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After nearly 60 years, Bruce Springsteen starred in his first commercial, and it might have been the best commercial of the entire Super Bowl.
Rob DeMartin / Jeep
The Super Bowl just ended, and while the Big Game itself isn’t much of a contest this year, we wouldn’t blame you if you i just watched the popping ads. Most of the game’s high value ads these days end up being released early to help extend the news cycle a bit. However, others only came out on Sunday night, so we’re bringing all the auto ads – the best and the rest – together in one convenient place for your viewing pleasure.
Naturally 2020 has been a tough year for everyone, so the relationship between humorous ads and those that attempt to touch your heart looks a bit more biased towards the latter than usual, that’s to be expected and this is not a bad thing. We’re also seeing fewer car-focused announcements than usual this year, with automakers like Hyundai and Kia pulling out despite big shows in the past. That said, there are some long and flashy advertisements, especially from domestic car makers. General Motors went for humor, Jeep did it all for heartbreaking patriotism.
Jeep “The Middle”
It took almost six decades, but Bruce Springsteen finally decided to appear in an advertisement. Fittingly, it’s a sprawling and ambitious two-minute Jeep spot that concerns much more the US state than the state of sales of the company’s new models. “The Middle” focuses on a small church in Lebanon, Kansas, which is in the geographic center of Lower 48. The ad sees the legendary rocker and poet calling on our fractured country to come together and find common ground as a nation, somehow avoiding sounding too brutal or preachy. It’s worth a watch.
General Motors “No Way Norway”
It’s also one of our favorite ads so far this year. It introduces comedian Will Ferrell to his most unhinged as he attempts to rally the United States to beat Norway in adopting electric cars, and we get a lot of beauty shots of Cadillac’s extremely handsome Lyriq EV, coming in 2023. Saturday Night Live’s Kenan Thompson (and Goodburger) makes an appearance, as does Awkwafina in General’s upcoming Hummer EV.
Cadillac “Edgar Scissorhands”
Released on Sunday hours before the Big Game, this seriously funny parody of Tim Burton’s masterpiece Edward Scissorhands sees future Dune star Timothée Chalamet playing Edgar Scissorhands, son of Edward, dreaming of driving a car. Her mother, played by Winona Ryder, reprising her role as Kim Boggs, goes above and beyond and gives her a new SUV with a tech twist.
Ford’s “Finish Strong”
The Blue Oval has been a huge fan of serious, thought-provoking, and sentimental commercials for a few years now, and you know that with the global pandemic the folks in Dearborn were going to double down during the Super Bowl. The company’s “Finish Strong” spot features actor Brian Cranston’s narration, with a group of Americans doing American things like banging face shields and finishing high school.
Toyota’s “Jessica Long Story”
Toyota “Jessica Long’s story“gives us a glimpse into the Paralympic swimmer’s childhood, her adoption by Siberian American parents, and the hardships imposed by her double leg amputation from a childhood illness. It’s not really about cars, but rather of a tear. Jerker and gets us the same as the Rav4 Hybrid 2019 ad with Toni Harris got us.
Vroom’s “Dealer Pain”
Vroom isn’t an auto maker – it’s an app for buying cars – but he has fun with his weirdly grim “Dealership Pain” ad which shows a mustached car salesman threatening a car buyer with torture. Of course, the experience of the car dealership can be a bit of a drag, but in general it’s not exactly the Spanish Inquisition either.
The Weathertech “family”
Weathertech may be a company with a significant presence in motorsport and with a car-obsessed owner, but the company’s Super Bowl ads never seem to show any of that. Instead, this place is a series of employee testimonials about the value they feel working at Weathertech. It’s pretty cool and will likely sell floor mats.
“We never left” from Weathertech
Not content with only having one Super Bowl spot, Weathertech ran a second commercial touting its history of manufacturing products in the United States. It is a call to other companies that have relocated their production and are now blowing their trumpets to bring it back to the United States.
CarMax
Well, CarMax bought some advertising time in the Super Bowl and, strangely, didn’t seem interested in doing anything memorable or even compelling. Our assumption is that the used car retailer had a budget that HAD to spend. I mean, as of the date of publication, CarMax hasn’t even put the video on their official YouTube channel. Spoiler alert: the best part is the Saint Bernard at the end.
Of course, there will likely be a lot more auto ads that won’t be revealed ahead of time, but rest assured we’ll be watching the game and sharing those spots with you here while they air, so keep it locked down here on Roadshow.
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