When you think “luxury,” you likely think of anything but Detroit. Chrysler’s Super Bowl commercial assumes as much, with the narrator asking, “What does a town that’s been to hell and back know about ‘the finer things in life?’” The two-minute ad answers that by showcasing the Chrysler 200 as a car rendered luxurious by Motor City’s “hard work, conviction and the know-how that runs generations deep.”
The ad does a great job of burnishing the image of Detroit, considered one of the most miserable cities in America but also one of our “Things to Watch in 2011,” based on excitement around the city’s progress toward remaking itself as a smaller and more efficient town and the influx of creative entrepreneurs. The spot taps into the hope many Americans feel for the struggling town, which is almost a metaphor for the country itself (the ad contrasts Detroit with the more glamorous America, saying “We’re from America, but this isn’t New York City, or the Windy City, or Sin City”).
While one might feel proud to drive a car built by the people of Detroit, the message is a bit of a stretch. Detroit is still down and out, and it’s not quite convincing that a city’s toughness and resolution translate to an ability to manufacture luxury, especially if “it’s as much about where it’s from as who it’s for,” as the spot proclaims. By contrast, in Levi’s “Go Forth” campaign, we see the people of working-class Braddock, Pa., going to work in their Levi’s jeans. We’re not so sure many more Detroiters other than Eminem (who stars in the spot) will be driving Chrysler 200s around town anytime soon.
In Spain, the downturn has not yet slowed, and the economy is still under a dark cloud. Brands are feeling this lack of oxygen, and new campaigns are few and generally conservative. One area where we’re seeing some activity is brand stores. This trend is being accelerated by the real estate crisis, which has created lots of cheap opportunities. Finally brands are playing with shops as experience spaces for consumers.
Brazil’s level of anxiety is relatively low
One real estate company in Cairo is finding a novel way of attracting wary customers. Oriental Coast, a local developer in Marsa Allam (along the Red Sea), is trying to gain an edge over its competitors by guaranteeing buyers an 8% return (per year) of their property’s price—by renting it out for them. This incentive is especially appealing to buyers of summer homes, which are generally considered tricky sales due to their limited use during those non-summer months. Providing buyers with a quick rental solution is a smart way to encourage a quick sale.
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As noted in previous blog entries, 
An Egyptian developer is adopting an incentive practice to lure potential home buyers to new developments: Purchasers of units in the 
