Jeep Sidelines Its Super Bowl Ad

“The Middle,” Jeep’s two-minute Super Bowl ad starring Bruce Springsteen, was pulled from YouTube after reports surfaced that Springsteen was arrested for a DWI in November. Featuring a celeb with a history of drinking and driving isn’t a great look for a company, but it's especially problematic for an automotive brand. Jeep's Super Bowl ad featuring Springsteen aimed to unite Americans with its message but ultimately achieved the precise opposite.

In the story, Jeep tells Adweek why it decided to pull the ad.

Reminder: Vet your talent

Jeep’s predicament goes to show the importance of vetting your brand ambassadors, says Vincenzo Landino, co-founder of Aftermarq and Brainwork Media, in a Voice piece on the matter. “A brand must ensure that its house is in order before putting out content that will be highly scrutinized,” he writes.

Toyota’s ad starring paralympic athlete Jessica Long was one of the most popular of the Super Bowl and received widespread praise for its tone, storytelling and beautiful cinematics. But some in the disabilities community were left troubled by the ad, for reasons that Daniel Golden, a freelance designer strategist and disabilities advocate, explains in this Voice piece. 

Learn about Golden’s perspective: “Showing a person with disabilities in a 2021 Super Bowl ad is a step in the right direction, but that alone does not make the ad inclusive.”

Code and Theory has been challenged to reimagine the brand and identity for the Washington Football Team, a monumental task that will take the franchise away from the racism of its former name while honoring the team's and region’s legacies. The goal will be to leverage inclusion and reflect the D.C./Maryland/Virginia region while connecting with fans across the country.

No small task: Learn how Code and Theory is approaching it.

Although many suspect the Tokyo Olympics could face yet another cancellation or postponement due to the pandemic, NBC is forging ahead with its plan for the Games. The Opening Ceremony, which is normally aired in prime time on a delay, will instead air live for the first time on July 23 in the morning (which is late evening in Japan).

Find out more about the plans and how to watch—assuming it actually happens.

Upfronts week is quickly approaching, and yesterday, Adweek’s Jason Lynch broke the news that Disney will resume the tradition, which was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic. The company will hold its virtual presentation in its traditional slot on May 18, and it has big plans to wow marketers. ViacomCBS joined in shortly after, announcing that it, too, will return to its usual upfronts week spot, presenting virtually on May 19.

More of Today’s Top News and Highlights:

Manchester United player Marcus Rashford successfully lobbied the British government to include school holidays in its free school meals initiative. Now, supermarket chain Aldi has signed him to narrate a powerful animation about hunger, told from a child’s perspective. Look behind the scenes of the campaign.

Join Adweek, Twitter and Pulsar as we discuss how advertisers can map their audiences and plan campaigns that will resonate at The Audience is the Message: a Data-Driven Playbook for Content, Targeting, and Spend. Save your seat for this live virtual event on March 3.

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