With Clint Eastwood and his still powerful but raspy voice as the audio and images of Detroit and its people draped in shadows and often in darkness, Chrysler for the second straight year presented the only two-minute commercial in Super Bowl XLVI.
Like Eminem last year, Eastwood was hired to star in a two-minute movie. Eastwood's role was in “It’s Halftime in America.”
Unlike most carmakers, Chrysler didn't release the video or a tease to it prior to the same. Its absence only added to the suspense of its pending broadcast. And when Eastwood emerged from the shadows just before the start of the second half, he was captivating.
With some overt and some subtle references to both his movies and politics, Eastwood compared teams that have come from behind in the second half of a game and people struggling in hard economic times.
Here's Eastwood's monologue in the commercial:
"It's halftime. Both teams are in the locker room discussing what they can do to win this game in the second half.
It's halftime in America, too. People are out work. They're hurting and wondering what they're going to make a comeback.
We are all scared because this isn't a game.
The people of Detroit know a little something about this. They almost lost everything. But we all pull together. Now Motor City is fighting again.
I've seen a lot of heroes and a lot of downturns in my life. Times when we didn't understand each other. It seems like we've lost our heart at times . . . a fog, a division, discord and blame. It made it hard to see what lies ahead.
But after those trials we al rallied around what was right and acted as one. Because that's what we do. If we can find our way through tough time, we'll make one.
All that makes is what's ahead. How do we come from behind? How do we come together? And how do win?
Detroit is showing us it be done. And what's true about them is true about all of us. This country can't be knocked out with one punch. We get right back up again. And when we do the world is going to hear the roar of our engines.
Yeah, it's halftime time America. And our second half is about to begin."
When Eastwood's audio stops the words, "Imported From Detroit" appear on the screen, followed the steady appearance of small logos from Ram, Dodge, Jeep and Chrysler.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PE5V4Uzobc
Article Last Updated: February 5, 2012.
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A sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004.
In addition to founding this site in 2004, James writes a Sunday automotive column for The San Jose Mercury and East Bay Times in Walnut Creek, Calif., and monthly auto review and wellness columns for Gulfshore Business, a magazine in Southwest Florida.
An author and contributor to many newspapers, magazines and online publications, co-hosted The Weekly Driver Podcast from 2017 to 2024.
