It probably seemed like a good idea at the time...
Carnival Cruise Lines have been using Iggy Pop's "Lust for life" as the music for it's TV spots for quite some time now.
It's got an ultra-catchy bass line, and I think they were hoping it'd make them seem more hip to the younger generation.
Those that don't know that the song's about heroin addiction, that is.
Here comes johnny yen again
With the liquor and drugs
And the flesh machineHe’s gonna do another strip tease.
Hey man, where’d ya get that lotion?
Your skin starts itching once you buy the gimmick
About something called love
Love, love, love
Well, that’s like hypnotizing chickens.
I can't wait for a spot where "No more beating my brains with liqour and drugs" quietly plays in the background as an attractive, fit young couple cavort on a tropical beach.
And it's just one of many... questionable attempts to combine independent/countercultural music with marketing. The Ramones are selling Pepsi and car rentals, Sir Mix-A-Lot's with Target, and The Buzzcocks' "What Do I Get?" was in Toyota ad a few years ago.
My favorite, is of course, The Clash's "London Calling" being used to advertise Jaguar.
What's next, "I'm All Lost In The Supermarket" in an Albertson's spot? "Pretty Vacant" for Maybelline?
It's got an ultra-catchy bass line, and I think they were hoping it'd make them seem more hip to the younger generation.
Those that don't know that the song's about heroin addiction, that is.
Here comes johnny yen again
With the liquor and drugs
And the flesh machineHe’s gonna do another strip tease.
Hey man, where’d ya get that lotion?
Your skin starts itching once you buy the gimmick
About something called love
Love, love, love
Well, that’s like hypnotizing chickens.
I can't wait for a spot where "No more beating my brains with liqour and drugs" quietly plays in the background as an attractive, fit young couple cavort on a tropical beach.
And it's just one of many... questionable attempts to combine independent/countercultural music with marketing. The Ramones are selling Pepsi and car rentals, Sir Mix-A-Lot's with Target, and The Buzzcocks' "What Do I Get?" was in Toyota ad a few years ago.
My favorite, is of course, The Clash's "London Calling" being used to advertise Jaguar.
What's next, "I'm All Lost In The Supermarket" in an Albertson's spot? "Pretty Vacant" for Maybelline?
This entry was posted by Kevin Creighton, on
11.26.2005.
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12:10 PM
I'm not sure I understand- if the viewer of the commercial 'gets' the irony, fine, and if he DOESN'T, well, then it doesn't really matter...
I'm trying to work my way to your point... I think you're criticising the chooser of this music to sell that product... but isn't the proof in the pudding, if marketing suggests that the commercial 'worked' (whatever THAT means!), then it was a good choice. Maybe you're worried that there's a discreet message that embedded that might... I don't know... be a corrupting influence?
Just thinking out loud...