Chrysler, Interscope team on music awards ads

One night only. Five Chrysler brands. And five of the hottest pop and hip-hop stars showed up in new ads for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.

That's what Fiat Chrysler Automobile and Interscope Records delivered during Sunday night's American Music Awards.

The automaker aired four 30-second ads and one 60-second ad during the awards show. The ads had customized videos featuring Imagine Dragons (in support of the The Tyler Robinson Foundation cancer charity) and new songs by Eminem ("Guts Over Fear"), Fergie ("L.A.Love (la la)"), Gwen Stefani ("Spark The Fire") and Phillip Phillips ("Unpack Your Heart")

Sunday was the only time the commercials -- for the Dodge, Ram, Chrysler, Fiat and Jeep brands -- were to be broadcast on national TV, according to the company.

The roll-out of the ads was orchestrated by Fiat Chrysler Automobile marketing chief Olivier François, who convinced Interscope to team up with the automaker. Four of the new commercial spots end with common theme "Let's keep driving music," in honor of the partnership between François and Interscope founder Jimmy Iovine.

"It's incredibly rare and special to find a unique partnership where some of the world's biggest artists and brands align so perfectly, allowing both the opportunity to deliver entertaining and meaningful content to their audiences," said Francois. "Taking part in last night's American Music Awards was our way of saying 'thank you' to this industry and to the many artists, who over the years, have played a meaningful role in helping to develop the unique voice and spirit of each of our brands."

It's not the first time Chrysler has aimed to take the AMAs by storm with an unexpected partnership. In 2011, Jennifer Lopez danced around a Fiat 500. That caused some music critics and others to say the pop start took product endorsements too far by bringing a car on stage. At the time, Francois took the controversy in stride and said the attention just helped the company raise awareness for the Fiat brand.

Chrysler's latest partnership with Interscope and its roster of top music stars also is part of what has become a blockbuster relationship for both Francois and Interscope. In 2011, Chrysler made Super Bowl history when Eminem appeared in a two-minute ad for the Chrysler 200.

Beyond the obvious linkage between Interscope's stars and the award show, it's also easy to see why Chrysler picked the American Music Awards for an ad blitz. Last year the AMAs drew 12.9 million viewers and a 4.5 rating among adults ages 18-49 Sunday night.

Four of the five ads are posted on YouTube, and also can be viewed below: