comprised of 26 powerful images of those serving others, with Dr. King’s commanding voice calling for all of us to serve.

Super Bowl viewers, however, took to Twitter and other social media platforms to object to Dr. King’s words being used to sell trucks. As TIME reported,

Viewers were taken aback. It didn’t take long for social media users to inquire whether King’s family approved of the company appropriating the civil rights leader’s words as a marketing tool. The late Reverend’s youngest daughter, Bernice King, took to Twitter with an unambiguous response:

No.

— Be A King (@BerniceKing) February 5, 2018

Neither @TheKingCenter nor @BerniceKing is the entity that approves the use of #MLK’s words or imagery for use in merchandise, entertainment (movies, music, artwork, etc) or advertisement, including tonight’s @Dodge #SuperBowl commercial.

— The King Center (@TheKingCenter) February 5, 2018

Here is #DrumMajorInstinct in its entirety. Learn about #MLK from him. Please listen to/read his speeches, sermons and writings. Understand his comprehensive teachings and his global perspective. Study his nonviolent philosophy. It’s more than a tactic. https://t.co/56fiF8r6iP

— Be A King (@BerniceKing) February 5, 2018

While FCA and Ram parent Dodge had not worked with the King Family, TIME (citing Slate) pointed out that the automaker had worked closely with the King estate on the ad:

Dodge confirmed that the company “worked closely” with the Martin Luther King, Jr. estate, which manages use of King’s intellectual property, to obtain approval to use the speech, Slate reports. The estate is a separate entity from the King Center, the nonprofit established by the Reverend’s wife, Coretta Scott King. “Estate representatives were a very important part of the creative process,” a Dodge representative said.

“Built To Serve” joins FCA’s other Super Bowl big statements includes the “Imported From Detroit / Born of Fire” commercial in 2010 that featured a soaring gospel choir, Eminem, the City of Detroit at the beginning of its comeback—and a model, the Chrysler 200, that the company no longer produces; Clint Eastwood in “Halftime in America,” urging the nation on in its economic recovery; and Ram Trucks’ “Farmer,” which featured a voiceover by the late radio icon Paul Harvey in  an ode to American agriculture.

In its other Ram Trucks spot during the game, the company artfully tapped into the current cultural context, borrowing mythology from the Vikings of old and relevance from the Vikings of the NFL to pay homage (above) to the real star of the commercial: the coming, new 2019 Ram pickup truck.

In the second quarter, the 30-second “The Road” spot introduces the new 2019 Jeep Cherokee — “the most capable mid-size sport-utility vehicle — now boasting a new, authentic and more premium design, with superior on-road performance with unmatched Jeep 4×4 capability.”

The 60-second “Jurassic World” commercial in the third quarter paid homage to the iconic scene in Jurassic Park in which Dr. Ian Malcom (Jeff Goldblum) escapes danger while in the back of a Jeep Wrangler — as he is being chased by a rampaging Tyrannosaurus rex — in a nod to Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom opening on June 22.

In the fourth quarter, Jeep’s ‘Anti-Manifesto’ took a swipe at the endless automakers that make declarations or promises of what their brand or vehicles deliver, “A Manifesto.” The Jeep brand takes an approach that only it can unquestionably deliver while introducing the all-new 2018 Wrangler. The brand instead chooses to show the world that there is only one vehicle that needs no words to demonstrate the true meaning of “Manifesto.”

It was a curious spot for Jeep Wrangler, showing the vehicle traversing a pond and climbing up its rocky banks. “How many car ads have you seen with grandiose speeeches over the years …  big declarations, making claims to some overarching human truth? Companies call these commericals ‘manifestos.'”

Then, as the off-road-champion Wrangler makes it up and over the bank on the shore effortlessly, the voiceover concludes, “There’s your manifesto.” Anyone watching the entire Super Bowl including all the Ram and Jeep ads might fairly be left with the question: “Did the Ram marketers know what the Jeep people were doing, and vice versa?”

Other automakers took a different tack this Super Bowl. GM, Ford, Subaru and Honda all took a break this year, although Subaru spots pooped up during the Puppy Bowl marathon on Animal Planet.

