Once upon a time there was a brand new car magazine. The simple idea was to make it appeal to readers who didn’t necessarily like or love cars, but might draw them towards the cover and then the contents. With that in mind the very first cover of Free Car Mag featured a musical celebrity, a certain Will.i am standing in front of a Lexus. It helped that he liked cars a bit as it was possible to write a short supporting feature around that. There was a unisex appeal, but mainly girls would be tugged into turning the pages and only incidentally reading about his cars. For once they will have been tricked into flicking through a car magazine. Most boys were still dumb enough to respond to anything with wheels. Suddenly I would be able to tell advertisers that the readership was not just blokey car mad males, but also those exotic, high spending creatures better known as females.
So there was method in the apparent madness of putting that celebrity image on the cover of a car magazine, rather than the latest hot model fresh in the showroom, a sexy group test on an airfield, possibly involving a marginal 0 to 60 time, or a red Ferrari. Free Car Mag was born and incredibly, despite many traumas, tantrums and all sorts of trouble, still seems to live on, but without the celebs. Apart from the current issue of course.
Marketing departments had realised for a very long time that adding a celebrity to the motoring promotional mix is very helpful. It gets attention where the latest model they have to plug, might otherwise be overlooked. Bring on the attention seeking celeb, which still happens, maybe not as much as it used to, but just the other day Harrison Ford (not someone who is particularly on any celeb circuit) made a ‘surprise’ appearance for Jeep® (the registered trade mark one and not to be confused with any other) in the Super bowl commercial.
The two-minute “Owner’s Manual” film was directed by Academy® Award-nominated director James Mangold (who did the half decent Ford v Ferrari and subsequently the ill advised “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,”).
It is worth a watch as it only takes two minutes of your time (the advert, not Dismal Dial of Destiny) and features old Harrison making the point that with all the infinite possibilities that life offers, people, unlike cars, don’t have the advantage of an owner’s manual that can help guide their decisions, so ultimately choose what makes them happy.
Says Ford in the film, “Choose what makes you happy. My friends, my family, my work make me happy. This Jeep (Wrangler 4xe) makes me happy…even though my name is Ford. That’s my owner’s manual. Get out there. Write your own.”
“Together with Harrison Ford and Oscar®-nominated director James Mangold, we worked very closely with each other to create an intimate film that would stand out through its quiet nature, very much opposite of what viewers have come to expect from Big Game commercials but very consistent with many of our past films for the event over the years,” said Olivier Francois, Global Chief Marketing Officer, Stellantis. “The Jeep brand ethos is one steeped in freedom, adventure, and passion, born in America, but recognized and lived around the world. And as our 84-year history continues to unfold, we also want to remind our Jeep 4×4 vehicle owners that when they set out for the types of adventures for which our brand is singularly known to inspire, there will be a Jeep for everyone.
Adds Francois, I’m very proud about this in-house creation, a first at Stellantis for a Big Game commercial. It sets a new standard and creates a more meaningful and authentic way to collaborate with the industry’s most respected artists.”
Said Harrison Ford about working with the Jeep brand on the commercial, “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.”
“Battle-born and forged in steel in 1941, the Jeep brand has represented freedom and adventure, pushing the limits, taking on the competition and overpowering every obstacle for over 80 years,” said Bob Broderdorf, Jeep brand CEO. “In this year’s Big Game commercial, the Jeep brand has THE guy who epitomizes 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.”
Continued Broderdorf, “As America’s Most Patriotic Brand for the last 23 years running, it only makes sense for the Jeep brand to continue to be one of the industry’s greatest creative supporters of the Big Game. And there was no greater stage to have Ford admit to America just how happy Jeep makes him.”
The thing is, America has changed somewhat in the last month or two and certainly since the agreement was reached between Ford’s people and the Stellantis people. Trump and Musk now run the place and before this film the Hollywood actor made a very downbeat production telling everyone to vote for the Harris/Waltz ticket.
As Trump, Drills Baby Drill, despite the fact that Elon has a battery car company, Jeep decided to feature the brand’s first global battery-electric vehicle (BEV), the Jeep Wagoneer S, launching first in U.S. and Canada, is arriving now to Jeep EV certified U.S. dealers, and it will be launched in Europe by Q1 2026. Next year then.
The point I’m making is that your celebrity, especially if they have well telegraphed political affiliations, might suddenly become out of step with marketplace. A potential Jeep buyer could be put off by a Democratic party affiliated seller and may not want to plug it in, simply add gasoline.
That’s why choosing your Sports Utility Vehicle salesman is a fine art and JLR seem to have got it spot on with Theo James who is charged with making the Range Rover Sport seem rather desirable. Best to let them explain it: “The new collaboration between Range Rover Sport and actor Theo James perfectly embodies the dynamic luxury that the brand is known for. As the most athletic model in the Range Rover lineup, the Range Rover Sport shows off its capability in a campaign that captures thrilling scenes of James driving across challenging terrains, including scaling stone steps and navigating an enormous chessboard. Featuring a bold Velocity Blue exterior—now available for customers—the vehicle showcases a combination of sporting prowess and modern luxury.
