Report: Chrysler Super Bowl ad had input from Obama supporters

Some members of the creative team that helped produce Chrysler’s controversial Super Bowl advertisement have made pro-Obama art in the past, according to a report in The Hollywood Reporter.

The news could fuel further criticism from Republicans, who have decried the Clint Eastwood-narrated ad as an endorsement of President Obama.

{mosads}According to the report, some of the individuals from Portland, Ore., firm Weiden+Kennedy who participated in the ad’s production privately created pro-Obama art in 2008.

The official bio for one of the ad’s creators, Aaron Allen, notes that he produced “a poster for the 2008 Obama campaign that was shown in several galleries and publications.”

And the ad’s art director, Jim Lasser, developed an art exhibit in New York portraying Obama’s image on the soles of athletic shoes.

In addition, another creative director, Michael Tabtabai, recently tweeted out a positive message about the president that compared him to a superhero.

The commercial, called “It’s Halftime America,” touted the recovery of the American auto industry following the 2008 and 2009 government bailouts.

The ad was lauded by many for its inspirational tone, however some on the right, including former George W. Bush adviser Karl Rove, alleged that it was a political stunt born by the close ties of the Obama administration and auto industry.

The Obama administration denies having any involvement with the spot, and on Monday, Chrysler’s CEO Sergio Marchionne defended the ad, claiming it had “zero political content.”

Eastwood, who endorsed John McCain in 2008, said the ad had “no spin.”