DETROIT — Finally.
After numerous pitches through the years, Stellantis marketing chief Olivier Francois secured the talents of iconic musician Bruce Springsteen for a Jeep Super Bowl spot.
It’s no surprise that they had to go big.
The ambitious Francois’ knack for tapping into the pulse of America in Super Bowl spots combined with the socially conscious Springsteen’s immense presence demanded nothing less.
The result is a two-minute film, “The Middle,” that will focus on uniting the country and air during the fourth quarter of Sunday’s NFL championship game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
One of the shoot locations for the ad was the U.S. Center Chapel in Lebanon, Kan., which stands in the geographical center of the continuous 48 states and carries symbolic meaning in the commercial as middle ground.
In the spot, Springsteen said “the middle” has been a hard place to get to lately, “between red and blue, between servant and citizen, between our freedom and our fear.”
The message is as relevant as ever in a time of political upheaval and social unrest that have put a magnifying glass on the cultural divide that the U.S. must reckon with.
“There’s a high level of emotion in the country right now,” Francois told Automotive News. “This is a healing message that I think really speaks for itself.”
The theme could have fit in other times, Francois said, but “relevance is one thing. I think, in this moment, it is almost needed.” The spot was created in partnership with Doner, a Detroit-based ad agency.
Francois’ inclusion of Springsteen marks the latest in a string of big-ticket celebrity appearances that have made Super Bowl ads for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles — and now Stellantis — sizzle during the Frenchman’s tenure. The list includes Clint Eastwood in the gritty 2012 commercial “It’s Halftime in America” and rapper Eminem in the inspirational 2011 spot “Born of Fire” that celebrated Detroit’s resilience.
The cameos in those ads felt natural. Jeep is hoping that Springsteen garners the same feelings.
Jon Landau, Springsteen’s longtime manager, said he and Francois had been discussing ideas for the past 10 years. When Francois showed them the outline, “our immediate reaction was, ‘Let’s do it,’ ” Landau said in a statement.
Landau said the goal for him and Springsteen “was to do something surprising, relevant, immediate and artful.” Landau texted Francois recently with his thoughts about the spot, saying it may be the “most spiritual commercial ever.”
The Boss had his hands all over this project.
Jeep said he worked closely with director Thom Zimny while writing and producing the film’s original score with frequent collaborator Ron Aniello.
Springsteen, who Francois called “precise,” made it clear how he wanted the ad presented. After seeing a nearly finished version, Francois said Springsteen made a few suggestions and guided the crew to the final cut.
A spokeswoman for Jeep declined to discuss financial terms of Springsteen’s work.
Fielding constructive feedback from top-flight entertainers is nothing new for Francois. It comes with the territory.
Last year, actor Bill Murray starred in Jeep’s Gladiator spot that piggybacked on the theme of his film Groundhog Day.
A Murray suggestion helped Jeep tailor a digital ad for the coronavirus pandemic in the months after. Murray recommended using the line “Safety first” from the extended version of the Super Bowl ad for the pandemic spot. The line sounded perfect for the moment and made it seem as if the audio was new, but it was just a case of shrewd editing.
“When you have a legend, you are humbled,” Francois said. “I am 59. But when I’m with these people, even Eminem, by the way, who is younger than me, I feel like a little boy, and I learn from the best.”
Springsteen’s music almost has served as an unofficial soundtrack to Francois’ career thanks to his old boss, former FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne.
Marchionne, who died in 2018, was a fan of Springsteen and often played his music on flights. Springsteen songs would even find their way into employee town halls and corporate meetings.
Francois once asked Marchionne what Springsteen represented to him. He told Francois that Springsteen stood for “everything I want our group to represent, especially Jeep: authentic, rugged, American.”