“The Range Rover Sport’s exceptional performance is supported by a range of mild and plug-in hybrid options, offering assertive power and commanding all-terrain capability. Advanced technologies such as dynamic air suspension, torque vectoring, and adaptive dynamics ensure composed handling and responsiveness on any surface.”
Indeed, they describe it as as a “quintessentially British collaboration,” which it certainly is. “Theo James, an Emmy-nominated British actor, stars in the campaign, emphasizing the vehicle’s British roots. Known for his roles in the Netflix series The Gentleman and HBO’s The White Lotus: Sicily, James brings a refined yet adventurous spirit to the campaign, aligning perfectly with the Range Rover Sport’s brand ethos.
“This campaign, set in the grandeur of Harewood House, perfectly showcases Range Rover’s ability to surprise and delight through curious storytelling, while maintaining its position as a leader in modern luxury SUVs.
“The collaboration highlights Range Rover’s position as a leader in modern luxury, blending sporting thrills with elegance and innovation.”
So yes, Harrison Ford, a legendary actor and embodiment of what it is to be American and self sufficient, essentially however, it is an old bloke trying to sell you a battery bus. Also the stupid thing that Jeep keep on bashing on about, is that you can unbolt the doors and drive around like that. Harrison seems to prefer actual doors in the film.
Theo seems to be the far better fit with his SUV. He is playing a role, ‘The Gentlemen’ was an excellent series and he ought to be a shoo in as the next Bond, but he’s probably too cool for that now. No, Theo is magnificently English. Funny, self-assured and he even has a dog (it’s an Irish Wolfhound) like Ford’s, but it’s bigger. You’d want to be like, or be with the handsome English actor on his country estate in his Range Rover Sport, every single time.
Best then to get an actor playing a role, that always works. The trouble is although it may pay well, the credibility of being a car salesman doesn’t work for everyone. That’s why so many American actors in particular, decided to do some of their best work far away from their adoring local audience. In a pre globalized and Internet world the chances of anybody seeing an advert pushing noodles (s.f. Mr A. Schwarzenegger), apart from ‘Clive James on Television’ (ask your parents) was remote. Credibility still intact, bank balance enhanced for just a few days work and a first class return flight over the Pacific was all it took.
That’s how you come across Bruce Willis endorsing the wonderful Daihatsu Mira E. Legend has it in 2014 instead of a starring role in Expendables 3 he preferred to do a Daihatsu commercial for a rumoured $3 million.
Bruce has form of course and along with Mel Gibson, Kevin Costner and Antonio Banderas worked with Subaru from the late 1980s through the mid-‘90s. It didn’t end for Subaru who launching the Legacy at the time, also took on board Robert De Niro, Jennifer Lopez and Winona Ryder advertising not only the Legacy, but Outback and Forester. Oddly enough Rod Stewart also turned up for a time saying, rather than singing about how good the Legacy was.
Honda liked a western actor or two and that led to both Brad Pitt (also a paid promoter of Cadillacs) and Michael J Fox promoting the Integra and most curiously of all Jodie Foster being all coquettish around various colour Civics in several 15 second TV commercial spots.
With the Japanese you are on safe ground. Even 30 years ago we were far enough away from the atrocities of World War Two, Bridge of the River Kwai/Tenko and all that, not to be tainted by any association with their forced route march and camp labour approach to prisoner welfare.
China ought to be different. There are ongoing issues when it comes to human rights and quite possibly any celebrity ought to think twice before bigging up one of those new brands in search of an identity, marketing reach and sales. Back in 2014 Nicholas Cage did some flashy adverts for BAIC who were launching the Senova D Series four door saloon for China based on the old Saab 9-5 with a turbocharged 2.0. More recently in 2019 MG India announced that their brand ambassador was none other than Benedict Cumberbatch.
We have only scratched the surface of this celebrity lark and we will probably come back to it at some stage, not least because when MG Rover was a proper British owned company it did some interesting product tie ins. Then there was the Two Ronnies shoring up the shoddy Austin Rover Group on prime time TV in 1982. Which brings us to our latest cover and Brucie.
This is how you do a car ad. Funny, memorable and getting over a key fact that the latest Avenger had electronic ignition with a bucket of water. Brucie is of course just being Brucie, but this is also a fabulous bit of acting. He’d have been top salesman wherever he worked. It is 30 seconds of punk power personality. No point being enigmatic and all celebrity, he was being a full on showroom executive. What are the features and benefits of this Chrysler? Let’s go and flog ‘em.
Those were the days. That day was in 1978. A year later Chrysler became Talbot, even Brucie couldn’t save the company, but he gave it a bloody good try.
The funny thing is Talbot as part of Chrysler was absorbed by Stellantis in 2021. Now imagine a Brucie CGI’d for the 2025 Superbowl to sell the new battery Jeep project to America. Breaking that fourth wall whilst winking at the camera and chucking a bucket of water over the driver who’d stupidly taken the bloody doors off.
Well I think it’s funny. Funny enough to put Brucie on the 10th Anniversary cover of Free Car Mag. Thanks for reading.
