Who gave Dodge the OK to use MLK's voice in Super Bowl ad?

Amid the swift social media furor sparked by a Dodge ad that used the voice of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the  Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change and its CEO,  Rev. Bernice Kin g, made sure everyone knew neither the center nor King personally were the governing authorities who could have licensed the use.

Dodge did indeed have permission to use the audio, though. Intellectual Properties Management is the licenser of the King estate. In a statement to media outlets including Slate, managing director Eric D. Tidwell explained how Dodge obtained the legal OK to use the late King's voice:

“When Ram approached the King Estate with the idea of featuring Dr. King’s voice in a new ‘Built To Serve’ commercial, we were pleasantly surprised at the existence of the Ram Nation volunteers and their efforts. We learned that as a volunteer group of Ram owners, they serve others through everything from natural disaster relief, to blood drives, to local community volunteer initiatives. Once the final creative was presented for approval, it was reviewed to ensure it met our standard integrity clearances. 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.”

The commercial hasn’t won lots of acclaim on social media, though.

KIRO