Big Ideas Pay Off - Uwe Hook

Watching my Twitter stream during and days after the Super Bowl, it wasn't a good year for the quality of the advertising product. Some called it the end of an era, others went so far to bring up the image of beating a dead horse. For me, the hype never matched reality and it seems all of us are expecting to be somehow disappointed. Was the average commercial as entertaining as the average spot in 2004? I'm not sure.

A saw a glimpse of times past when I watched the Chrysler/Eninem commercial. Putting all the TARP/bailout cynicism aside, this piece of work had something in it that was bigger than just selling a car. It had a message behind the sales message. Something that resonates with people. Something that keeps people awake at night. And, the commercial took risks: Detroit as a hero? Really? Eminem? Are you kidding me?

Rooting for Detroit, for the comeback of the heartland. That's a big idea. That's more than chrome on windy roads. That's a cause. Chrysler doesn't need to attach their brand to a charity or a good cause. They're living in one. And the fate of Detroit is closely tied to Chrysler's fate. Pure brilliance.

This ad and its message is still with me. While the monkeys, knock-outs, aggressive dogs and finger lickers have left my brain for good. They just paid. Chrysler's message paid off.

Uwe Hook is the CEO and Co-Founder of BatesHook, Inc. (www.bateshook.com) and a veteran of the advertising and marketing industry with the goal of building connections between people and brands. Uwe can be reached at uwe@bateshook.com.

Read all Uwe's MediaBizBloggers commentaries at Subversions.

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