Rather than openly connecting a new Jeep, the ad features old models, including a 1980 Jeep CJ-5 and a 1965 Willys Jeep CJ-5 against rough American scenes that include running water in Golden, Colorado; Davies Chuck Wagon Restaurant near Denver; and rural landscapes in Hastings, Nebraska. The ad ends in the chapel where Springsteen asks for hope, lighting a candle and suggesting that “our light has always found its way into the darkness.” The ad’s farewell message: “To the United States of America”.
The ad was recently filmed over a five-day period in late January. But Francois’ search for Springsteen went on for years.
He approached former Springsteen manager and confidant Jon Landau about 10 years ago with an ad concept that was to become “Halftime in America”, the 2012 Super Bowl ad that ended up starring Eastwood and drew parallels between the fall and rise of the American automobile industry and the strength of the American people. François and Landau shared a common acquaintance, the music tycoon and co-founder of Beats headphones, Jimmy Iovine. But when François raised the idea of putting the boss in an ad, Landau immediately rejected him.
“He made it very clear that this would never happen,” recalled François in an interview. “So I probably hit it a few more times.” Sometimes, he simply asked to license Springsteen’s music for ads, “and the answer was the same, he doesn’t license his music for commercials.” François and Landau became friends and “I became respectful enough to stop offering [Springsteen] to do commercials. “
But at the end of last year, a Doner script for “The Middle” landed on François’s table. The script, written by the agency’s executive creative director, Michael Stelmaszek, was delivered by Doner CEO David DeMuth, whose store has been working for François for years.
François sat on the script for days, but after making a call in early January to wish Landau luck in the new year, something forced him to try again. “In an almost apologetic way, I sent him the script, saying, ‘Hey, I’m not putting pressure on you, but I just kept it in the drawer for a few weeks and I realized that, who knows, Bruce could at least enjoy reading it. And then the answer came very quickly – not only would he like to read, but he is probably willing to do it. “
François, desperate for Springsteen’s cooperation, even offered to let him make the announcement from the comfort of his living room, he recalls. But “one thing is for sure: Bruce usually doesn’t like that kind of thing, but when he’s in, he’s all in.”
Soon, Francois found Springsteen on the runway at an airport in Hastings, Nebraska, and they drove together to shoot. “He has given countless hours, more than ever, to be just perfect. Then, he was part of the editing process, ”says François. Springsteen even marked the song for the ad, working with his frequent collaborator Ron Aniello.
The music is discreet and there are no references to Springsteen’s popular songs anywhere in the ad. “We wanted a spiritual experience from the first note to the last wave of Bruce’s hand as his jeep moves away,” says François. “When Bruce gives you his voice and his words, he doesn’t want people to be distracted by any music, not even his.”
“Our goal was to do something surprising, relevant, immediate and ingenious,” said Landau in a statement.
Although almost devout – the ad includes pictures of the cross inside the chapel – the commercial touches on politics, a topic for which most Super Bowl advertisers have remained very clear. Many brands followed the capricious path, bypassing the serious problems of the pandemic and political unrest that still dominate the news.
But the ad fits perfectly with the François Super Bowl’s motive to inject its marks into cultural conversation, such as Eminem’s 2011 award-winning “Imported From Detroit” effort, which was credited with polishing the image of Chrysler and Motor City.
When it comes to delivering an intermediate political message, Springsteen is not a purist. He is a notable Democrat, known for acting at political rallies on behalf of presidential candidates. In a June interview with The Atlantic, he called Trump “a threat to our democracy”. But he continued to express hope for unity, alluding to the Black Lives Matter movement when he said that “the demonstrations have been of white, black and brown people coming together in the enraged name of love. This is a good sign. “
François points to the appeal of Springsteen’s working class. He says he attended many of his shows and “the demographics and psychographics of Bruce Springsteen’s arena are exactly those of America.”
“Obviously, America is polarized,” adds François. “There is a division and what he wanted to do with us is to speak for common ground.”