Did Jeep listen?

Bruce Springsteen allegedly relented and put his name to a brand. Jeep. Is it a timely, good message­ ­– with brands still telling us how it can be?  

According to a statement from Olivier François, global chief marketing officer for the brand’s parent company, Stellantis: ’The text serves as a “joint message” from the rock legend and Jeep. Since writing this blog, it appears that the ad has been pulled, illustrating as I have written previously that it is a delicate relationship between celebrities and brands.

In this case, it was two powerful brands coming together to promote a message. It is powerful and what do we take from this I wonder?

I felt it was, at least, trying to be ‘deep and meaningful’ but who is talking to whom? It’s a strange way that I work, I like to consider the brand as a separate entity, one that I can converse with, one that is involved in the co-creation of its future. This is a beautifully produced piece of work; I wondered if Jeep, the brand, could talk, what would it say? What would the designers ask of it, if they felt so inclined, and would there be room for negotiation? Or is all this just a paid opportunity for Bruce and the USA to attempt to shift our perception and create better? In which case, how relevant is Jeep? Apart from of course providing the funding. An obvious starting point is to look a little more deeply at the lyrics and imagery.

The penultimate sign off, before the Jeep logo has an image ‘to the Re-United States’. This is rich with evocative words, and one would expect no less from Springsteen. We feel differently when we hear, or read: chapel, welcome, middle, fear, freedom, connection, common ground, desert, mountain, light, darkness, hope. To mention a few.

The video is no longer available but other images included (with my take on them):

Snow lined road (Cleared path to the future)

Worn boot/ hat (Been there, done that, confident also Bruce and the USA)

Train (the journey, carriages, all of us united in one direction)

Horse (symbolically represents stamina, charisma, future success – to name a few)

Windmill (Air element)

Flowing stream (Water element)

Candle (Fire element)

Long views (Earth element)

Mountain (aspiration)

Chapel headed with cross (Place of rest, religion, Christianity)

Cemetery (the ultimate end of life and more Christian crosses visible on the other side of a barbed wire fence, maybe a warning/danger of where we could be headed)

Sunset/rise (Endings and beginnings)

Flag (USA united/identity)

There is more but what stood out was the chapel ‘in the middle’. Springsteen admits, he “came to ruefully and bemusedly understand that once you’re a Catholic you’re always a Catholic.” He adds, “I don’t participate in my religion but I know somewhere…deep inside…I’m still on the team.”

https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/irish-american-boss-bruce-springsteen-catholic

The ad sparked a range of responses on social media from accusing it of being inane, delusional and decrying the relevance of the middle without some softening of the extremes.

Jeep has one of the simplest logos. Just the name, initial cap, sans serif, nicely letter spaced. I have a sense that the spirit of Jeep likes it that way.