VIDEO: Chrysler ad gets political, advocates for release of Myanmar Nobel Peace Prize Laureate

Jonny Lieberman — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:58:00 EST

Filed under: Videos, Chrysler, Celebrities

Chrysler 300 in political spot - click above to watch the video

This is... different. To summarize, a new commercial by Chrysler is agitating for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar's (a.k.a. Burma's) pro-democracy leader and lightning rod who has been under one form of house arrest or another for twenty years. The thirty-second spot was originally created to be part of sister-brand Lancia's sponsorship of the 10th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates. Says Oliver Francis, the new President and CEO of Chrysler and Managing Director of Lancia:

"We produced the TV film in honor of all those who put their lives at stake in the hopes of making the world a better place. In particular, those men and women who are still prisoners, like Aung San Suu Kyi. For Chrysler, this is a chance to use our brand image to join with others in the fight for peace and to knock down the walls that divide us. We at Chrysler believe in doing the right thing and making a difference."

The spot opens with a Chrysler 300 driving next to the some still-standing sections of the Berlin Wall. It then passes by a mural of Nobel Peace Prize winner Nelson Mandela. We then see three Nobel Laureates getting out of the back of 300s: Muhammed Yunus, founder of the micro-lending Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, Polish union leader and president Lech Walesa and former leader of the USSR Mikhail Gorbachev.

As to whether or not a car company should be advocating in favor of peace and democracy, all we'll say is we're glad Chrysler is not fighting against 'em. Be sure to check out the video and press release after the jump.

[Source: Chrysler]

Continue reading VIDEO: Chrysler ad gets political, advocates for release of Myanmar Nobel Peace Prize Laureate

VIDEO: Chrysler ad gets political, advocates for release of Myanmar Nobel Peace Prize Laureate originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AB Health Beat: Know your DNA or drive in luxury?

Chris Tutor — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 10:34:00 EST

Filed under: Bentley, Chevrolet

Ok, think back to your 10th grade science class. Do you remember reading about a Dr. James Watson? You know, Watson and Crick? The guys who discovered the double helix shape of our DNA? Sigh. Never mind. Just know that Dr. Watson is rather well-known for his work in the stuff that makes you who you are (and, no, we're not talking about your irregular bathing habits).

Recently, a Swiss man paid $350,000 to have his DNA sequenced. The New York Times talked to him about why he would pay such a high price. "I'd rather spend my money on my genome than a Bentley or an airplane," the man said. Okay, but to us car guys, this is nonsensical. Our DNA doesn't have 550 horsepower, nor can it provide the instant gratification said ponies summon up when our brains send the appropriate signal to our right feet.

Now, back to our Dr. Watson. Last year, a company donated $1.5 million to pay for the sequencing of his DNA. The New York Times was again on the case and asked him about it. "I was in someone's Bentley once - nice car," Watson said. "Would I rather have my genome sequenced or have a Bentley? Uh, toss up."

That's what we're talking about! Drive the Bentley, doc! Get yourself a Continental GT, mount that Nobel on the radiator and just drive until you can't even remember what deoxyribose nucleic acid is. In the NYT article, Dr. Watson continues to say he hopes DNA sequencing will some day come down in price from Bentley to Chevy so that everyone can afford to know their genetic makeup. If that ever happens, we'll still say, "Take the Vette!"

[Source: The New York Times]

AB Health Beat: Know your DNA or drive in luxury? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 08 Mar 2008 10:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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