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.
Justin Baldoni Sues Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds For $400M As “It Ends With Us” Fight Continues
"It Ends With Us" actor and director Justin Baldoni has sued his co-star Blake Lively and her husband, "Deadpool" actor Ryan Reynolds, for defamation on Thursday in the latest step in a bitter legal battle surrounding the dark romantic drama.
Baldoni's suit seeks at least $400 million for damages that include lost future income. The lawsuit from Baldoni and production company Wayfarer Studios, which also names publicist Leslie Sloane as a defendant, comes about two weeks after Lively sued Baldoni and several others tied to the film, alleging harassment and a coordinated campaign to attack her reputation for coming forward about her treatment on the set.
That lawsuit came the same day that Baldoni sued the New York Times for libel, alleging the paper worked with Lively to smear him.
The new lawsuit filed in federal court in New York says the plaintiffs did not want to file the suit, but that Lively "has unequivocally left them with no choice, not only to set the record straight in response to Lively's accusations, but also to put the spotlight on the parts of Hollywood that they have dedicated their careers to being the antithesis of."
An email seeking comment from Sloane, whose PR company represents both Lively and Reynolds, was not immediately answered.
The two actors are also both represented by agency WME, which dropped Baldoni as a client after Lively filed a legal complaint that was a precursor to her lawsuit and the Times published its story on the fight surrounding the film.
The surprise hit film based on the novel by Colleen Hoover has made major waves in Hollywood and led to discussions of the treatment of female actors both on sets and in media.
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