The Luxury Car Imported from Detroit

My favorite commercial from Superbowl XLV – hands down.  I don’t think much of Chrysler, but their agency did a masterful job repositioning what’s a negative opinion of Detroit into an emotionally charged commercial that will sell cars.

The narrator says:

“What does this city know about luxury?  What does a city that’s been to hell and back know about the finer things in life?…  You see, it’s the hottest fires that make the hardest steel… Because when it comes to luxury, it’s as much about where it’s from as who it’s for.”

Then the commercial closes with the perfect tagline:

“Imported from Detroit.”

Brilliant.

Chrysler reminds you that Detroit isn’t like your cozy upper class suburb where you park your luxury car at the end of the day.  It’s a different kind of place.  It’s an import. An import from a place that may not be associated with driving luxury cars, but they want to be associated with building them.

As a Northwest Ohio native raised just 90 miles from Detroit, I’ve made my share of jokes about Detroit and “that state up north.”  But this was a classy yet gritty commercial that sparks sentiment toward a city that’s seen better days.