It Drives Me Crazy...

So, here I am once more feeling like a maniacal ranter over The Who's song Eminence Front [the first time was when the company I formerly worked for used it as background music to their "Rah, Rah Get on board" with our Corporate Kool-Aid 'culture' reform].  I realize that I am smarter than the average bear, but that one just blew my mind, until...

A car company recently decided to use this song to promote their overpriced cars that masquerade as luxury SUVs.  The song is clearly discernible for those who appreciate classic rock.  To verify that I wasn't insane as I started my rant to my husband [who at this point stares at me, while I believe, praying that when I explode it doesn't get on him], I picked up my phone and used my handy little song app that only needs a small portion of a song to go fetch it, so you may purchase it or read the lyrics; or in this case - validate my ire.

Immediately, I am incredibly incensed [I cannot begin to explain why this pisses me off, rather than amuses me...but it does.  Anger me, that is].  How on earth could a marketing team use a song and not pay any attention to WHAT the song is about and stands for?!?  At the very least, I would hope these educated folks would have looked up the lyrics [assuming they are Millennials who didn't grow up with a parent or two listening to this on the radio].  Or, even better...Wikipedia the song.  Not difficult.  Unless you're illiterate and unable to browse the interwebs?  Hmph.

In any case, one would find that the lyrics BLATANTLY discuss putting up a front or facade to make things appear not as they are, but as they 'should' be.  Ok, idiot marketing ppl...completely disregard that, but at least pay some heed to the fact that the man who wrote the song even admits it's about snorting too much blow.  Good God!  For that reason alone, you should possibly avoid using this song, no matter how catchy it's hook is, to sell any product outside of say...Uh, Cocaine.  And last I checked, most drug dealers aren't putting ads on prime time television...yet.

15 minutes into my diatribe, my husband calmly informs me that they really probably never listened to the actual lyrics of this song.  Ever.  Hiroshima...In my living room.  How could you not, if you decide to use the hook for, what I assume is, a multi-million dollar advertising campaign.  That would be like the EEOC using the song Brown Sugar to promote Equal Opportunity Employment for minority women, purely because they enjoyed those sick beats.  Well, maybe not that bad...  But, you're getting my drift?

In my mind, the ad agency picked a song with a recognizable and awesome tune to play, not too quietly, in the background of an automobile commerical.  A song about taking too much drugs, the need to keep up with the Jones' and putting on airs to make sure everyone thinks you are something much more than you are...and base a campaign for a gas guzzling, expensive, not quite luxury but wishes it was, SUV on it?  Bravo.  Well done.