Some People Are Quite Upset About The Jeep Super Bowl Ad — See If You Can Spot The Problem
What’s not to love about the 2015 Jeep Super Bowl Ad?
Entitled “Beautiful Lands,” the ad shows families driving their Jeep Renegade through beautiful landscapes and other scenes from throughout the world, while Woodie Guthrie’s folk classic “This Land is Your Land” plays in the background, performed by Marc Scibilia, according to PR Newswire.
The problem some people are having, if you haven’t spotted it yet, is that “This Land is Your Land” is the most quintessentially American song (“From California, to the New York islands…”) since “Home on the Range.” By juxtaposing it with scenes from, say, the Great Wall of China or the Australian Outback, Jeep is either disrespecting America, or promoting a politically-correct globalist agenda, depending on whom you ask.
Responses to the Jeep Super Bowl ad on Twitter have ranged from mild annoyance to righteous indignation.
Confused as to why Jeep used a song so closely associated with America to showcase images of different countries #VTIMC
— Blair (@blairap_mktg) February 2, 2015
They are showing video of places not in America while playing “This Land is Your Land” which is about America. #CommercialFail #SuperBowl — Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) February 2, 2015
Since when did “This Land Is Your Land” become a song about foreign countries. Hey @Jeep, stick to making vehicles. #America
— Darrin Brandon (@DarrinBrandon) February 2, 2015
Comments on YouTube about the Jeep Super Bowl ad are even more direct.
“American song to a bunch if [sic] lands that aren’t America. What kind of globalist bullsh*t is this?”
For their part, Jeep has basically admitted that globalism was the point of the ad. In a statement via Forbes, Jeep clarified that they used the juxtaposition of “This Land is Your Land” with scenes from foreign countries as a subtle hint that they’re becoming a global brand.
“[‘Beautiful Lands’ takes] a unique and surprising twist upon the iconic piece of music, ‘This Land is Your Land,’ written as a crowning tribute to America’s homeland, and expands its interpretation into a global celebration of all lands across the world. The catalyst that takes viewers on an unexpected musical and visual odyssey, [the ad] creates a connection to show the Jeep brand’s evolution.”
Are you upset by Jeep’s decision to use “This Land is Your Land” against scenes of foreign countries in their Super Bowl ad? Sound off in the comments below.
[Image courtesy of: Newsday]
