By Robert Goldrich

Samuel Bayer has a simple explanation for why he continues to shoot whatever project he directs.
    “I don’t know how to hand that off to somebody. I wish I did. I just can’t let go of holding the camera and looking for that perfect moment.”
    Viewers of the Super Bowl and many folks in Detroit, if not all of Michigan, are grateful for that streak of control freak in Bayer because he held out for and captured a succession of perfect moments in Chrysler’s “Born of Fire,” a two-minute spot which played as much as an anthem for Detroit as it did for Chrysler itself. In some respects the sought after economic comeback of the Motor City is intertwined with that of Chrysler as we see gritty urban images–some reflecting hard times–yet still feel an attitude of perseverance and survival in the face of adversity. Also captured are city landmarks, hustle and bustle, a sense of emergence, and a feeling of determination among people in Detroit. We also eventually see Eminem driving a Chrysler 200, with all the action playing to the strains of his music from 8 Mile.
    “What does this city know about luxury, huh? the narrator asks. “What does a town that’s been to hell and back know about the finer things in life? Well, I’ll tell you–more than most. You see, it’s the hottest fires that make the hardest steel.
    “Because when it comes to luxury, it’s as much about where it’s from as who it’s for. Now, we’re from America, but this isn’t New York City or the Windy City or Sin City, and we’re certainly no one’s Emerald City.”
    Online buzz was overwhelmingly positive about the spot and its “Imported from Detroit” mantra/tagline. And industry feedback was generally glowing, as reflected in SHOOT’s annual informal survey of ad agency creatives regarding the crop of Super Sunday ads. For example, Neal Davies, partner in Naked Communications, New York, assessed, “What I really enjoyed, what saved the Super Bowl for me, was Chrysler’s ode to Detroit. A two-minute celebration about a city that’s been to hell and back. It was done in such a convincing and beautiful way, with the Eminem music from 8 Mile and then the reveal that he’s driving the car. They used the two minutes to make a statement in the Super Bowl environment, asking us to indulge them while they shared what they thought was something important. That stood out for me in a positive way.”
    Cindy Winetroub Rogers, creative director, Partners+Napier, Rochester, N.Y., said of the Super Bowl commercials, “My favorite was the Detroit anthem for Chrysler–powerfully written, beautifully executed, cinematic and big yet real and honest. I’m a sucker for those manifesto sort of things. It made me want to root for Detroit and Chrysler.”
    Whether that rooting will translate into buying Chrysler offerings remains to be seen. Still, the Chrysler anthem did–on the biggest ad stage of them all–what its creators hoped it would do: make Chrysler a buzz-worthy topic, the first step in reviving a brand.
    This rallying cry seemed to buoy not only Chrysler but Michigan itself, according to news reports of people’s reaction throughout the state.

Risky business    Bayer directs via Serial Pictures, which produced “Born of Fire.” Headed by executive producer/partner Violaine Etienne, Serial is partnered with yet autonomous from Anonymous Content, operating as a separate label. Bayer credited Wieden+Kennedy, Portland, Ore., for the creative and being willing along with Chrysler to take a risk–two essentials to making “Born of Fire” a success.
    “The copy was amazing, really beautiful,” said Bayer. “They wanted something different–almost a form of anti-car advertising. This wasn’t a job about a luxurious car interior or conventional product shots. They wanted to capture the spirit of the city, the sense of recovery, a feeling of hope. For me as a director and cinematographer, it was a project that was in my wheelhouse. Wieden and Chrysler took a big chance. When you watch the Super Bowl, you see a sea of funny commercials and big CG animated stuff–up against images I shot hanging out of a van down a freeway in Detroit. The idea of doing longer form nonlinear narrative film is such a departure for the Super Bowl.”
    Bayer acknowledged, “I was a bit concerned how this would play during the Super Bowl. I envisioned beer drinking and partying, fun loving football fans who suddenly see this mood piece. I thought the reaction could be ‘What the hell is this?’ Instead people connected with an uplifting message of hope, they connected with this city that was once at the forefront of the American Industrial Revolution.”
    Bayer’s experience over the years in many respects positioned him to do justice to “Born of Fire.” Sophisticated visual storytelling sensibilities mark an extensive commercial filmography via such production houses as HSI, RSA and now Serial (Nike, Coca-Cola, Volkswagen, Mountain Dew, Miller Lite, Converse, Mercedes-Benz). Bayer also is credited with assorted breakthrough music videos (Green Day, Justin Timberlake, The Strokes, The Rolling Stones, Mettalica, David Bowie), underscored by his earning a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Music Video Production Association.
    The director diversified into theatrical features last year with A Nightmare on Elm Street, which was a worldwide box office hit though not a critics’ favorite. Bayer characterized the film as being “an interesting lesson in the trials and tribulations of Hollywood. It was an experience that had its value but that also made me come back to the world of advertising with fresh eyes and hungry to collaborate with people.”
    Currently developing his next film, Bayer doesn’t see much music video work on the horizon. “I haven’t done a video in five years. I’ve been approached but nothing has moved me. I find less reason to do videos. It’s not like the days when there was high profile exposure on MTV and the work was constantly pushing the envelope visually.”
    That’s why Bayer values “Born of Fire” all the more, for giving him the opportunity to again push the creative envelope. “In all my years in this business, the feedback on ‘Born of Fire’ was the most gratifying. It’s a project that meant more to me than my first movie and so much other stuff. I am grateful to get the opportunity to do such relevant work in advertising.”

MySHOOT Profiles