Packard Motor Makes a Comeback (Sort Of)
When Michigan political-ad makers need a visual depiction of the woeful economy, they don’t have to look far. The old Packard Motors plant in Detroit, shuttered in 1958, perfectly captures the image of industrial decline that, when paired with spooky minor-key music and a grave-sounding narrator, can make for a great attack ad. Given the lousy Michigan economy and the looming elections, it’s been boom times for Packard. As Lydia Beresford of the Campaign Media Analysis Group noticed, candidates and Super PACs in both parties have recently used the Packard plant in their ads.