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Jeep Gets Political for Super Bowl, Brings Bruce Springsteen Along for the Ride

Bruce Springsteen hasn’t done a proper commercial since the mid-70s, though he was pretty vocal during the past four years in his criticism of the Trump administration. In his new ad for Jeep, both he and the carmaker call for unity and political centrism.
Bruce Springsteen joins forces with Jeep to call for political centrism in new "The Middle" short film 6 photos
Photo: Jeep/Stellantis
Bruce Springsteen joins forces with Jeep to call for political centrism in new "The Middle" short filmBruce Springsteen joins forces with Jeep to call for political centrism in new "The Middle" short filmBruce Springsteen joins forces with Jeep to call for political centrism in new "The Middle" short filmBruce Springsteen joins forces with Jeep to call for political centrism in new "The Middle" short filmBruce Springsteen joins forces with Jeep to call for political centrism in new "The Middle" short film
Unlike most ads that got airtime during the Super Bowl LV, Jeep’s 2-minute-long film wasn’t about showcasing new models, new technology, or announcing strategies for the coming years. Instead, it focused on the need for the United States to find common ground after a long period of turmoil and tension.

Called “The Middle,” the ad features a spoken poem by Bruce Springsteen, while footage shows The Boss himself traveling to the literal middle of the United States, visiting a church in Lebanon, Kansas. The shot took place in January over the course of five days and represented a very close collaboration with the artist.

“‘The Middle’ is a celebration of the Jeep brand’s 80-year anniversary and, more timely, it is a call to all Americans to come together and seek common ground as we look collectively to the road ahead,”
Olivier Francois, global chief marketing officer of Jeep owner Stellantis, says in a statement.

As Springsteen talks about the need to find the middle way so as to overcome whatever obstacles might come in the way of Americans, images show him doing a variety of activities: writing in a notebook, rubbing dirt on his hands, drinking hot coffee, lighting a candle, putting on a hat, and opening a door. Ambient music plays throughout, which Springsteen also wrote and recorded.

Since this is a Jeep commercial, two vehicles do make a cameo. There’s a 1980 Jeep CJ-5 that serves as the hero vehicle and an even older, 1965 Willys Jeep CJ-5 that doubles as extra and appears in the background. Springsteen gives off a strong cowboy vibe, which would be in keeping with the message that he’s traveled some way to get to the middle of the country. His horses are now all under the Jeep hood, of course.

Not surprisingly, the ad did not fail to generate divisive reactions. While some point to the irony of Springsteen’s call for unity when he’d been doing the opposite of that for the past four years, others note that Jeep’s map of the “ReUnited States” appears to be missing a chunk of Michigan.

But Jeep’s heart was in the right place, for what it’s worth.

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About the author: Elena Gorgan
Elena Gorgan profile photo

Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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