Bruce Springsteen isn’t normally one for a corporate sponsorship deal, as he’s long resisted requests to appear in commercials throughout his career. But hey, it’s 2021, and anything freakin’ goes, so the Boss signed on to take part in Jeep’s new Super Bowl ad, which premiered online ahead of the Big Game.
Apparently, Olivier François, the global chief marketing officer at Jeep parent company Stellantis, has been after the Boss for a decade. “Olivier François and I have been discussing ideas for the last 10 years,” said Springsteen’s manager Jon Landau in a statement (via Rolling Stone), “and when he showed us the outline for ‘The Middle,’ our immediate reaction was, ‘Let’s do it.’” Even so, Bruce himself didn’t agree to appear in the ad until just last month, meaning production had to go quick.
When you see how the clip plays into the Boss’ brand as hardscrabble American everyman, it’s easy to see why he may have finally been swayed by corporate capital. Entitled “The Middle” two-minute commercial taps into pertinent themes of division and reconciliation as Springsteen heads to Lebanon, Kansas. There, a small church sits at the exact center of the continental 48.
“It never closes; all are more than welcome to come meet here in the middle,” Springsteen says over as an instrumental he scored with producer Ron Aniello plays underneath. “It’s no secret the middle has been a hard place to get to lately between red and blue, between servant and citizen, between our freedom and our fear.”
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You can probably see where this is heading. The narrative goes on as Springsteen encourages everyone to find ways to meet in the middle and remember that “the very soil we stand on is common ground.” He ends by saying there’s “hope on the road up ahead” before a final title card reveals “to the ReUnited States of America.”
It’s all a nice sentiment, of course, and one we’re in dire need of even two weeks after the end of He Who Is Awaiting Trial’s reign. Still, there’s something so cynical about the idea of “the ReUnited States” that you have to wonder how an ad like this will read in a red state like, well, Kansas. Either way, you can watch the full thing below.
Also check out Super Bowl ads featuring Cardi B joining Wayne’s World and Timothée Chalamet picking up the Edward Scissorhands mantle.
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