Those of us of a certain generation are constantly being bombarded by commercial ads that use the music of our lives. Nothing new here - we've been the rats in the great global marketing wheel since we were born - toys, cereal, pimple cream, stuff, stuff, stuff. A few years ago it was all Beatles/Dave Clark 5/Motown music for car or fast food ads - the cute bouncy mod-mini-skirt music.I was resentful - what happened to jingle writers? - but sucked it up and moved on.
But now - now! - all the financial investment firms are trying to court us with drug rock tunes of the late 60's and 70s. What?! There are several floating around, but the one that pushed me over the line is Fidelity's use of In-a-gadda-da-vida. Really. Guess no one explained to the 24-year-old marketing whiz kid creating the commercial that songs like that make you think of doing the opposite of investment. In fact, it kinda makes you wonder where all the good times went and at what point we started worrying more about stuff than, you know, stuff. You might want to invest, but not in stocks and bonds, if you get my drift.
So, stop it right now, you Madison Avenue whippersnappers. Go back to paying clever jingle-writers to boost your commercial ads.
In-a-gadda-da-vida to spur financial investments? Something about it just makes me really, really hungry for junk food, for some reason. Cheez Whiz and brownies, anyone?
3 comments:
You know Mary, I thought the very same thing when I saw that commercial. Strange marketing decision.
Being across the pond, we don't get that advert. But...
"In-a-gadda-da-vida" always puts me in mind of that scene in "Manhunter" where the serial killer is about to kill the blind girl and William Peterson (without the benefit of his CSI lab) has to break into the house and kill him.
Doesn't make me think of buying investments.
Does make me hide under the sofa.
PS - was Brian Cox a better Hanibal Lecter than Tony Hopkins? That's the other thing that springs to mind when I hear that tune.
PPS - was the rest of the album rubbish, or was it just me?
You are much too polite, but thanks for posting that. I am forced to listen to CNBC @ work all day and almost puked the first time I saw/heard it. You're right, this has also "pushed me over the line." It's funny that these young, brainwashed, Reaganized pukes are creating this creeeappp... They will burn in hell.
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