Each of the automakers -- General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler-Fiat's new Fiat Chrysler Automobiles -- are keeping their commercials a secret and going against things they've done in the past.
DETROIT, MI- The Detroit automakers are taking similar, yet different, roads to advertising during this year’s Super Bowl.
Each of the automakers -- General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler-Fiat’s new Fiat Chrysler Automobiles -- are keeping their commercials a secret, but with different strategies that go against things they’ve done in the past.
“I’m hoping from the best from the domestic automakers in the Super Bowl,” said Robert Kolt, a Michigan State University advertising instructor. ”Overall, I think cars will be a really strong sector.”
Kolt, also president and CEO of Okemos-based Kolt Communications advertising and public relations firm, said the auto sector is very important to Super Bowl advertising.
A 30-second spot during this year's game reportedly averages $4 million, according to AdWeek and numerous advertising outlets.
About a dozen auto-related companies and brands are expected to have national commercials during this year’s Super Bowl. In recent years, thanks to social media and the internet, automakers have tended to release their commercials days, sometimes weeks beforehand.
But the Detroit automakers are keeping their ads close to their hoods.
Chrysler
On Friday, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles -- the new automaker made up of Chrysler and parent company Fiat SpA -- officially confirmed that they will be advertising during the big game.
This is the first time Chrysler has announced the ads before their debut. In the past, Chrysler which has made Super Bowl advertising an art in recent years, wouldn’t even confirm that they were advertising until the commercial(s) aired.
This year, FCA will advertise three commercials – the most its ever done since emerging from bankruptcy in 2009.
The company says the first spot will debut during the first commercial break in the first quarter; the second will premiere during halftime; and the third will debut in the last commercial break of the third quarter.
“They’ve been trendsetting,” Kolt said. "There’s an expectation that they will deliver a quality ad.”
Officials did not announce the length of the commercials or what, if any, vehicles or brands will be featured in the commercials.
In the past, Chrysler's Super Bowl commercials have been at least one-minute long and have not featured vehicles as the centerpiece of the ads.
For Super Bowl XLV in 2011, Chrysler, with the help of rapper Eminem, debuted the critically acclaimed tagline, “Imported from Detroit” and the all-new Chrysler 200 midsize sedan. The ad – called “Born on Fire” -- received international attention and is credited for transforming the post-bankrupt automaker’s image.
In 2012, Chrysler followed up with “It’s Halftime in America” featuring actor Clint Eastwood during halftime of the big game. The two-minute ad, which brought about a slew of political controversy, featured Eastwood as the nation's coach, urging the U.S. to learn from the resurgence of the Detroit auto industry.
And last year, Chrysler aired two separate one-minute ads for its Jeep and Ram brands.
GM
Under the leadership of Tim Mahoney, Chevrolet global chief marketing officer, GM is doing things a bit different for the Super Bowl this year.
After taking a one-year hiatus with a bit of Super Bowl bashing, the former Volkswagen marketing exec is bringing the Detroit-based automaker back to the big game with three minutes of Chevy ads, including two new 60-second commercials scheduled to air during the first quarter.
Two other 30-second ads will air during the post-game report. They include a previously aired ad for the Detroit-based automaker's Chevy Silverado High Country and a 30-second version of “Romance.”
GM released one spot, called “Romance," Wednesday in anticipation of a full YouTube homepage ad takeover on Thursday. The other ad, “in an old-fashion way,” will remain a secret until Sunday, according to Mahoney.
“We’re going for a smile,” he said. “I would call it smart-funny.”
The full version of "Romance" should seem familiar to many until about 20 seconds into the commercial. It features actor John Cusack as voiceover talent and is a continuation of the brand’s “a man and his truck” campaign, but with a playful twist of “a very eligible bachelor” -- a bull -- looking to wrangle in a few female companions.
The ad -- set to the 1975 hit, “You Sexy Thing,” by the British group Hot Chocolate -- is the first for the 2015 Chevy Silverado HD, which is the heavy-hauler in GM’s new three-truck strategy that includes midsize, full-size and heavy-duty pickups.
Mahoney, who joined GM from Volkswagen in April 2013, described the ad as “a bit of a wink, a bit of a smile.”
This is the first time in a number of years that GM has not teased any of its Super Bowl ads or released them all before the game.
In response to why GM didn’t have any teasers or release both ads before Sunday, Mahoney said sometimes the teasers can be a distraction, but Chevy didn’t want to be completely “absent from the conversation” of Super Bowl ads this week.
Ford
The Dearborn-based automaker has made sure not to be absent from the Super Bowl conversation -- particularly online -- for the past week.
Unlike last year, when Ford released two clashing ads for Lincoln before the game, the automaker has released a handful of teaser videos– three featuring actor/comedian Rob Riggle and one featuring A-list actor James Franco -- since Jan. 21.
The most recent teaser – called “Nearly Double” – features Franco, a tiger and an elaborate mansion. In it, Franco says he will play Riggle.
"Hi, I'm Rob Riggle, and this is no ordinary commercial," Franco says while sitting next to a roaring tiger. "In fact, this has never been done before in the history of commercials."
Earlier teasers feature Riggle preparing for the “Big Game.” Each features the hash tag #nearlydouble.
According to Automotive News, Ford will run a 90-second spot featuring the Ford Fusion Hybrid just before the Super Bowl kicks off Sunday.
Ford, which has not released an official media release, is reportedly counting on social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to be the conduits for the message. The automaker is encouraging its more than 3,000 dealerships and their employees and Ford company employees to help create a buzz before the game.
Super Bowl XLVIII versus the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks is scheduled to be broadcast starting at 6:30 p.m. on FOX.
Click here for more on MLive's Super Bowl ad coverage.
Michael Wayland covers the automotive industry for MLive. Email him at MWayland@mlive.com & follow him on Twitter @MikeWayland or Google+.