"Chevrolet's latest splashy ad has all the hallmarks of a campaign strategically tied to America's 250th anniversary. There's the modern interpretation of a 75-year-old jingle that's sung by an up-and-coming country singer. A bird's-eye view of a pickup truck atop a natural landmark in Utah. A television debut on February 6 during the opening ceremony for the Winter Olympics."
"A record-low 58% of U.S. adults say they are "extremely" or "very" proud to be American, according to a Gallup survey from last year. That's down 9 percentage points from 2024. "It feels like modern patriotism has to walk a fine line between celebrating what's great about America but also being careful not to anchor to just glib symbols and slogans that potentially could be dividing or polarizing," Paul Frampton-Calero, CEO of digital marketing agency the Goodway Group, tells Fast Company."
"The United States Semiquincentennial-America250, A250, Quarter Millennium-whatever one would like to call it, may be too enticing for marketers to ignore. This year's calendar is overstuffed with holidays like Independence Day and Memorial Day, as well as major sporting events like the Winter Olympics and the FIFA World Cup, which align nicely with patriotism. "There's just a little bit more attention on America, American pride, and what the Olympics spirit is about," Steve Majoros, Chevrolet's chief marketing officer, tells Fast Company. Throughout 2026, Chevrolet will revisit some of the auto brand's classic campaigns and update them with a modern interpretation that coincides with major American moments, including the beginning of the baseball season this spring and Independence Day."
Chevrolet rolled out a high-profile ad aligned with America's 250th anniversary, featuring a modernized 75-year-old jingle, scenic shots of a pickup on a Utah landmark, and a Winter Olympics television debut. The campaign targets broadly appealing, apolitical patriotism amid declining intense national pride, with only 58% of U.S. adults reporting strong pride and a 9-point drop from 2024. Marketing strategists stress balancing celebration with avoiding divisive symbols. The semiquincentennial calendar is dense with holidays and major sporting events, and Chevrolet plans to update classic campaigns across 2026 to coincide with baseball season, Independence Day, and other national moments. Large corporations are increasingly enticed to join semiquincentennial marketing efforts.
Read at Fast Company
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