Chrysler Group's 'It's Halftime in America' Super Bowl Video Earns Second Place in YouTube's Ad Blitz 2012 Contest

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Feb. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

• Chrysler Group is the top automotive winner in YouTube's Ad Blitz 2012 Contest
• More than 17 million views for 'It's Halftime in America' on the Chrysler Group YouTube channel
• Fiat brand's 'Seduction' ad pulls in more than 4 million views, earning the brand more than 7 million total views
   

The votes have been tallied and Chrysler Group LLC has secured the top automotive ranking in YouTube's Ad Blitz 2012 contest. In its fifth year, the YouTube Ad Blitz program is one of the largest consumer polls of Super Bowl ads. Its online and interactive gallery of Super Bowl commercials allows users to view and vote on their favorite ads.

The Chrysler Group's "It's Halftime in America" video came in second place overall in the annual contest. "It's Halftime in America" was created to rally Americas together by using the Chrysler Group and Detroit as inspiration. The Chrysler brand's "Born of Fire" commercial earned a first-place ranking in last year's contest.

"'It's Halftime in America' is about a mission, not about a product. It is about the spirit that motivates our embracement of this mission," said Sergio Marchionne, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Chrysler Group LLC. "The 2-minute video portrayed the essence of Chrysler Group's commitment and how we are working toward the future. We don't presume to teach anything or show our way as the right way ahead. Our message to the United States came from people who felt a duty to encourage the country they love. It was simply a way of saying that everyone, in the land of opportunity, has the right to dream and the power to turn that dream into reality."

With more than 17 million views, web traffic to the Chrysler Group brand sites has dramatically increased since the 2-minute production aired just before the start of the second half of Super Bowl XLVI.

"We are humbled and honored that the voters named Chrysler Group as the top auto and second-place winner in YouTube's Ad Blitz 2012 contest," said Olivier Francois – Chief Marketing Officer, Chrysler Group LLC.

"Halftime in America" was created in partnership with the Portland, Ore.-based advertising agency, Wieden+Kennedy. The video can be viewed at the Chrysler brand YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/chrysler.

The Fiat brand also has seen an increase to their website since the airing of "Seduction" during the third quarter of Super Bowl XLVI. The brand added an additional 4 million views to their site for a total of more than 7 million views.

"Seduction" first debuted in November at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show during the reveal of the 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth. The video immediately went viral capturing global attention from more than 1 million viewers in its first week. Not long after, the VH1 network made it into a "pop-up video."

The digital spot transforms the unique characteristics of the Fiat 500 Abarth into a sensual and strikingly stunning model that a young man "imagines" as his first time encounter with the all-new vehicle. The spot ends with the tagline, "The Fiat 500 Abarth. You'll never forget the first time you see one."

"Seduction" was created in partnership with Dallas-based The Richards Group. The video can be viewed at the Fiat brand YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/fiatusa.

About Chrysler Group LLC

Chrysler Group LLC, formed in 2009 to establish a global strategic alliance with Fiat S.p.A., produces Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Mopar, SRT and Fiat vehicles and products. With the resources, technology and worldwide distribution network required to compete on a global scale, the alliance builds on Chrysler Group's culture of innovation, first established by Walter P. Chrysler in 1925, and Fiat's complementary technology that dates back to its founding in 1899.

Headquartered in Auburn Hills, Mich., Chrysler Group's product lineup features some of the world's most recognizable vehicles, including the Chrysler 300 and Town & Country, Jeep Wrangler, Dodge Durango, Ram 1500, Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 and Fiat 500. Fiat contributes world-class technology, platforms and powertrains for small- and medium-size cars, allowing Chrysler Group to offer an expanded product line including environmentally friendly vehicles.

SOURCE Chrysler Group LLC