Chrysler takes patriotic road with popular Super Bowl ads

The focus on Jeep and Ram trucks during the NFL game was natural given that Chrysler's launch of its Dodge Dart small car has underperformed expectations, said IHS Automotive analyst Mike Wall. "You really want to push your strengths right now."

Last year, Eastwood intoned that Chrysler's turnaround could be used as an example for the United States as it struggled with high unemployment and slow economic growth.

"They had a very tough act to follow with Clint Eastwood," Horizon Media's Adgate said. "It puts in the minds of viewers that Chrysler's back ... that through all the financial difficulties that company has had, they're still here and making cars."

Chrysler's ads aligned with its brands, analysts said. The Jeep spot aligned with the U.S. military - fitting given the brand's birth as a military vehicle during World War Two - while the Ram truck matched up with the tough farmers.

Chrysler is one of the few companies that use two-minute ads and it has not resorted to humor in its messages, a strategy most Super Bowl advertisers use, analysts said. Most TV commercials run between 30 seconds - particularly during the Super Bowl when rates are so expensive - and a minute.

The Jeep ad was created by Detroit's GlobalHue, which has been Jeep's agency since 2009, while the Ram truck ad was handled by Dallas-based The Richards Group, which has handled the truck account since late 2009.

The Ram truck

... contd.