Hyundai ran two spots, one during the pre-game show and one in the fourth quarter—the emotional “Hope Detector” (for every Hyundai purchased, a portion of proceeds benefit childhood cancer research) and “Ref to the Rescue,” about a special referee and his Hyundai Kona SUV:

Toyota-owned Lexus (promoting its Black Panther movie tie-in) and Kia (featuring Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler) each ran one spot:

Toyota‘s flagship brand ran three spots from two different campaigns in the first quarter, halftime and second half. Two spots were from its first-ever global campaign, “Start Your Impossible,” which promotes its shift to a mobility company, aims to inspire consumers and supports its role as the Worldwide Mobility Partner of the Olympic and Paralympic Games ahead of the Winter Olympics.

Toyota bought the Super Bowl’s first ad slot for “Good Odds,” introduced fans to the incredible story of Lauren Woolstencroft, who beat the odds to win eight Paralympic gold medals:

Its second spot, “Mobility Anthem,” also showed a disabled basketball player using its Exo-Wheel prototype wheelchair and also shows the iBot wheelchair which can go down stairs:

The third spot, “One Team,” was from its long-running U.S. campaign “Let’s Go Places,” and highlights the power of sports fandom.

“This is an unprecedented opportunity for our team at Toyota to share messages of unity, friendship, diversity and perseverance,” stated Ed Laukes, group vice president, Toyota Marketing, Toyota Motor North America.

“With the Super Bowl and the Olympics just days apart on NBC, we’re excited to join fans’ enthusiasm for these two world-class events and connect with them by sharing meaningful and inspiring TV spots.”

The post Super Bowl LII: FCA Leads Auto Ads But Sparks Backlash appeared first on brandchannel:.

[joejstrickl]

Super Bowl LII: FCA Leads Auto Ads But Sparks Backlash

Fiat Chrysler Automotive surprised with a record slate of five Big Game advertisements during Super Bowl LII, including a statement ad featuring the voice of Martin Luther King Jr. that proved controversial on Twitter.

Overall, there wasn’t as significant an auto-industry presence in Super Bowl advertising as in most recent years. And it was concentrated in the efforts of four brands, which also included Toyota, airing three commercials plus a Lexus spot; Hyundai, two commercials; and Kia (more on those ads below). So the lane was open for FCA to dominate Super Bowl automotive ad spending on behalf of its two prime brands, Ram and Jeep.

The pickup-truck brand, which will have a new version of the Ram 1500 later this year, got two spots and Jeep, which has become the company’s most dynamic brand, got three ads to tout new versions of its iconic Wrangler off-road icon and its Cherokee mid-size crossover.

The launches “represent the collective efforts of the men and women at FCA who instinctively recognize their responsibility to these authentic brands,” stated FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne in a press release. “These vehicles, and these commercials, reflect our continued commitment to each brand and serve as a validation to our actions to realign our industrial output in the United States to meet customer demand.”

The Ram Trucks-highlighting “Built To Serve” ad, which aired late in the second quarter, used audio of Dr. King’s last major address, “The Drum Major Instinct” sermon, which he gave on February 4, 1968—exactly 50 years ago, and exactly two months before he was assassinated in Memphis.

“We recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be the servant,” King’s voiceover states. This “means that everybody can be great,” he continues to deliver over scenes of a student, athletes, a teacher, a cowboy, fishermen and professional heroes including firemen, Marines, and a nurse. Ram Truck-drivers are shown pitching in, from helping at disaster sites to hauling a small wooden church down a highway in a salvage operation.

The ad aimed to invoke American heroism, and unlike some of the politically provocative ads during last year’s Super Bowl, invoke unity around the notion of service and being a good neighbor. As FCA puts it:

The Ram Truck brand believes in Dr. King’s notion that “everybody can be great because everybody can serve,” and Ram owners demonstrate this commitment every day in lending helping hands to their families, friends and communities. The spot is comprised of 26 powerful images of those serving others, with Dr. King’s commanding voice calling for all of us to serve.

