For the second consecutive year on the Super Bowl, Chrysler has with a two-minute spot woven itself into the fabric of America, paralleling the comeback of the automotive industry to that of Detroit and the entire country. It started during last year’s Big Game with “Born of Fire” which played as much as an anthem for the Motor City and the U.S. as it did for Chrysler, linking the brand to perseverance, survival and heart in the face of adversity, the commercial unfolding to the strains of Eminem’s music from 8 Mile.
Fast forward to this past Super Sunday and Clint Eastwood is our country’s voice with a spot which appeared during halftime of the game, a time when both teams are trying to figure out what it will take to win in the second half.
Eastwood notes that the U.S. is at halftime, except this is not a game–it’s real life, with people worried about their jobs or simply getting work to support themselves and their families. At times it seems we’ve lost our way, that divisiveness has become the calling card of the day, with finger pointing becoming a national pastime. But it’s been this way before and ultimately Americans have overcome problems by coming together, finding a way or making a way if there’s no way to be found. Eastwood is akin to a coach with a halftime pep talk. He affirms that the second half is about to begin for America, during which the world will hear the roar of our engines. Indeed the resurgence of Detroit can prove inspirational for the country’s rally from tough times.
“It’s Halftime in America” can be viewed on the Chrysler Group YouTube channel through Feb. 18, where an immersive digital experience not only allows people to see and share the two-minute production, but they also can track the range of their individual voices and the collective power of the country coming together to spread a message via a virtual map on YouTube.
David Gordon Green of Chelsea directed the two-minute “It’s Halftime in America” spot for Wieden+Kennedy, Portland, Ore. For the interactive leg of the campaign, Wieden worked with development partner company Legwork Studios.
Apple and Google Face UK Investigation Into Mobile Browser Dominance
Apple and Google aren't giving consumers a genuine choice of mobile web browsers, a British watchdog said Friday in a report that recommends they face an investigation under new U.K. digital rules taking effect next year.
The Competition and Markets Authority took aim at Apple, saying the iPhone maker's tactics hold back innovation by stopping rivals from giving users new features like faster webpage loading. Apple does this by restricting progressive web apps, which don't need to be downloaded from an app store and aren't subject to app store commissions, the report said.
"This technology is not able to fully take off on iOS devices," the watchdog said in a provisional report on its investigation into mobile browsers that it opened after an initial study concluded that Apple and Google effectively have a chokehold on "mobile ecosystems."
The CMA's report also found that Apple and Google manipulate the choices given to mobile phone users to make their own browsers "the clearest or easiest option."
And it said that the a revenue-sharing deal between the two U.S. Big Tech companies "significantly reduces their financial incentives" to compete in mobile browsers on Apple's iOS operating system for iPhones.
Both companies said they will "engage constructively" with the CMA.
Apple said it disagreed with the findings and said it was concerned that the recommendations would undermine user privacy and security.
Google said the openness of its Android mobile operating system "has helped to expand choice, reduce prices and democratize access to smartphones and apps" and that it's "committed to open platforms that empower consumers."
It's the latest move by regulators on both sides of the Atlantic to crack down on the... Read More