After getting over our disappointment about Green Bay missing out on the Super Bowl, we at Rides & Drives have decided that we’re pretty excited for this Sunday.
It’s certainly a more interesting story than the all too predictable (and hate-able) Cowboys vs. Patriots would have been. Matt Ryan is a guy you can root for, and with Calvin Johnson gone Julio Jones may be the most graceful and steady wide receiver playing. Even beyond individuals, Atlanta’s offense has been great for years, and it seems like about time they picked up a Lombardi trophy.
And that’s only half the fun. Even the biggest football fanatic is also watching the Super Bowl for the commercials.
They’re even more fun if you’re into cars. It’s when brands really strive to define their identity. The Ram Trucks farmer ad, Chrysler’s Imported from Detroit campaign, Volkswagen’s too cute Darth Vader spot; these ads, along with countless others, are remembered because they told us something powerful about what the brand means.
So yeah, we’re looking forward to Super Bowl Sunday. And this year we already have one ad early.
The ad, directed by the Cohen Brothers and released on youtube, spoofs the 1969 film Easy Rider. The film, a classic piece of American counterculture, stars Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper as Wyatt and Billy, and follows their drug fueled (and funded) road trip on their classic California choppers. Cocaine, prostitutes, bad acid trips, rednecks, civil lawbreaking; for more than 40 years this movie has been speaking to bad angsty 20 year olds.
In the ad, after some pretty predictable biker bar revelry, we see Peter Fonda, dressed as Wyatt in his Captain America jacket, hopping into his shiny new … Mercedes-AMG GT? Huh. But don’t worry. As the music assures you, he’s still wild.
And that’s the point of this spot. Mercedes wants to remind you that their AMG models are the wild side of Mercedes-Benz. But this still feels like a stretch. Wyatt and Billy’s drug-fueled trip across the country was as as gritty and dirty and dangerous as they come. We love our AMGs. Lapping Road America in a GT a while ago is still a highlight drive. It’s a badass car. It still wears the Mercedes-Benz star, however, so it’s hard to imaging bikers giving it a pass, no matter who’s driving.
One thing this ad did succeed in? Making me want to watch Easy Rider.
Follow @RidesandDrives, @Harvey_Drives, and @Carolyn_Drives on twitter this Sunday for our thoughts (no insight guaranteed) on this Sunday’s Super Bowl action and advertisements. And probably expect a write up on our favorite, and least favorite spots next week. We really geek out about this.
