Stellantis Takes Divergent Approaches With Super Bowl Ads

There were just two automotive ads that aired during Super Bowl LIX, marking another year of a downward trend for an industry that comprised 40% of brand ad minutes during the 2012 game. Both ads came from Stellantis-owned brands (Jeep and Ram Trucks), but the took wildly different creative approaches.

Ram Trucks went for the outlandish, envisioning what would happen if Goldilocks and the Three Bears was actually about "a rugged, woodsy dude" (portrayed by Glen Powell). Jeep, on the other hand, tapped Harrison Ford for a quieter, heartfelt spot urging people to "choose what makes you happy." Here are a few insights from iSpot about both ads:

• Ram Trucks' "Goldilocks and the Three Trucks" scored about Jeep's "Owner's Manual" for likeability, performing 13% above the norm (Jeep's was 9% above).
• Both spots had 85% brand recognition, 11 points above the norm.
• With a fire-breathing dragon, chainsaw sculpting, a volcanic eruption and other vivid, high-octane scenes, it's not surprising that the visuals were cited as the "single best thing" about Ram Trucks' spot by 25% of viewers, while the characters were considered tops by 17%.
• "Curiosity," "narrative" and "funny" were three of the top viewer emotions/reactions to the ad.

• Jeep's spot takes a more quaint, all-Americana approach to narrative storytelling. Harrison Ford talks about freedom, choice and other life lessons, declaring that "the most sacred thing in life isn't the path, it's the freedom to choose it."
• "Narrative" and "cinematic" were the top two emotions/reactions to the ad, with 22% of viewers saying the message was the "single best thing" about it, while 19% preferred the characters.