iris New York Celebrates Jeep’s 75th Anniversary With ‘Portraits’

iris New York created one of the more effective, and memorable, Super Bowl spots with its 60-second “Portraits” spot for Jeep.

The ad celebrates the brand’s 75th anniversary with a look back at some memorable moments in American history over that time frame, and the vehicles involvement in these events. Featuring black and white portraits, the ad begins with the voiceover delivering the unexpectedly dark line “I’ve seen things no man should bear” over portraits of American soldiers, before qualifying the line with “And those that every man should dare.” Continuing as a dramatic piano score plays in the background, the voiceover elaborates, “From the beaches of Normandy, to the far reaches of the earth, in my life I have lived millions of lives.” While its concluding line, “We don’t make Jeep. You do.” and approach in general aren’t exactly original, the spot is quite effective at celebrating Jeep’s long history and the emotional attachments its drivers make with the brand. Mixed in with a Super Bowl lineup filled with too many failed attempts at humor, the more serious ad was a clear standout.