The entity that manages King’s intellectual property, Intellectual Property Management, is run by his son, Dexter King. It says it approved the ad.
“We found that the overall message of the ad embodied Dr. King’s philosophy that true greatness is achieved by serving others. Thus we decided to be a part of Ram’s ‘Built To Serve’ Super Bowl program,” said Eric Tidwell, managing director of the firm, in a statement.
To create the spot, Fiat Chrysler, which owns the Ram brand, says it worked with the King estate to get the necessary approvals.
Ad Using MLK Speech Was Approved, But Not By Entire King Family | 90.1 FM WABE