"Born of Fire", also known as "Imported from Detroit",
is the television commercial that introduced the
Chrysler 200
The Chrysler 200 is a mid-size sedan that was manufactured and marketed by Chrysler from model years 2011 to 2017 across two generations in four-door sedan and two-door convertible (first generation only) body styles.
The 200 nameplate debuted o ...
to the public. The commercial ran for the first time during
Super Bowl XLV
Super Bowl XLV was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion ...
, and, at two minutes long, it is one of the longest commercials ever shown on such event.
The commercial tells the contemporary history of the city of
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
, through the use of narrative (provided by
Rockford, Michigan
Rockford is a city in Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 5,719 at the 2010 census.
Located along the Rogue River, the city is part of the Grand Rapids metropolitan area and is about north of the city of Grand Rapi ...
resident Kevin Yon
) and crisp images, while juxtaposing both grim and beautiful images of the city and its multi-racial population with the portrayed luxury of the car. American rapper
Eminem, who is from the Detroit area, drives the Chrysler 200 through the city to the
Fox Theatre, passing by several neighborhoods and landmarks. Upon arriving, he walks inside the theater to the stage, where the Selected of God choir
is singing. Eminem then walks on the stage and says to the camera, "This is the Motor City, and this is what we do." An instrumental version of his song, "
Lose Yourself
"Lose Yourself" is a song by American rapper Eminem from the soundtrack to the 2002 motion picture '' 8 Mile''. The song was composed and produced by Eminem, longtime collaborator Jeff Bass, one half of the production duo Bass Brothers and Lui ...
", plays in the background throughout much of the ad, with the aforementioned choir providing additional
source music
Diegetic music or source music is music in a drama (e.g., film or video game) that is part of the fictional setting and so, presumably, is heard by the characters. The term refers to diegesis, a style of storytelling.
The opposite of source m ...
. It was created by
Wieden + Kennedy
Wieden+Kennedy (W+K; earlier styled ''Wieden & Kennedy'') is an American independent global advertising agency best known for its work for Nike, Inc., Nike. Founded by Dan Wieden and David Kennedy (advertising), David Kennedy, and headquartered ...
and has been voted by the public and the media as one of the greatest commercials of all time.
Its airing is credited with revitalizing the image of Detroit, Chrysler, and the
American automotive industry.
References
External links
"Born of Fire" on YouTube
{{Super Bowl commercials
2011 in American television
Chrysler
Super Bowl commercials
Eminem
American television commercials
American advertising slogans
2011 introductions