Super Bowl viewers, however, took to Twitter and other social media platforms to object to Dr. King’s words being used to sell trucks. As TIME reported,

Viewers were taken aback. It didn’t take long for social media users to inquire whether King’s family approved of the company appropriating the civil rights leader’s words as a marketing tool. The late Reverend’s youngest daughter, Bernice King, took to Twitter with an unambiguous response:

No.

— Be A King (@BerniceKing) February 5, 2018

Neither @TheKingCenter nor @BerniceKing is the entity that approves the use of #MLK’s words or imagery for use in merchandise, entertainment (movies, music, artwork, etc) or advertisement, including tonight’s @Dodge #SuperBowl commercial.

— The King Center (@TheKingCenter) February 5, 2018

Here is #DrumMajorInstinct in its entirety. Learn about #MLK from him. Please listen to/read his speeches, sermons and writings. Understand his comprehensive teachings and his global perspective. Study his nonviolent philosophy. It’s more than a tactic. https://t.co/56fiF8r6iP

— Be A King (@BerniceKing) February 5, 2018

While FCA and Ram parent Dodge had not worked with the King Family, TIME (citing Slate) pointed out that the automaker had worked closely with the King estate on the ad:

Dodge confirmed that the company “worked closely” with the Martin Luther King, Jr. estate, which manages use of King’s intellectual property, to obtain approval to use the speech, Slate reports. The estate is a separate entity from the King Center, the nonprofit established by the Reverend’s wife, Coretta Scott King. “Estate representatives were a very important part of the creative process,” a Dodge representative said.

“Built To Serve” joins FCA’s other Super Bowl big statements includes the “Imported From Detroit / Born of Fire” commercial in 2010 that featured a soaring gospel choir, Eminem, the City of Detroit at the beginning of its comeback—and a model, the Chrysler 200, that the company no longer produces; Clint Eastwood in “Halftime in America,” urging the nation on in its economic recovery; and Ram Trucks’ “Farmer,” which featured a voiceover by the late radio icon Paul Harvey in  an ode to American agriculture.

In its other Ram Trucks spot during the game, the company artfully tapped into the current cultural context, borrowing mythology from the Vikings of old and relevance from the Vikings of the NFL to pay homage (above) to the real star of the commercial: the coming, new 2019 Ram pickup truck.

In the second quarter, the 30-second “The Road” spot introduces the new 2019 Jeep Cherokee — “the most capable mid-size sport-utility vehicle — now boasting a new, authentic and more premium design, with superior on-road performance with unmatched Jeep 4×4 capability.”

The 60-second “Jurassic World” commercial in the third quarter paid homage to the iconic scene in Jurassic Park in which Dr. Ian Malcom (Jeff Goldblum) escapes danger while in the back of a Jeep Wrangler — as he is being chased by a rampaging Tyrannosaurus rex — in a nod to Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom opening on June 22.

In the fourth quarter, Jeep’s ‘Anti-Manifesto’ took a swipe at the endless automakers that make declarations or promises of what their brand or vehicles deliver, “A Manifesto.” The Jeep brand takes an approach that only it can unquestionably deliver while introducing the all-new 2018 Wrangler. The brand instead chooses to show the world that there is only one vehicle that needs no words to demonstrate the true meaning of “Manifesto.”

It was a curious spot for Jeep Wrangler, showing the vehicle traversing a pond and climbing up its rocky banks. “How many car ads have you seen with grandiose speeeches over the years …  big declarations, making claims to some overarching human truth? Companies call these commericals ‘manifestos.'”

Then, as the off-road-champion Wrangler makes it up and over the bank on the shore effortlessly, the voiceover concludes, “There’s your manifesto.” Anyone watching the entire Super Bowl including all the Ram and Jeep ads might fairly be left with the question: “Did the Ram marketers know what the Jeep people were doing, and vice versa?”

Other automakers took a different tack this Super Bowl. GM, Ford, Subaru and Honda all took a break this year, although Subaru spots pooped up during the Puppy Bowl marathon on Animal Planet.

