Automakers tap America's 250th, World Cup to rev up patriotism

By Nora Eckert

DETROIT, July 2 (Reuters) - U.S. automakers have long infused their marketing campaigns with American pride and imagery. But this summer’s combination of the nation’s 250th birthday and World Cup matches taking place on U.S. soil has them going full George Washington.   

A promotion from Jeep-maker Stellantis vows to give away Wrangler SUVs to 100 U.S. residents legally named after the country’s first president – if the underdog Americans take home the World Cup trophy.

“Fully loaded with freedom, the tears of our opponents, and a middle finger to the metric system,” said comedian Iliza Shlesinger in a Jeep ad for the promotion, speaking in front of a painting of the founding father crossing the Delaware River in a white Wrangler.

Chevrolet is reviving its “Heartbeat of America” campaign from last century as part of a yearlong push around the 250th. The General Motors brand recently had a Corvette ZR1X speed around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to extinguish 250 jumbo-sized birthday candles along the track.

Impassioned or nostalgic events like the World Cup and America’s milestone birthday give companies a chance to resonate more deeply with a wider range of potential customers, said Americus Reed, professor of marketing at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

“The idea is to make these connections in the cultural relevancy of the moment, and that will pay off in some elevation of your brand,” he said. 

On-the-nose patriotic pushes can alienate a portion of the customer base, Reed added, but leaning into a global event like the World Cup is a lower-risk tactic.

TAPPING INTO CULTURAL MILESTONES

For the carmakers, there’s an added benefit to the America-first messaging: appeasing U.S. President Donald Trump, who has long had a fixation with American car factories and workers. 

Following the president’s barrage of tariffs in the spring of 2025, aimed at spurring U.S. manufacturing investment, the automakers touted their American factory roots across media platforms, from commercials to newspaper ads.

A Ford campaign last year, launched the month after Trump’s tariffs were announced, offered employee pricing deals to shoppers across the country as concerns about tariffs threatened to keep some buyers away from dealer lots. Ford executives have said the “From America, For America” campaign helped push monthly sales up 16.3%. 

The campaign won the direct approval of the president, who posted on Truth Social: “A Great Ad by FORD!”

This summer, Ford is offering discounted employee pricing as part of its “American Value. For American Values.” campaign. Ford CEO Jim Farley has frequently emphasized the company’s commitment to American workers, saying it employs more hourly workers in the U.S. than competitors. 

TWO 'VERY SPECIAL MOMENTS'

For Stellantis’ global marketing leader Olivier Francois, the George Washington campaign was a continuation of his years of work trying to create a consistent message of what the automaker’s brands mean to America. 

One of the first ads he developed for then-Chrysler depicted George Washington charging a pack of British soldiers in a Dodge Challenger. 

“I try to always do something that by accumulation, by repetitiveness, by consistency, we build the brand over time,” Francois said.

The automaker also launched a Captain America campaign around the 250th, bringing the superhero’s iconic shield to the Jeep Wrangler’s tire cover, which Francois described as a “more playful” ode to the country than the traditional flag.  

The combination of the World Cup and America 250 landing in the same few months is a rare opportunity for automakers to grab audiences’ attention, he added. 

“These are two very, very special moments in the same year,” Francois said.

(Reporting by Nora Eckert in Detroit; Editing by Mike Colias and Nick Zieminski)