Throughout the years, the cabin of the Chrysler 300 has played host to many celebrities. From big time hip hop artists to the President of the United States, Chrysler has attracted all different types of stars with their chic luxurious models.
And now, the 2015 Chrysler 300 is ready to do it again. Refreshed for the new model year, the 300’s exterior has been enhanced with more modern lines and a cleaner look.
Inside, there’s lots of new technology. Upgraded safety systems and the latest connectivity features are all part of the package.
And a new eight-speed automatic transmission makes the ride more plush and more efficient than ever. Which celebrities will the 300 beckon this year? We’ll have to wait and see.
But in the meantime let’s take a look at some of the stars who already understand why Chrysler is the go-to brand for class and luxury.
Dr. Dre and Ice Cube
In 2011, Dr. Dre’s cohort, Eminem, starred in an ad for the Chrysler 200. Eminem kicked off the company’s “Imported from Detroit” campaign with one of the most talked about Super Bowl Commercials ever.
The commercial flashed across the landscape of Detroit, Eminem’s hometown, and a voice in the background asked what people from a city like that could possibly know about luxury.
In the latter half of the commercial, Eminem rolled up in a Chrysler 200 and entered a theatre where a group of gospel singers were singing “Lose Yourself” in the background.
In the final moments of the spot, Eminem came to forefront and said: “This is the Motor City, and this is what we do.”
Americans were so struck by the powerful commercial and its reminder of how strong the country’s people could be that Chrysler soon decided to expand the campaign, using a similar theme for the 300’s ads.
For the new commercials, they commissioned yet another big name in the world of hip hop, Dr. Dre. But instead of Detroit, Dre was cruising through L.A.
Calling on his own experience as a person who rose from the bottom to the top, Dre expressed that “Good things come to those who work.”
When he stepped out of the car, the camera panned to a shot of his BeatsAudio system, standard fare in the 300.
It didn’t take long for Dre to be shown rolling in a 300 again. But this time, he and his long-time friend, Ice Cube, were both in the picture.
As part of the red-band (explicit) trailer for their movie, Straight Outta Compton, the two celebrities requested the Chrysler 300 for their tour of the neighborhoods they grew up in.
The film, about the infamous N.W.A. rap group, reflected on what it took to make it off the streets and into the music industry.
Per Dre’s collaboration with Chrysler, the 300 that Dr. Dre and Ice Cube cruised around in was equipped with the BeatsAudio system. And as they took a trip down memory lane, they certainly turned a lot of heads.
Snoop Dogg
Now while other artists were asked by Chrysler to headline ad campaigns, it’s not surprising that Snoop Dogg actually contacted the brand himself.
Always a man who gets what he wants, Snoop Dogg called to request his own Chrysler back in 2004. When he left a voicemail for the company’s CEO, his words were: “What I gotta’ do to get that brand new 300 up outta you?”
Immediately intrigued, Chrysler’s top guys started working with Snoop to strike up a deal, offering a factory-fresh 300 in exchange for a commercial appearance. Snoop’s response? “If you want this car to blow, give it to me.”
After reaching an agreement, Snoop starred in a commercial with then Chrysler CEO, Lee Iacocca, on the golf course.
The ad shows Snoop rattling off a series of lines in his signature language, and totally baffling Iacocca. But Snoop Dogg’s final line is perfectly clear: “If the ride is more fly, then you must buy.”
Not only was the appearance a boon for Chrysler, but Snoop Dogg was also quite satisfied when he received his slick black 2004 300C with tinted windows. Clearly he knows how to ride in style.
Barack Obama
That’s right, the President himself owned a Chrysler 300C, though it was back in his days as a senator for Illinois.
Obama put around 20,000 miles on it before trading it in, and a later owner tried to sell the car on eBay for one million dollars.
Pictures of the 300C with Obama superimposed on top spread like wildfire across the Internet, but alas, no bids met the extraordinarily high auction price.
While there were no takers that time around, the owner said he was going to attempt to sell it again later on after the President had racked up some more years in the White House.
John Varvatos
More recently, Chrysler teamed up with famous fashion designer, John Varvatos, to create a Limited Edition 300 model.
With the addition of numerous bespoke components, the exclusive version of the 300C became one of the sharpest iterations of the model to date.
Varvatos’ 300C incorporates:
- Custom 19 or 20-inch titanium wheels
- A premium grille with satin titanium chrome
- Available bi-xenon High-Intensity Discharge headlamps
- A Phantom Black tri-coat finish
- Titanium chrome mirror caps and Varvatos badging
- All-season performance tires
- LED taillamps
- A dual-pane panoramic sunroof
- Luxury Nappa leather-trimmed bucket seats
- A leather-wrapped steering wheel with paddle shifters
- Charcoal wood and titanium accents
Talk about a top-of-the-line vehicle. And just to add to the rare nature of this 300C, Chrysler also called on Detroit native, Iggy Pop, to appear in the car’s commercials with Varvatos.
The two of them chatted it up about what made growing up in Detroit such a unique and valuable experience and how it set them on the path to their amazing careers.
Stars for a Cause
Why limit the fanfare to just one celebrity when so many are willing to pitch in? In 2010, Stars for a Cause wrangled up a number of stars to sign Chrysler 300 models to be auctioned off for charity.
The first was a Chrysler 300C donated by the manufacturer. The swanky car was signed by over 300 top-tier celebrities at the Golden Globe awards. It was even featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show the day that she added her John Hancock.
What cause was it for? All of the proceeds from auctioning the 300C were donated directly to the American Red Cross to provide relief for Haiti after the earthquake that devastated their country.
In addition, a series of 300C eco-style sedans were signed by individual stars and sold at the same auction to raise money for charitable causes.
One was signed by Felicity Huffman of Desperate Housewives, another by her husband, William H. Macy, a popular actor who starred in Fargo, and there was one signed by Colin Firth, a lead from Bridget Jones’s Diary who has also appeared in several other films.
The cars featured recycled ultrasuede seat inserts, recycled floormats, and 20-inch chrome wheels made from recycled metal.
To sweeten the deal even more, inside the flagship sedan, the winning bidders found custom Tommy Hilfiger luggage.
The auction was a huge success, and Chrysler helped Stars for a Cause raise a significant amount of money to be used for charitable causes.