Hyundai ran two spots, one during the pre-game show and one in the fourth quarter—the emotional “Hope Detector” (for every Hyundai purchased, a portion of proceeds benefit childhood cancer research) and “Ref to the Rescue,” about a special referee and his Hyundai Kona SUV:

Toyota-owned Lexus (promoting its Black Panther movie tie-in) and Kia (featuring Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler) each ran one spot:

Toyota‘s flagship brand ran three spots from two different campaigns in the first quarter, halftime and second half. Two spots were from its first-ever global campaign, “Start Your Impossible,” which promotes its shift to a mobility company, aims to inspire consumers and supports its role as the Worldwide Mobility Partner of the Olympic and Paralympic Games ahead of the Winter Olympics.

Toyota bought the Super Bowl’s first ad slot for “Good Odds,” introduced fans to the incredible story of Lauren Woolstencroft, who beat the odds to win eight Paralympic gold medals:

Its second spot, “Mobility Anthem,” also showed a disabled basketball player using its Exo-Wheel prototype wheelchair and also shows the iBot wheelchair which can go down stairs:

The third spot, “One Team,” was from its long-running U.S. campaign “Let’s Go Places,” and highlights the power of sports fandom.

“This is an unprecedented opportunity for our team at Toyota to share messages of unity, friendship, diversity and perseverance,” stated Ed Laukes, group vice president, Toyota Marketing, Toyota Motor North America.

“With the Super Bowl and the Olympics just days apart on NBC, we’re excited to join fans’ enthusiasm for these two world-class events and connect with them by sharing meaningful and inspiring TV spots.”

The post Super Bowl LII: FCA Leads Auto Ads But Sparks Backlash appeared first on brandchannel:.

[glenmenlow]

Super Bowl LII: FCA Cites MLK in Ram Spot, Sparks Backlash

Fiat Chrysler Automotive surprised with a record slate of five Big Game advertisements during Super Bowl LII, including a statement ad featuring the voice of Martin Luther King Jr. that proved controversial on Twitter.

Overall, there wasn’t as significant an auto-industry presence in Super Bowl advertising as in most recent years. And it was concentrated in the efforts of four brands, which also included Toyota, airing three commercials; Hyundai, two commercials; and Kia. So the lane was fortuitously open for FCA to dominate Super Bowl automotive ad spending on behalf of its two prime brands, Ram and Jeep.

The pickup-truck brand, which will have a new version of the Ram 1500 later this year, got two spots and Jeep, which has become the company’s most dynamic brand, got three ads to tout new versions of its iconic Wrangler off-road icon and its Cherokee mid-size crossover.

The launches “represent the collective efforts of the men and women at FCA who instinctively recognize their responsibility to these authentic brands,” stated FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne in a press release. “These vehicles, and these commercials, reflect our continued commitment to each brand and serve as a validation to our actions to realign our industrial output in the United States to meet customer demand.”

The Ram-highlighting “Built To Serve” ad, which aired late in the second quarter, uses an actual recording of King’s last major address, “The Drum Major Instinct” sermon, which he gave on February 4, 1968—exactly 50 years ago, and exactly two months before he was assassinated in Memphis.

“We recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be the servant,” King says in the ad. This “means that everybody can be great,” he continues to deliver over scenes of a student, athletes, a teacher, a cowboy, fishermen and professional heroes including firemen, Marines, and a nurse. New Rams pitch in, from helping at disaster sites to hauling a small wooden church down the middle of a highway on its way to apparent relocation.

The ad aimed to invoke the views of a true American hero from a day fraught with historical significance—and near the beginning of Black History Month. And unlike some of the politically provocative ads during last year’s Super Bowl, FCA’s “Built To Serve” spot reminds of today’s divisions without wallowing in them or exploiting them. As FCA puts it:

The Ram Truck brand believes in Dr. King’s notion that “everybody can be great because everybody can serve,” and Ram owners demonstrate this commitment every day in lending helping hands to their families, friends and communities. The spot is comprised of 26 powerful images of those serving others, with Dr. King’s commanding voice calling for all of us to serve.

Super Bowl viewers took to Twitter and other social media platforms to object to using Dr. King’s words to sell trucks. As TIME reported,

Viewers were taken aback. It didn’t take long for social media users to inquire whether King’s family approved of the company appropriating the civil rights leader’s words as a marketing tool. The late Reverend’s youngest daughter, Bernice King, took to Twitter with an unambiguous response:

No.

