Chrysler Creates a Common Enemy

Chrysler’s ‘Imported from Detroit’ campaign is a masterclass in creating a common enemy.

The common enemy is not a person or a competitor. It’s an idea – the idea that Detroit is finished. That American manufacturing is over. That you have to look elsewhere for quality.

Chrysler’s campaign says: no. Detroit is not finished. It’s coming back. And if you believe that – if you’re the kind of person who believes in the city, the workers, the comeback – then this car is for you.

This is brilliant because it doesn’t just sell a product. It recruits an identity. ‘Imported from Detroit’ is not a product description. It’s a statement of belonging.

The lesson: the most powerful marketing doesn’t just describe what you make. It describes who you’re for and what you both stand against.