Bob Dylan Is Actually Shilling Something

America means cowboys, football, and... Bob Dylan trying to get people to buy Chryslers? If one of the most surprising Super Bowl ads of the night is any indication, there's nothing more American than using a history of counterculture and trustworthiness to sell American-made cars to other Americans. While an American flag waves in the background.

In a spiritual sequel to Chrysler's Clint Eastwood-led "Halftime in America" spot from 2012, Chrysler's latest Super Bowl spot opens with black-and-white footage of Dylan in concert. It proceeds to cut to several quintessentially American images – a rodeo, a girl using the stars and stripes like a blanket at the beach – while Bob Dylan asks the most important question of our time: "Is there anything more American than America?" We'd argue that the only thing more American than America might be Bob Dylan himself, but that quibble was obviously anticipated by Chrysler's casting director.

The ad does make a pretty good case for America and, more importantly, the patriotism inherent in buying American-made cars. "When it's made here, it's made with the one thing you can't import from anywhere else," Dylan's distinctive voice confides. "American pride."

For any major company, Dylan seems like an odd choice. Famous in part for his anti-consumerist lyrics, he may seem like the last person you'd want to hire as a spokesperson. But this isn't his first foray into selling out: 10 years ago he showed up in a Victoria's Secret commercial. At least he's probably more trustworthy when it comes to cars than ladies' underwear.

Click here to check out more of Super Bowl XLVIII's best and worst ads.