Chrysler's 'Halftime in America' ad shot in Los Angeles, New Orleans -- not Detroit
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}One of the most memorable ads during Sunday night's Super Bowl was a dramatic clip for Chrysler featuring Clint Eastwood talking up Detroit and declaring "It's halftime in America."
But as much as the extended ad tried to cast the Motor City in an uplifting light, Chrysler apparently didn't actually shoot any new footage for the ad in Detroit.
New Orleans and Los Angeles, yes. Detroit, no.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Weekly Standard reports that some stock footage of Detroit was included -- but nothing was shot in Detroit specifically for this ad.
"Part of it was filmed in New Orleans ... and some was filmed in various parts—such as Los Angeles," a Chrysler spokeswoman told the Weekly Standard, specifically noting that the tunnel scenes were shot at the Coliseum in Los Angeles.
Eastwood narrated and appeared in the spot, which ran during the Super Bowl's halftime. It referred to Americans pulling together to help the struggling Motor City, but it also raised some eyebrows for making a statement about the current state of the nation's economy.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"It's halftime in America, too," Eastwood said. "People are out of work and they're hurting. And they're all wondering what they're going to do to make a comeback. And we're all scared, because this isn't a game. The people of Detroit know a little something about this. They almost lost everything. But we all pulled together, now Motor City is fighting again."
The commercial so resembled a political ad that on Monday afternoon White House Press Secretary Jay Carney found himself denying administration involvement in its production more than six months after the government's relationship with the company ended.
Soon after President Obama took office, he championed a government takeover of General Motors and Chrysler in an effort to keep the Detroit auto makers from going out of business. The federal government sold its last shares of Chrysler last June to Italian car maker Fiat, ultimately absorbing a $1.3 billion loss.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}But the company stayed afloat and Carney touted that fact as questions about the inspiring ad made their way to the briefing room.