Chrysler 'comeback' ad makes Super Bowl splash

>>> here's the definition of a football town. green bay , wisconsin, today closed schools early so the kids could watch the super bowl champion packers come home fresh from their big win over the pittsburgh steelers . while steeler nation is still smarting, back in wisconsin, a big crowd made its way down lombardi avenue to welcome the lombardi trophy back to lambeau field , frozen tundra, which will be the scene of a big rally tomorrow.

>>> a record number of us watched the super bowl and then some. at an estimated 111 million viewers, it's being called the most-watched television event of all time in the u.s. of course in television revenue terms, the game part is the stuff that happens between the commercials, and there were a lot of instant favorites of those from godaddy to darth vader to hold me closer, tiny dancer , but one stood out in terms of what it did and how it took hold of people. it held up a great american city so that we could all take another look and see an old work horse in a new light. our report tonight from nbc's anne thompson in detroit .

>> i've got a question for you. what does this city know about luxury?

>> reporter: in a bold, gritty super bowl ad , chrysler sold its newest car by selling detroit .

>> what does a town that's been to hell and back know about the finer things in life? well, i'll tell you. more than most. you see, it's the hottest fires that make the hardest steel.

>> reporter: no sugar-coated hollywood fantasy, the $8 million ad featuring hometown rap star eminem embraced detroit 's grim presence.

>> but this isn't new york city or the windy city or sin city , and we're certainly no one's emerald city .

>> reporter: and exposed its heart.

>> hard work and conviction and the know-how that runs generations deep in every last one of us. that's who we are.

>> reporter: the tag line, imported from detroit , gave the lunchtime crowd at american's coney island a reason to boast.

>> this ad basically said we could import to ourselves. we're as good as anybody in the world.

>> we're a city of pride. we're tough.

>> reporter: today the chrysler ad is front page news here, with more than 1.2 million hits on youtube.

>> it definitely captures the humanity.

>> reporter: b.j. hammerstein says the ad has raw emotional impact.

>> this was motor city pride, detroit 's spirit. it's about sort of overcoming obstacles, never giving up.

>> reporter: but detroit 's talked of comebacks for decades, from the construction of the renaissance center after the 1967 riots to the 2006 super bowl played here at ford field . then the economy tanked, gm and chrysler filed for bankruptcy, and mayor kwame kilpatrick went to jail for covering up a sex scandal . today ford is adding workers and upping production. gm is touting its environmentally friendly chevy volt . and with this ad, chrysler is nourishing detroit 's weary soul. carmen harlan has spent 32 years delivering the news, good and bad, to this city.

>> yeah, we were knocked down, but we're not out by a long shot.

>> reporter: a still proud detroit , fighting its way back.

>> this is the motor city . this is what we do.