Jeep took a different approach to Super Bowl advertising this year, unveiling the patriotic, stylish Owner’s Manual, a two-minute commercial starring Harrison Ford and directed by James Mangold (A Complete Unknown, Logan, Walk the Line). Take a look above.
The ad presents Ford reflecting on life’s choices and the absence of a guidebook to navigate them. “Choose what makes you happy. My friends, my family, my work make me happy,” Ford says in the advertisement, before playfully acknowledging a competitor brand – and his own name. “This Jeep makes me happy … even though my name is Ford.” The ad includes a brief moment where a Jeep Wrangler overtakes a Ford Bronco.
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Unlike the usual high-energy Super Bowl commercials, Jeep opted for a more restrained tone. “We worked very closely with each other to create an intimate film that would stand out through its quiet nature,” Olivier Francois, Stellantis’ global chief marketing officer, explained in a statement. “Very much opposite of what viewers have come to expect from Big Game commercials.”
Ford described the project as a simple, direct message, pointing out that this is part of what attracted him to sign up. “I said ‘yes’ to doing this commercial because of the script. It’s a very straightforward communication about life and ends with getting in a Jeep vehicle, that’s the hook. It didn’t require me to reintroduce myself, point to the fact that in my life I’ve been many things and known for specific projects or roles. It’s just a quiet talk from somebody sharing an idea. I love the way it developed.”
Said Bob Broderdorf, Jeep brand CEO: “In this year’s Big Game commercial, the Jeep brand has THE guy who epitomises adventure both on screen and off. In film, Harrison Ford has overcome the odds and flown from one side of the galaxy to the other all in the name of it, and in real life, he’s known to blaze his own trail. So, yes, Ford knows a thing or two about what the Jeep brand is all about”
Multinational automotive manufacturing company Stellantis was the only automaker airing commercials during this year’s game, featuring both Jeep and Ram in its Big Game lineup.
