Imported From Detroit: Rebranding the Rust Belt

I liked the ad. But I drive American, even if that seems a bit old fashioned.

Not sure I agree though with the Eminem part. He is from Detroit, has made a popular movie about the city, and it's his music throughout the ad.

I thought tying him to the city (an established link) then to the car (what the ad. company hopes for) in hooking a younger audience into the message, worked.

People like you and I would have a natural inclination towards the older buildings/factories etc. The trick is getting the less interested (ie. younger) to see older cities in a new light. I thought Eminem's part in that was important.

I actually think the young ARE very interested in these cities: they are affordable, they offer an opportunity to "roll up your sleeves and get something done", there is incredible history, etc.

These cities are the new frontier. For sure.

This was one of the best ads from the super bowl and I couldn't help but think about Buffalo when it was showed.

It might help some of you to understand Eminem before criticizing him for being in the commercial. He has done a lot of good things for Detroit and his old 'hood including bringing attention to the blight of homes and buildings that were featured in his videos and 8 Mile. Some of them were bought and fixed up because of the movie and some of them were even partially paid for by Eminem. He still lives in Michigan too.

Maybe we can get one of our native celebrities to do something like this for Buffalo?

I actually found this commercial sort of insulting to Detroit, considering that one of the main reasons Detroit is such a basket case is because of the way it was sacrificed to the automobile.

It seemed a bit smug for Chrysler to use Detroit's "down and out" status for marketing cred when they were a major contributor to it ending up that way.

It would be money well spent to have the Buffalo, New York: This Place Matters video play nation wide on TV. For all to see.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MT11IdWPvfc

I loved the commercial.... Detroit, Buffalo, and Cleveland should find a way to unify and create a new culture of re-discovery. Always thought it would be interesting to have some sort tourist boat/train tour which linked the three cities.

Thought the Eminem part was fine btw.

Detroit as an import was first proposed in another "civic pride" ad, from another Rust Belt City.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PVvmmVFy1w

Also, yes. Eminem was key to the ad. He is a demonstration of the idea that good things are formed in tough environments. Hopefully Chryslers aren't as dysfunctional though.

Love the artwork at 0:32.

There's been some negative backlash to the ad coming from the "usual suspects" who've decried Chrysler's dropping so much coin on an ad after receiving government support. In order to stay in the game, you've got to advertise and "strut your stuff" to stay in the game which I thought the ad accomplished. BTW, that loan will be paid back to the gov't with interest.

Make good cars and the image will take care of itself. Ford has great cars now and is doing well, yet I can't describe a single commercial of theirs. I would still buy a Ford versus a Chrysler.

Just traded in a piece of crap Sebring for a Honda. Good trade.

The power of a nation to rally behind its wares is really underrated. If you look at consumer reports between the main car brands, Ford, Dodge, Honda, Nissan, the difference in quality is so close, its really hard to show ones better then the other. You know Japanese consumers for example buy very few American cars compared to the market share they enjoy in the US. I’m not saying blindly buy American, it’s a full effect issue. Americans have lost pride in there work, so the product suffered, likewise Americans lost pride in buying American. I figure the personal loss of pride came first.

Second point, embracing nostalgia while moving forward is completely possible. For example, Buffalo’s third shift bar hours, abd blue collar background can be played upon a bunch of ways. For example the community aspect can be used to bolster commitment to public transportation, and pride in ownership can be under rated for taking car of your properties in the city. As someone else posted living costs are low, if it wasn’t for the toxic laws (which we can fix) Buffalo could experience a second coming of US manufacturing. Keep in mind this new congress, paired with the failure of the stimulus package, there a bit more interested in tariffs. While overall tariffs are horrible for overall growth it would create a a feeling of recovery in the US.

The ad is a powerful vehicle that marries image, perception of image and music , that we here in Buffalo, another rustbelt city (that shares a similar history) can easily relate to. Eminem is a bright spot in the dismal form (in my opinion) of Rap Music. Rap is a deconstructed form that MAY have social content but sadly lacks MUSIC (my opinion). His face and attitude bring a human presence and reality to all that polshed grit. My first reaction was that that could very well be our city....but what could we market? Snow? Culture? Food? Empty lots? Abandoned houses for cheap? At least Detroit still has an actual product to market and sell. One that provides actual jobs for living breathing people.

It was a solid comer ial. The slogan might as well be true. Rust belt cities are very different places from the new post WWII America, might as well be imported. This isn't wystiria lane.