— Be A King (@BerniceKing) February 5, 2018

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Neither @TheKingCenter nor @BerniceKing is the entity that approves the use of #MLK’s words or imagery for use in merchandise, entertainment (movies, music, artwork, etc) or advertisement, including tonight’s @Dodge #SuperBowl commercial.

— The King Center (@TheKingCenter) February 5, 2018

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Here is #DrumMajorInstinct in its entirety. Learn about #MLK from him. Please listen to/read his speeches, sermons and writings. Understand his comprehensive teachings and his global perspective. Study his nonviolent philosophy. It’s more than a tactic. https://t.co/56fiF8r6iP

— Be A King (@BerniceKing) February 5, 2018

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

While FCA and Ram parent Dodge had not worked with the King Family, TIME (citing Slate) pointed out that the automaker had worked closely with the King estate on the ad:

Dodge confirmed that the company “worked closely” with the Martin Luther King, Jr. estate, which manages use of King’s intellectual property, to obtain approval to use the speech, Slate reports. The estate is a separate entity from the King Center, the nonprofit established by the Reverend’s wife, Coretta Scott King. “Estate representatives were a very important part of the creative process,” a Dodge representative said.

“Built To Serve” joins FCA’s other Super Bowl big statements includes the “Imported From Detroit / Born of Fire” commercial in 2010 that featured a soaring gospel choir, Eminem, the City of Detroit at the beginning of its comeback—and a model, the Chrysler 200, that the company no longer produces; Clint Eastwood in “Halftime in America,” urging the nation on in its economic recovery; and Ram Trucks’ “Farmer,” which featured a voiceover by the late radio icon Paul Harvey in  an ode to American agriculture.

In its other Ram Trucks spot during the game, the company artfully tapped into the current cultural context, borrowing mythology from the Vikings of old and relevance from the Vikings of the NFL to pay homage (above) to the real star of the commercial: the coming, new 2019 Ram pickup truck.

In the second quarter, the 30-second “The Road” spot introduces the new 2019 Jeep Cherokee — “the most capable mid-size sport-utility vehicle — now boasting a new, authentic and more premium design, with superior on-road performance with unmatched Jeep 4×4 capability.”

The 60-second “Jurassic World” commercial in the third quarter paid homage to the iconic scene in Jurassic Park in which Dr. Ian Malcom (Jeff Goldblum) escapes danger while in the back of a Jeep Wrangler — as he is being chased by a rampaging Tyrannosaurus rex — in a nod to Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom opening on June 22.

In the fourth quarter, Jeep’s ‘Anti-Manifesto’ took a swipe at the endless automakers that make declarations or promises of what their brand or vehicles deliver, “A Manifesto.” The Jeep brand takes an approach that only it can unquestionably deliver while introducing the all-new 2018 Wrangler. The brand instead chooses to show the world that there is only one vehicle that needs no words to demonstrate the true meaning of “Manifesto.”

It was a curious spot for Jeep Wrangler, showing the vehicle traversing a pond and climbing up its rocky banks. “How many car ads have you seen with grandiose speeeches over the years …  big declarations, making claims to some overarching human truth? Companies call these commericals ‘manifestos.’”

Then, as the off-road-champion Wrangler makes it up and over the bank on the shore effortlessly, the voiceover concludes, “There’s your manifesto.” Anyone watching the entire Super Bowl including all the Ram and Jeep ads might fairly be left with the question: “Did the Ram marketers know what the Jeep people were doing, and vice versa?”

The post Super Bowl LII: FCA Cites MLK in Ram Spot, Sparks Backlash appeared first on brandchannel:.

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#IFTTT #WordPress

[jeramymobley]

Super Bowl LII: FCA Cites MLK in Ram Spot, Sparks Backlash

Fiat Chrysler Automotive surprised with a record slate of five Big Game advertisements during Super Bowl LII, including a statement ad featuring the voice of Martin Luther King Jr. that proved controversial on Twitter.

