Detroit rapper Eminem scored much acclaim for Chrysler with his presence in the Chrysler 200 ad during the Super Bowl. Now the automaker has signed Eminem’s mentor, rapper Dr. Dre in an upcoming series of Chrysler 300 sedan ads alongside Detroit Lions rookie star, defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. The “Imported from Detroit” tagline is working well too, drawing attention to the city that’s coming back from some very tough times.
The ads for its new 300 sedan seek to portray it as a car that drivers aspire to own. They portray luxury as something earned through hard work, not only with Dre, but in additional ads featuring Suh (in photo) and high-fashion designer John Varvatos. Each ad will show the personalities hard at work or visiting their humble roots. The ads plant the idea that buying the just-redesigned 300 is a reward for labor.
The ads begin airing next month. The spots show Dre going back to his start in LA. His connection to Detroit? He played a big role in the career of Eminem. Dre is shown at work, not only in music, but with his premium headphones and iPod speakers business, “Beats by Dr. Dre.” He has also been a pitch man for Dr. Pepper and Hewlett-Packard.
Suh, who quickly became a star, is shown returning to the family home in Portland, Ore., and getting hugs from his mom. The ad aims to show how far the 6-foot-4, 307-pound defense tackle has come in his 24 years.
Varvatos, a star of the fashion world for his hip, casual men’s designs, is shown working late at night in his NYC studio. Since he grew up in Detroit, the goal was to “show where you are going — without forgetting where you are from,” Francois says.
Chrysler noted a spike in website hits and sales shortly after the ad was aired and reported earlier this month that March sales of the 200 sedan jumped to 191% percent from February.
