Commercials that use songs out of context... (1 Viewer)

[David Lawson]

Iggy Pop's "Lust For Life" is playing on the radio, and I can't help but think of the Carnival commercials that feature it. Now, I've never been on a cruise, but I think it's fair to assume that you don't really want to associate your cruise line with drug use.

Also, I've always smiled about Microsoft's use of the Stones' "Start Me Up" in the Windows 95 launch campaign, as they conveniently left out the part about making a grown man cry.

Any others?

 

[Kevin H]

There's the patriotic "Fortunate Son" commercial..Levi's I think.

 

[Al B. C]

And on TV. I've thought the same thing.

Why would they want to use a song who's next line is ".............I'm gonna beat my brain, with-a liquor and-a drugs"?

By the way it is one of my favorite Iggy songs.

 

[John Kotches]

Well, there's the usage of the Fab Fours "Getting Better All the Time" by Philips...

I used to be cruel to my woman, I beat her and kept her apart from the things that she loved.

Man I was mean, but I'm changing my scene and I'm doing the best that I can

I have to admit it's getting better, a little better all the time (It can't get no worse)

So, is Philips saying they've hit bottom and are on the way up?

Regards,

 

[Yee-Ming]

around here, a mobile phone operator uses Extreme's More Than Words to sell its phone services. a bit ironic when the song as a whole is talking about wanting "more than words", whereas a phone would be limited to just that.

or perhaps it's a very subtle way of saying "talk is cheap", which in the case of mobile phone services is a good thing?

 

[Brad Porter]

I've had to boycott so many products recently because they all seem convinced that Smashmouth's "All Star" is the ultimate sales tool.

I've seen it used to sell chips, cars (Nissan & Ford), movies ("Mystery Men", "Rat Race" & "Shrek"), sports equipment (Nike?)... song still sucks in every single case. Maybe if Smashmouth added a fourth note to their vocal range. :rolleyes

Brad

 

[Ike]

One car company (an "off-road" SUV) uses an even worse Iggy Pop infringement-TV Eye!

I have no idea what TV Eye is about. I've read the lyrics. It has something to do with a cat and a TV eye. None the less, I don't think the Xtera are probably on the same wave length as The Stooges were at the point. And it's a great song that some people will only know as that song from the commercial.

 

[Mark Lee]

The aforementioned jeans commercial (Wrangler, actually) that absolutely abuses the Creedence classic "Fortunate Son."

A whole generation of young'uns probably now think the original song was a jingoistic, rah-rah, up-with-America anthem, when the reality is that it was probably one of the most vicious diatribes ever penned about the hypocrisy and callousness of the powers-that-be:

"Some folks're born made to wave the flag,
Ooh, they're red, white and blue.
And when the band plays "Hail to the chief",
Ooh, they'll point the cannon at you, Lord,

It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no senator's son
It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no fortunate one, no...."

They kinda left some of the words out....

 

[Jason_H]

Did anyone ever see the Onion article that poked fun at this? Specifically using "Lust for Life" for ads featuring children...and one of the punch lines at the end was from an executive proclaiming how they would be using the Rolling Stones' "Rocks Off" for their new line of Johnson's Baby Shampoo ads.

My current favorite in this category is the Ford Focus ad using the Dandy Warhols' "Bohemian Like You." In the commercial, the song is edited (combines two separate verses) to say:

You've got a great car
I'm glad you like mine, too
See we're looking pretty cool

The totally ironic thing is the unedited song goes:

You've got a great car
Yeah, what's wrong with it today?
I used to have one, too
Maybe I'll come and have a look

GEEZ! Maybe it is strangely appropriate for a Ford commercial though.

 

[David Lawson]

Yeah, Ford and its subsidiaries have either edited or bastardized songs for years.

On a related note, Filter's "The Only Way (Is The Wrong Way)" is more or less left alone in the H2 commercial, which is also strangely appropriate. Using the Suburban platform is the wrong way to create a new Hummer.

 

[Eric Peterson]

I think it's Hyundai that uses Tom Tom Club's "Genius of Love".

The first time that I saw the commercial, I was thinking where's the line "We went insane when we took cocaine"

Of course one of the earliest infringements was Nike's use of The Beatles' "Revolution". They didn't want that to happen, but unfortunately Michael Jackson owned the rights to the songs and decided that it was the right thing to do.

 

[MickeS]

Two posters have already mentioned the extremely disrespectful and hypocritical use of "Fortunate Son", but I have to mention it again... it infuriates me every time I see that commercial, because unlike the other examples in this thread that song was a very political song that was against the exact thing it is now being used for in the commercial. I bet the guy who has the rights to the song (Fogerty tried unsuccessfully for years to get them back) is happy knowing that he not only makes a boatload of cash out of it, but also gets the pleasure of once again spitting in the face of John Fogerty and what the song stands for...

For those who haven't seen the ad, it cuts off the song after the lyrics

Some folks're born made to wave the flag,
Ooh, they're red, white and blue.

are sung over images of happy faces, jeans and American flags.

Here are the full lyrics, if you haven't heard them or if you've forgotten them.

Some folks are born made to wave the flag,
Ooh, they're red, white and blue.
And when the band plays "Hail to the chief",
Ooh, they point the cannon at you, Lord,

It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no senator's son, son.
It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, no,

Yeah!
Some folks are born silver spoon in hand,
Lord, don't they help themselves, oh.
But when the taxman comes to the door,
Lord, the house looks like a rummage sale, yes,

It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no millionaire's son, no.
It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, no.

Some folks inherit star spangled eyes,
Ooh, they send you down to war, Lord,
And when you ask them, "How much should we give?"
Ooh, they only answer More! more! more! yoh,

It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no military son, son.
It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, one.

It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no fortunate one, no no no,
It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no fortunate son, no no no



EDIT: here's an article I found about this:
Fogerty angry at what they've done with song

/Mike

 

[Nigel McN]

heh I was just talking to someone about this yesterday, Here in NZ (I don't know about elsewhere) but Phil Collins Against All Odds (the take a look at me now) song is used to show people achieving great things, when the song itself is quite depressing.

 

[John Watson]

Nortel used Beatles "Come Together" for its Internet Sales camapign a couple of years ago.

Its shares were selling for $120 Cdn then.

Now they sell for $3. Guess things fell apart.

An ad that would be good, and appropriate, if even more annoying than the existing Viagra ads : James Browns - "Like a Sex Machine"

 

[JasenP]

The ultimate sin was when the fast rockier version of Revolution by The Beatles was used in a commercial by Nike.

I believe this was shortly after Michael Jackson acquired the rights to The Beatles catalog.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!