This image provided by Volkswagen shows a scene from one of the company’s commercials that aired during the Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 6, 2011. (AP Photo/Volkswagen)NEW YORK – In the Super Bowl of advertising, Justin Bieber replaced Ozzy Osbourne and Joan Rivers became a GoDaddy girl. But a pair of commercials by automakers took the early trophy for online buzz.
A two-minute ad for Chrysler starring Eminem and a Volkswagen ad featuring a mini-Darth Vader that went viral before it even aired were two of the most talked-about spots during advertising’s big night, Super Bowl XLV, in which Green Bay Packers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25.
Chrysler was one of nine automakers that took advantage of advertising’s biggest and most expensive showcase, at $3 million for 30 seconds, to try to show they’re back after two tough years for the industry.
The cinematic third-quarter Chrysler ad starred Eminem driving through Detroit and introduced a new car, the Chrysler 200 sedan, amid gritty scenes of the city. A voiceover talks about how the city has survived going through “hell and back.”
“This is the Motor City and this is what we do,” Eminem says.