5 Commercials That Stuck Out During Super Bowl 52
Dodge: MLK Jr. speech to sell trucks?
Dodge is receiving criticism for appropriating a speech and voice of Martin Luther King Jr. in order to sell their pickup trucks, the Dodge Rams.
The passionate speech, which King gave 50 years ago to the day Sunday, could be heard on audio as viewers watched scenes of a firefighter rescuing someone from a blaze, a barber cutting someone's hair, a medical professional performing a sonogram on a pregnant woman, and marching soldiers. Interspersed with these servant-oriented individuals were visuals of Dodge Ram pickup trucks performing heavy tasks, emerging from the fog.
This particular speech is known as King's "Drum Major Instinct" sermon in which he spoke about his definition of greatness and the importance of serving humanity, highlighting the need for a "heart full of grace."
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The King Center, which is the official living memorial to the civil rights icon, founded by King's late wife Coretta Scott King, retweeted the Feb. 4 1968 speech in its entirety on Twitter, asking the public: "Learn about #MLK from him. Please listen to/read his speeches, sermons and writings. Understand his comprehensive teachings and his global perspective. Study his nonviolent philosophy. It's more than a tactic."
Other outlets noted that the full speech is a critique of capitalism were miffed that it was used to sell trucks.
