IMPORTED FROM DETROIT, EXPORTED TO INGOLSTADT

The Audi Ad: Is it a Rip-off or Parody of the Chrysler Eminem Commercial? BACK SEAT DRIVING—There’s been a lot of buzz around the water cooler about Audi’s new A6 Avant ad that replicates Chrysler’s famous “Imported from Detroit” commercial, featuring Eminem and the Chrysler 200. The Chrysler commercial, aired during Super Bowl XLV, was universally acclaimed for shining a positive light on both Chrysler as well as the city of Detroit. It featured Eminem and the instrumental background from his 8 Mile hit tune, “Lose Yourself”. The Audi ad features a very similar sounding soundtrack, and it copies the Chrysler commercial almost scene-by-scene.

“The ad itself, is great!,” said one Audi aficionado to LA CAR. “I love how Audi figured they would just piss Chrysler off by using the song, and then show a better car with a cooler brand in the video. I say ‘go Audi!’” So, was the Audi ad a parody, or a shameless rip-off of the Chrysler commercial? Most respondents seem to think it was the latter. “With all this publicity, Audi will definitely claim it’s a parody, even if it wasn’t meant to be originally,” said one staffer. Further fueling the position that this wasn’t a parody is the fact that the Audi commercial was targeted for Europe, whereas the original Chrysler commercial was meant for an American audience. On the other hand, Audi has not been shy about engaging in advertisement banter with other manufacturers in the past. The most infamous example is when BMW posted an ad congratulating Audi as the South African Car of the Year award “from the winner of the World Car of the Year” award.

Audi countered with an ad congratulating BMW for the World Car of the Year award “From the Winner of Six Consecutive Le Mans 24-Hour Races.”

Parody or not, Eminen’s publishing company, Eight Mile Style LLC, is seeking a cease-and-desist order against Audi AG, claiming that the music for the Audi ad is a thinly disguised version of the rapper's musical hit, "Lose Yourself". We have not heard the last on this topic. And that seems to be just fine for both Chrysler and Audi, as readers continue to view both ads on YouTube. Chrysler, in particular, is getting renewed mileage out of the “Imported from Detroit” ad. Even Detroit is benefitting, as the ad has been better than anything put out by the Detroit Visitor’s Bureau to make people feel good about the Motor City. - Roy Nakano