Overall, there wasn’t as significant an auto-industry presence in Super Bowl advertising as in most recent years. And it was concentrated in the efforts of four brands, which also included Toyota, airing three commercials; Hyundai, two commercials; and Kia. So the lane was fortuitously open for FCA to dominate Super Bowl automotive ad spending on behalf of its two prime brands, Ram and Jeep.

The pickup-truck brand, which will have a new version of the Ram 1500 later this year, got two spots and Jeep, which has become the company’s most dynamic brand, got three ads to tout new versions of its iconic Wrangler off-road icon and its Cherokee mid-size crossover.

The launches “represent the collective efforts of the men and women at FCA who instinctively recognize their responsibility to these authentic brands,” stated FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne in a press release. “These vehicles, and these commercials, reflect our continued commitment to each brand and serve as a validation to our actions to realign our industrial output in the United States to meet customer demand.”

The Ram-highlighting “Built To Serve” ad, which aired late in the second quarter, uses an actual recording of King’s last major address, “The Drum Major Instinct” sermon, which he gave on February 4, 1968—exactly 50 years ago, and exactly two months before he was assassinated in Memphis.

“We recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be the servant,” King says in the ad. This “means that everybody can be great,” he continues to deliver over scenes of a student, athletes, a teacher, a cowboy, fishermen and professional heroes including firemen, Marines, and a nurse. New Rams pitch in, from helping at disaster sites to hauling a small wooden church down the middle of a highway on its way to apparent relocation.

The ad aimed to invoke the views of a true American hero from a day fraught with historical significance—and near the beginning of Black History Month. And unlike some of the politically provocative ads during last year’s Super Bowl, FCA’s “Built To Serve” spot reminds of today’s divisions without wallowing in them or exploiting them. As FCA puts it:

The Ram Truck brand believes in Dr. King’s notion that “everybody can be great because everybody can serve,” and Ram owners demonstrate this commitment every day in lending helping hands to their families, friends and communities. The spot is comprised of 26 powerful images of those serving others, with Dr. King’s commanding voice calling for all of us to serve.

Super Bowl viewers took to Twitter and other social media platforms to object to using Dr. King’s words to sell trucks. As TIME reported,

Viewers were taken aback. It didn’t take long for social media users to inquire whether King’s family approved of the company appropriating the civil rights leader’s words as a marketing tool. The late Reverend’s youngest daughter, Bernice King, took to Twitter with an unambiguous response:

No.

— Be A King (@BerniceKing) February 5, 2018

Neither @TheKingCenter nor @BerniceKing is the entity that approves the use of #MLK’s words or imagery for use in merchandise, entertainment (movies, music, artwork, etc) or advertisement, including tonight’s @Dodge #SuperBowl commercial.

— The King Center (@TheKingCenter) February 5, 2018

Here is #DrumMajorInstinct in its entirety. Learn about #MLK from him. Please listen to/read his speeches, sermons and writings. Understand his comprehensive teachings and his global perspective. Study his nonviolent philosophy. It’s more than a tactic. https://t.co/56fiF8r6iP

— Be A King (@BerniceKing) February 5, 2018

While FCA and Ram parent Dodge had not worked with the King Family, TIME (citing Slate) pointed out that the automaker had worked closely with the King estate on the ad:

Dodge confirmed that the company “worked closely” with the Martin Luther King, Jr. estate, which manages use of King’s intellectual property, to obtain approval to use the speech, Slate reports. The estate is a separate entity from the King Center, the nonprofit established by the Reverend’s wife, Coretta Scott King. “Estate representatives were a very important part of the creative process,” a Dodge representative said.

“Built To Serve” joins FCA’s other Super Bowl big statements includes the “Imported From Detroit / Born of Fire” commercial in 2010 that featured a soaring gospel choir, Eminem, the City of Detroit at the beginning of its comeback—and a model, the Chrysler 200, that the company no longer produces; Clint Eastwood in “Halftime in America,” urging the nation on in its economic recovery; and Ram Trucks’ “Farmer,” which featured a voiceover by the late radio icon Paul Harvey in  an ode to American agriculture.

