Chrysler's Don Draper

Olivier Francois, Chrysler Group’s chief marketing officer, on Nov. 15 pushed through the crowd at Lexington Social House, a Hollywood night spot, fashionably late. In typical style, he walked head down, feverishly reading his BlackBerry. He followed Jimmy Iovine, chairman of the Interscope Geffen A&M record label and the man who helped launch such top acts as Eminem and Lady Gaga, to a roped-off VIP area near the dance floor. As champagne flowed and beautiful women hovered around rapper-turned-entrepreneur Dr. Dre, Chrysler’s latest advertising tagline was projected on a nearby wall: “Imported from Detroit.”

Chrysler may still hail from the Motor City, but Francois isn’t interested in selling cars the way Detroit used to. In a business that increasingly markets price, he’s using hip-hop music and evocative images to strike a chord with average Americans rather than simply glorify sheet metal. The famed $9 million, two-minute spot for the Chrysler 200 sedan that premiered at the 2011 Super Bowl featured rapper Eminem talking about Detroit’s rebirth but barely showed the vehicle. And a commercial featuring George Washington driving a Challenger to chase off British Redcoats sells the idea of freedom more than the muscle car itself. Explains Francois: “What we’re trying to do is to create, to reignite the American dream.”