When it first appeared, political pundits considered this Super Bowl commercial, featuring actor Clint Eastwood, to be the equivalent of an Obama re-election ad. (That was before Eastwood talked to a chair at the Republican National Convention.) Aired at halftime, the gritty, uplifting 2-minute-long Chrysler ad featured a raspy, growling Eastwood praising the Detroit automakers for getting back on their feet and arguing that America’s second half – meaning a more robust economic turnaround – was about to begin. It’s the one ad that’s likely to be remembered from the 2012 Super Bowl.
Business & Money
Thanks for liking TIME’s Top 10 Everything of 2012 List. Like TIME on Facebook now for more breaking news and current events from around the globe.
1. Clint Eastwood’s Chrysler Super Bowl Ad
Full List
Top 10 Business Blunders
- 10. Goldman Sachs’ Muppetgate
- 9. Walmart’s Mexican Bribery Scandal
- 8. Apple and Book Publishers Collude to Raise E-Book Prices
- 7. The Chesapeake Energy Corporate-Governance Scandal
- 6. Never-Ending European Debt Crisis
- 5. Apple Drops Google Maps from the iPhone
- 4. JPMorgan’s $9 Billion Trading Loss
- 3. Standard Chartered Fined for Money Laundering
- 2. Facebook IPO
- 1. LIBOR Rate-Rigging Scandal
Top 10 Business Deals
- 10. Apple Drops Google Maps
- 9. Softbank Buys 70% Stake in Sprint Nextel
- 8. Yahoo Hires Marissa Mayer as Its New CEO
- 7. President Obama and a Republican Congress Pass the JOBS Act
- 6. Apple and HTC’s Landmark Patent Agreement
- 5. T-Mobile Acquires MetroPCS
- 4. Facebook Buys Instagram for $1 Billion
- 3. $25 Billion Mortgage-Fraud Settlement
- 2. Yahoo Sells Half of Stake in Alibaba
- 1. Yelp IPO
Top 10 Recession and Budget Trends
- 10. Fast Food Goes Gourmet
- 9. Travel Fees Aren’t Just at the Airport Anymore
- 8. Small Cars Are the Next Big Thing
- 7. The Rise of the Irrational Consumer
- 6. Gas Prices Hit Record Highs — Again
- 5. More Americans Are Unbanked
- 4. Student Debt Surpasses Credit-Card Debt
- 3. Retailers Hit Back at ‘Showrooming’
- 2. U.S. Consumers Shed Debt — Then Start Taking It On Again
- 1. The Real Estate Market Finally Hits Bottom
Top 10 Commercials
- 10. Round Up Your Mates for a Guinness
- 9. The Guardian’s Three Little Pigs
- 8. This is SportsCenter – John Clayton
- 7. BGH’s Dads in Briefs Campaign
- 6. Will Ferrell for Old Milwaukee
- 5. DirecTV’s “Don’t Wake Up in a Roadside Ditch” Campaign
- 4. Procter & Gamble’s “Thank You Mom”
- 3. Lena Dunham’s “Your First Time”
- 2. Samsung’s “Next Big Thing”
- 1. Clint Eastwood’s Chrysler Super Bowl Ad