In its other Ram Trucks spot during the game, the company artfully tapped into the current cultural context, borrowing mythology from the Vikings of old and relevance from the Vikings of the NFL to pay homage (above) to the real star of the commercial: the coming, new 2019 Ram pickup truck.

In the second quarter, the 30-second “The Road” spot introduces the new 2019 Jeep Cherokee — “the most capable mid-size sport-utility vehicle — now boasting a new, authentic and more premium design, with superior on-road performance with unmatched Jeep 4×4 capability.”

The 60-second “Jurassic World” commercial in the third quarter paid homage to the iconic scene in Jurassic Park in which Dr. Ian Malcom (Jeff Goldblum) escapes danger while in the back of a Jeep Wrangler — as he is being chased by a rampaging Tyrannosaurus rex — in a nod to Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom opening on June 22.

In the fourth quarter, Jeep’s ‘Anti-Manifesto’ took a swipe at the endless automakers that make declarations or promises of what their brand or vehicles deliver, “A Manifesto.” The Jeep brand takes an approach that only it can unquestionably deliver while introducing the all-new 2018 Wrangler. The brand instead chooses to show the world that there is only one vehicle that needs no words to demonstrate the true meaning of “Manifesto.”

It was a curious spot for Jeep Wrangler, showing the vehicle traversing a pond and climbing up its rocky banks. “How many car ads have you seen with grandiose speeeches over the years …  big declarations, making claims to some overarching human truth? Companies call these commericals ‘manifestos.'”

Then, as the off-road-champion Wrangler makes it up and over the bank on the shore effortlessly, the voiceover concludes, “There’s your manifesto.” Anyone watching the entire Super Bowl including all the Ram and Jeep ads might fairly be left with the question: “Did the Ram marketers know what the Jeep people were doing, and vice versa?”

The post Super Bowl LII: FCA Cites MLK in Ram Spot, Sparks Backlash appeared first on brandchannel:.

[joejstrickl]

Super Bowl LII: FCA Cites MLK in Ram Spot, Sparks Backlash

Fiat Chrysler Automotive surprised with a record slate of five Big Game advertisements during Super Bowl LII, including a statement ad featuring the voice of Martin Luther King Jr. that proved controversial on Twitter.

Overall, there wasn’t as significant an auto-industry presence in Super Bowl advertising as in most recent years. And it was concentrated in the efforts of four brands, which also included Toyota, airing three commercials; Hyundai, two commercials; and Kia. So the lane was fortuitously open for FCA to dominate Super Bowl automotive ad spending on behalf of its two prime brands, Ram and Jeep.

The pickup-truck brand, which will have a new version of the Ram 1500 later this year, got two spots and Jeep, which has become the company’s most dynamic brand, got three ads to tout new versions of its iconic Wrangler off-road icon and its Cherokee mid-size crossover.

The launches “represent the collective efforts of the men and women at FCA who instinctively recognize their responsibility to these authentic brands,” stated FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne in a press release. “These vehicles, and these commercials, reflect our continued commitment to each brand and serve as a validation to our actions to realign our industrial output in the United States to meet customer demand.”

The Ram-highlighting “Built To Serve” ad, which aired late in the second quarter, uses an actual recording of King’s last major address, “The Drum Major Instinct” sermon, which he gave on February 4, 1968—exactly 50 years ago, and exactly two months before he was assassinated in Memphis.

“We recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be the servant,” King says in the ad. This “means that everybody can be great,” he continues to deliver over scenes of a student, athletes, a teacher, a cowboy, fishermen and professional heroes including firemen, Marines, and a nurse. New Rams pitch in, from helping at disaster sites to hauling a small wooden church down the middle of a highway on its way to apparent relocation.

The ad aimed to invoke the views of a true American hero from a day fraught with historical significance—and near the beginning of Black History Month. And unlike some of the politically provocative ads during last year’s Super Bowl, FCA’s “Built To Serve” spot reminds of today’s divisions without wallowing in them or exploiting them. As FCA puts it:

The Ram Truck brand believes in Dr. King’s notion that “everybody can be great because everybody can serve,” and Ram owners demonstrate this commitment every day in lending helping hands to their families, friends and communities. The spot is comprised of 26 powerful images of those serving others, with Dr. King’s commanding voice calling for all of us to serve.