For the record the stimulus bill actually did work (much of it was in the form of tax breaks by the way) . And without the auto bailout this commercial would not exist along with a lot of auto jobs in Detroit and Buffalo.

AND florida oranges

Mr Duff,

That's the problem this perception that American car will not make it past 80,000 miles but the Honda will. As you said this is not tracked but that is the marketing that Honda has managed to sling for a long time now as has become a sort of 'urban legend'. I grew up around allot of F-150 and Ram 1500s with near 200,000 miles on them original engine and transmission.

Mr Duff,

We’ll there the difference. I have had only since 02, 3 vehicles, two dodge and a ford, and I have run them all up over the 120,000 mark without any major problems. They were two picks and a Durango now. So they were all truck drive trains. The rest of my family also drives Ford, Dodge and Chevy. They run there vehicles right but there too, my cousin had a ford tarsus with 150,000 miles on. My experience with them has been overwhelming good.

Likewise the service I have received I have never equated to the car. There franchised, I have equated that to that dealer. To encourage an American to turn there back on an American product, guess what you better make them feel like it’s for a good reason. I now my stomach turns every time I go on a military installation, or an factory in the states and see people driving foreign cars. And they I get the same sort of excuses you provide. Hondas are much better, they service is better, and they employ Americans. (Ignoring that the cooperate profits are in the home country).

There was recently a CNN article about the topic on CNN:

http://www.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/02/08/bennett.cameron/index.html?iref=allsearch

Point is, Americans, and the west at large, have lost our core culture. Cars, something that was in many ways a defining product of that society are just a reflection of it. A set of sprawling, overly bureaucratic, two of them took massive welfare payments from the rest of the country. I’m not saying the domestic car industry is without its faults, clearly it has them. Just as when the Japanese showed up originally they had nothing but junk. Point I’m rambling too is that American products aren’t forever inherently junk, but there is a large cross section is thinks it is.

the wayward policy's of each politcal party's leadership and the arrogance of the oil, auto and steel making industries can be blamed for the state of American auto manufacturing. After the oil embargo in the 70's, car makers and oil basically flipped the bird on the idea of really working at making cars efficient. It could not accept the fact that a muscle car, their bread and butter would ever be obsolete. Cheap steel from China was never considered a threat , which was also a bad mistake. Only time can tell how we will rise to the future and incorporate design, econmy and craft manship into a world product and not sacrifice the cost of labor when doing it.

I'm from Detroit, my boyfriend is from Buffalo. We are in our early 20's and both drive American cars.

My Grandpa came to America after WWII. He was a forced laborer in Auschwitz and ended up in Detroit with my Grandma, newborn, uncle, and not much else. He made a middle class life for his family by working for Ford. He was even able to sponsor some relatives to come to the U.S. with his wages.

This ad moved me, and that's why I love it.

"Do you think if we become a country that makes nothing, that builds nothing, that only services and outsources, that we will hold our place on the economic totem pole?" - Mitch Albom

I'm from Detroit, my boyfriend is from Buffalo. We are in our early 20's and both drive American cars.

My Grandpa came to America after WWII. He was a forced laborer in Auschwitz and ended up in Detroit with my Grandma, newborn, uncle, and not much else. He made a middle class life for his family by working for Ford. He was even able to sponsor some relatives to come to the U.S. with his wages.

This ad moved me, and that's why I love it.

"Do you think if we become a country that makes nothing, that builds nothing, that only services and outsources, that we will hold our place on the economic totem pole?" - Mitch Albom

absolutely not, our movie making empire will be the only thing we export

I thought Chrysler was totally American owned again - after Diamler/Benze gave it up after taking all the assets in the "merger" sort of like the thieves did to Central Terminal when the "new owners" trashed the place...

Hence the commercial..a commercial by a company thats from a country where they genuinly care about their cities.

The auto industry and its unions led to what we call a middle class lifestyle. Both have lost their place.

I think it was awesome to see something positive about Detroit on television for a change. Enough about that troubled city's urban problems, political corruption and never ending rapid population decline. Detroit is a very well planned city with beautiful architecture both old and new. It has great world class cultural sites and excellent professional sports. Its the careless urban renewal, invasion of superhighways, and the old persistant problem of racism that destroyed Detroit much more than any other older American city. What was done for Detroit on a Super Bowl ad is exactly the same thing that needs to be done for Buffalo on nationwide TV. If either the Bills ever make it again to the Super Bowl or the Sabres get to the Stanley Cup, a similar positive ad needs to be done showcasing Buffalo to the world.