The Oakland Press reports Chrysler is interested in including Eminem in additional advertisements after Sunday’s “Born of Fire” commercial ran during the Super Bowl. Joseph Sczcesny of the Press wrote the domestic automaker “is considering using hometown recording star Eminem in more spots” and Chrysler spokeswoman Dianna Gutierrez was quoted as saying Chrysler is discussing “the next step.” Of course, that vague quote could mean nothing if Eminem isn’t interested in continuing the relationship. Em joked at his own reluctance to be a pitchman in a similar ad for Lipton Iced Tea, which also ran Sunday.
This much is clear, despite not being ranked among Sunday’s top commercials, Chrysler is happy with the outcome. Neither Hulu’s Adzone nor the Wall Street Journal’s poll ranked Chrysler’s Eminem ad as one of the most popular among fans. However other surveys showed the commercial was popular in the Midwest—home of Chrysler and Eminem. The carmaker had to get special permission from the NFL to run the two-minute ad, a first for the Super Bowl, because most commercial breaks are 90 seconds long. Chrysler and every other company that ponied up the $10,000 per second rate in airtime had the luxury of a large audience. This year’s contest between the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers surpassed last year’s Super Bowl by 4.5 million viewers.
“Super Bowl advertising is about making a statement and capturing the attention of the audience,” Chrysler President and CEO Oliver Francois told the Press. “‘Born of Fire’ is designed to generate conversation about the brand and the new 2011 Chrysler 200. The spot reflects where the brand is headed and pays tribute to our industrial roots. The new tagline was created to convey the message that one does not have to cross an ocean to obtain luxury, it’s available right here.”