Super Bowl viewers took to Twitter and other social media platforms to object to using Dr. King’s words to sell trucks. As TIME reported,

Viewers were taken aback. It didn’t take long for social media users to inquire whether King’s family approved of the company appropriating the civil rights leader’s words as a marketing tool. The late Reverend’s youngest daughter, Bernice King, took to Twitter with an unambiguous response:

No.

— Be A King (@BerniceKing) February 5, 2018

Neither @TheKingCenter nor @BerniceKing is the entity that approves the use of #MLK’s words or imagery for use in merchandise, entertainment (movies, music, artwork, etc) or advertisement, including tonight’s @Dodge #SuperBowl commercial.

— The King Center (@TheKingCenter) February 5, 2018

Here is #DrumMajorInstinct in its entirety. Learn about #MLK from him. Please listen to/read his speeches, sermons and writings. Understand his comprehensive teachings and his global perspective. Study his nonviolent philosophy. It’s more than a tactic. https://t.co/56fiF8r6iP

— Be A King (@BerniceKing) February 5, 2018

While FCA and Ram parent Dodge had not worked with the King Family, TIME (citing Slate) pointed out that the automaker had worked closely with the King estate on the ad:

Dodge confirmed that the company “worked closely” with the Martin Luther King, Jr. estate, which manages use of King’s intellectual property, to obtain approval to use the speech, Slate reports. The estate is a separate entity from the King Center, the nonprofit established by the Reverend’s wife, Coretta Scott King. “Estate representatives were a very important part of the creative process,” a Dodge representative said.

“Built To Serve” joins FCA’s other Super Bowl big statements includes the “Imported From Detroit / Born of Fire” commercial in 2010 that featured a soaring gospel choir, Eminem, the City of Detroit at the beginning of its comeback—and a model, the Chrysler 200, that the company no longer produces; Clint Eastwood in “Halftime in America,” urging the nation on in its economic recovery; and Ram Trucks’ “Farmer,” which featured a voiceover by the late radio icon Paul Harvey in  an ode to American agriculture.

In its other Ram Trucks spot during the game, the company artfully tapped into the current cultural context, borrowing mythology from the Vikings of old and relevance from the Vikings of the NFL to pay homage (above) to the real star of the commercial: the coming, new 2019 Ram pickup truck.

In the second quarter, the 30-second “The Road” spot introduces the new 2019 Jeep Cherokee — “the most capable mid-size sport-utility vehicle — now boasting a new, authentic and more premium design, with superior on-road performance with unmatched Jeep 4×4 capability.”

The 60-second “Jurassic World” commercial in the third quarter paid homage to the iconic scene in Jurassic Park in which Dr. Ian Malcom (Jeff Goldblum) escapes danger while in the back of a Jeep Wrangler — as he is being chased by a rampaging Tyrannosaurus rex — in a nod to Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom opening on June 22.

In the fourth quarter, Jeep’s ‘Anti-Manifesto’ took a swipe at the endless automakers that make declarations or promises of what their brand or vehicles deliver, “A Manifesto.” The Jeep brand takes an approach that only it can unquestionably deliver while introducing the all-new 2018 Wrangler. The brand instead chooses to show the world that there is only one vehicle that needs no words to demonstrate the true meaning of “Manifesto.”

It was a curious spot for Jeep Wrangler, showing the vehicle traversing a pond and climbing up its rocky banks. “How many car ads have you seen with grandiose speeeches over the years …  big declarations, making claims to some overarching human truth? Companies call these commericals ‘manifestos.'”

Then, as the off-road-champion Wrangler makes it up and over the bank on the shore effortlessly, the voiceover concludes, “There’s your manifesto.” Anyone watching the entire Super Bowl including all the Ram and Jeep ads might fairly be left with the question: “Did the Ram marketers know what the Jeep people were doing, and vice versa?”

The post Super Bowl LII: FCA Cites MLK in Ram Spot, Sparks Backlash appeared first on brandchannel:.