Chrysler is currently running a low energy television campaign featuring Lee Iacocca and a damn variety of freaking stars! Well just Snoop and Jason Alexander.
These are all quite boring, and frankly I think the majority of the American public has forgotten what Lee Iacocca looks like if they even know who he is at all. In this first spot with Snoop is the only place he is identified (as Icazzizle), making it more of a reintroduction of mister Iacocca to the public at large then it is a “celebrity” product endorsement.
The obscuirty of the main cameo star aside, all of these ads are boring and mostly awkward. In this first spot, a crusty of white man is paired up with the D O Double-Jizzle himself, Snoop Doggity Dog. Yawn.
Something is weird with the audio design here, both of the men seem strangely voiced-over. The camera movements are stilted and uncomfortable. This commercial is an error of Biblical proportions.
As part of a strange side-note, Snoop Dog’s has apparently trademarked his pimp image, a.k.a. “Pimpage”, USA Today reports.
Moving on, in the next spot Lee is once again unhilariously paired up with another star, George from Seinfeld. It’s quite clear Jason Alexander is supposed to be his “George” character talking to his boss George Streinbrenner here. And once again we see another commercial that relies on the existence of the Seinfeld TV show to make any sense.
If you can make sense of this odd cameo, it is far from funny. I don’t find Iacocca to be the warm sunny “Dave Thomas” of Chrysler, though he remains as wooden and lifeless on screen as did Thomas.
And much like Dave Thomas, here is Iacocca with his grand daughter in a TV spot. Or an actor hired to replace his grand daughter after the first one died on set from boredom. Once again this is a strange, stilted spot with no warmth or humor. Without knowing who Iacocca is, this spot remains a big question mark to viewers.
The death nail to this campaign is the terrible catch phrase “If you can find a better car, buy it!” being hammered into the audience’s brain. It’s not funny and, well, tells the customer to find a better car. And Chrylser’s big products aren’t really cars, they are Jeeps and SUVs. Oh yeah and The Simpsons made up this product sales line as a joke years ago. (Krusty: “If you can find a better hypno disc..You buy it!”).
For more information about Lee Iacocca visit your local library.
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