30 Mar, 2009 Whiskey Galore !
Went to the cinema last night to see the latest movie featuring Julia Roberts and Clive Owen. Both of them were good but to be honest I had an idea for a song in my head and due to the distraction of that I could not really get interested in the film. It passed me by without leaving any impression either way, unlike the couple of Russian women sitting nearby who chatted volubly the whole way through.
Before the film started the cinema showed that ad which uses Bob Dylan’s ‘Blowing In The Wind’. The impression I had of that was that it was a quite lovely spot and I also recalled what great a song it is, to state the obvious. I did not think there was anything detrimental at all, and certainly it never occurred to me that Dylan was in any sense cashing in or letting his tune be used tastelessly as has been claimed. It is a pretty looking ad, end of story as far as I am concerned.
Unlike the recent ad campaign featuring Iggy Pop selling insurance of all things. I was aghast at that. I thought it looked really cheap and as there was no escaping it since it appeared not only on TV but also on the side of London buses and tube station hoardings etc, the overkill of the campaign undoubtedly damaged beyond repair my image of the ‘Ig’ as the eternal renegade wild boy who lived by his own rules etc.
Ditto regarding John Lydon’s tragic butter advert. Meanwhile perhaps the least said about Lou Reed’s attempt to interest us in Cartier jewellery the better. I never thought I would see the day when a triumvirate such as Johnny Rotten, Iggy Pop and Lou Reed would be involved in trying to punt us dairy products, gold bracelets and car insurance. But there you go!
Lets be clear nevertheless, I am not criticising any of them for choosing to endorse commercial products. Not at all, I am not that much of a puritan, we have done so ourselves and would consider future options depending on the situation that is ever changing. The point I am making in fact is more to do with aesthetics. The nature of the campaigns that they choose to hitch their wagons to really sucked. Duff beyond belief in my opinion, what more is there to be said from me.
But it does not have to be that way, or does it? Course not, Pirelli did a fantastic tyre ad featuring the Velvet Underground, and U2’s Apple spot was also bang on. Levis had many memorable ads, and there was a particular campaign that used rather brilliantly ‘How Soon Is Now” by The Smiths.
But best of all recently perhaps was Phil Collin’s Cadbury’s ad. Or equally stunning was Bowie’s mineral water campaign. Come on now, they were both genius! As is all those Guinness ads featuring the best of the best from those that make the most imaginative dance music.
Simple Minds have featured in various ads throughout our career, our highlight being one Japanese spot for whiskey in particular. Hey, we are Scots after all! The other being an ad for Apple computers and that was a thrill to do. We have also turned down more than a few, including huge campaigns for burgers and fried chicken. Yuck! I am sure you can understand our refusal in those cases. One campaign in particular requested our ‘Alive and Kicking”, suggesting that they would change the chorus lyrics from “Alive and Kicking!” to “ I like fried chicken!”
I kid you not!!!
Jim Kerr
pic by John Williams