Bruce Springsteen starred and narrated a two-minute Super Bowl ad for Jeep, which featured a lot more Americana and scenery than any other vehicle.
Rob DeMartin for Jeep
Jeep says it is “pausing” its Super Bowl ad starring musician Bruce Springsteen after it was announced on Wednesday that he was arrested late last year on charges of drunk driving.
“It would be inappropriate for us to comment on the details of an issue that we have only read about and cannot substantiate,” a Jeep spokeswoman said in a statement to CNBC. “But it’s also good that we pause our Big Game commercial until the factual facts can be established. The message of community and unity is as relevant as ever. As is the message that alcohol and driving can never be allowed.”
The arrest was first reported by TMZ on Wednesday and was confirmed in a statement from the US Department of the Interior. Springsteen was charged with drunk driving, reckless driving and drinking alcohol in a locked room.
News of the arrest came a few days after Springsteen starred in the two-minute ad of the Stellantis (formerly Fiat-Chrysler) brand. The ad urged Americans to get together and meet ‘in the middle’.
It’s not clear if the brand even planned to re-show the ad on TV, but it turned out to be private on its YouTube channel from late Wednesday afternoon. A Jeep spokeswoman did not immediately say whether the brand intended to broadcast it again after the game. The automaker typically hasn’t re-aired Super Bowl ads featuring A-list celebrities in the past decade.
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