Super Bowl ads for Stellantis reveal electric Ram, Jeep's Electric Slide

Ram Trucks is revealing the production version of its first electric pickup, the Ram 1500 REV, and announcing the opening of preorders for the truck during an ad created for Super Bowl 57 on Sunday.

The 60-second spot, scheduled to air at the beginning of the first commercial break of the fourth quarter and also available online, sounds like just another prescription drug ad, but with actor Jason Jones as the seemingly earnest pitchman, the script heads elsewhere quickly, highlighting the questions many Americans have about electric vehicles and explaining why Ram might just have the answer.

It’s also a playful jab at a certain type of prescription drug ad — think of a couple sitting side by side in separate bathtubs — that promises to address a sensitive issue for many men. The "Premature Electrification" ad is one of two from a Stellantis brand slated to air in this year's game. Jeep is scheduled to tout its own electrified offerings at the break for the two-minute warning before halftime and is also posting the video online.

“Are you excited about buying an electric vehicle but worried that it could leave you unsatisfied? Then you could be one of many Americans concerned about premature electrification,” Jones, formerly of “The Daily Show” and “The Detour," says during the commercial.

Worries about range, power and payload are some of the issues the commercial highlights, echoing the kinds of concerns that potential electric truck customers might have. Several apparently unsatisfied couples are on hand to explain their performance-related concerns.

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Ram brand CEO Mike Koval Jr. said the spot gives Ram an opportunity to address some real-world issues and showcase a different side to the brand’s personality, which he described using the “Built To Serve” motto.

“It’s OK. Let’s put it on the table … and let’s talk about how Ram is going to have a better suite of solutions to meet our customers’ real-world needs, so when you put it all together I think it makes a lot of sense in a fun and lighthearted way,” Koval said.

Few details have been released about the Ram 1500 REV, including pricing or where it will be built, although production is scheduled to begin next year. A concept version, the Ram 1500 Revolution Battery-electric Vehicle concept, was unveiled last month at CES, formerly the Consumer Electronics Show, in Las Vegas.

Ram, in a news release, said it is creating the Rev Insider+ program to offer a chance to get on the list for preorders for the truck for a $100 refundable fee at RamREV.com.

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As for the Jeep commercial, playfulness is the sentiment there. A new version of the wedding reception favorite, “Electric Boogie,” (think “Electric Slide”) with dancing giraffes and other animals including a bear and a goat, offers a soundtrack to showcase the hybrid electric plug-in Jeep Wrangler 4xe and Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe exploring the great outdoors.

The track, which will be available for download, pairs Marcia Griffiths, who scored a big hit with her own remixed version in the 1990s, with “Grammy Award winning Jamaican recording artist and producer Shaggy, and three up-and coming female artists Jamila Falak, Amber Lee and Moyann,” according to a news release, noting that the original version was written by the late reggae giant Bunny Wailer.

Both the Jeep and Ram spots are on the light side, which hasn’t always been the case for a company known for corralling the likes of Eminem, Clint Eastwood, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and even the voices of Martin Luther King Jr. and Paul Harvey for previous Super Bowl ads.

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Olivier Francois, Stellantis’ chief marketing officer who is also head of the Fiat brand, said the key here is relevance and authenticity.

“We don’t have a religion of doing serious. We have a religion of being different and meaningful … and relevant,” Francois told the Free Press.

Although lighthearted spots can become silly, they can also convey a relevant message about a brand and its direction, according to Francois.

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In the case of the Jeep ad, the “Electric Boogie” highlights Jeep’s electrification push.

“It’s a perfect alignment,” said Francois, who noted that the company, including as Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, has also aired its share of comedic ads, including the 2020 spot featuring Bill Murray reprising his role from "Groundhog Day."

Both of this year's Super Bowl commercials were created in partnership with Chicago’s Highdive agency and are scheduled to be posted on the brands’ social media channels beginning Sunday.

Contact Eric D. Lawrence: elawrence@freepress.com. Become a subscriber.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Super Bowl ad launches preorders for electric Ram pickup