The Great Smoky Mountain Journal
Source: Fox News
Posted: Tuesday, January 01, 2019 02:31 PM
Super Bowl Ad For Dodge Ram Truck With Martin Luther King Jr. Speech Draws Praise, Ire
The "Built to serve" campaign used excerpts of a Martin Luther King Jr. sermon called "The Drum Major Instinct" from 50 years ago at an Atlanta church, but it didn't sit well with critics.
The commercial showed members of the military, kids playing football, teachers and students, and a firefighter lifting a child over his shoulder.
"But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. That's the new definition of greatness," MLK can be heard saying in the commercial. "By giving that definition of greatness, it means that everybody can be great. You don't have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve."
Some viewers took to social media to express their distaste with the commercial, arguing that a civil rights leader's speech should not be used to advertise trucks.
The King Estate told CNN they reviewed the ad before it aired to make sure it met its standards and "found that the overall message of the ad embodied Dr. King's philosophy that true greatness is achieved by serving others."
Fiat Chrysler released a statement that said the company "worked closely with the representatives of the Martin Luther King Jr. estate to receive the necessary approvals and estate representatives were a very important part of the creative process every step of the way."