People are hating the Ram Super Bowl ad using MLK's speech. This is why.

Show Caption Hide Caption Ad Meter 2018: Ram 2 In the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Ram truck owners also believe in a life of serving others.

When Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a sermon imploring hearers to imitate the servanthood of Jesus, he probably didn't envision them buying Ram trucks to do so.

And yet there was King's voice Sunday night, booming through millions of TV speakers during Ram's latest Super Bowl ad:

"If you want to be important—wonderful. If you want to be recognized—wonderful. If you want to be great—wonderful. But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. That's a new definition of greatness."

The speech, delivered 50 years ago on Feb. 4, 1968, served to inspire a Ram Trucks ad of American workers wiping brows, fishing and riding horses, doing pushups and, of course, driving ram Trucks.

After King's speech culminates, the ad's tagline appears: Built to serve.

The use of King's sermon to sell trucks did not sit well with many viewers, who voiced reactions ranging from uneasiness to repulsion.

More:

All the Super Bowl 2018 ads from the first half in the order they were released

All the Super Bowl 2018 ads from the second half in the order they were released

There was audible painful groaning at the Super Bowl party I’m at as everyone realized Dodge Ram was trying to profit off of an MLK speech — Hunter Walker (@hunterw) February 5, 2018

Not sure MLK’s dream was to drive a Dodge Ram. — ItsTheReal (@itsthereal) February 5, 2018

mlk died to sell RAM TRUCKS — deaux (@dstfelix) February 5, 2018

Not everyone seemed to oppose the ad, however:

It’s fine. I’m not crying after a Dodge Ram commercial. #MLK #SuperBowlCommercial — Melinda Doolittle (@mdoolittle) February 5, 2018

The King Center, the Atlanta-based nonprofit dedicated to King's legacy, denied approving the use of King's words in the commercial:

Neither @TheKingCenter nor @BerniceKing is the entity that approves the use of #MLK’s words or imagery for use in merchandise, entertainment (movies, music, artwork, etc) or advertisement, including tonight’s @Dodge #SuperBowl commercial. — The King Center (@TheKingCenter) February 5, 2018

A spokesperson for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, responding by email, said: “We worked closely with the representatives of the Martin Luther King Jr. estate to receive the necessary approvals and estate representatives were a very important part of the creative process.”

As reporter Kate Aronoff noted, King himself discourages listeners from overspending for automobiles in the very same sermon Ram sampled. A new Ram 1500 can cost about $27,000.

Not totally sure the Dodge RAM ad guys read that whole MLK speech.. https://t.co/QPa16BGv3d pic.twitter.com/3eFVZjb3BB — Kate Aronoff (@KateAronoff) February 5, 2018

Watch all the Super Bowl ads from this year:

Contributing: Erik Brady