Rock and Roll is now, and always has been, a thoroughgoing whorehouse. Rock and Roll is incorruptible, simply because any outside contamination, from any vile or cynical source, will only serve to temporarily ennoble it. Is there anyone who is willing to argue that The Beatles were not, first and foremost, a commercial enterprise, a calculated hit machine? As John Lennon sayeth to Sir Paul McCartney, "Let's write a new swimming pool." Seeing as how we've already mentioned Donovan, I hope that I am not the only one who remembers Jennifer Juniper Shampoo. So, we have The Buzzcocks selling SUVs, and Iggy Pop selling cruises. So what!
Anyone who has had the pleasure of owning or driving a Cadillac from the 1930's or 1940's can testify to its grandeur and exquisite craftsmanship. I would argue that it is Led Zeppelin's "Rock n' Roll" that has sullied and defiled Cadillac, not the other way around. This ad campaign was a rare brilliant move on the part of GM. Among all luxury car brands, Cadillac had the highest average customer age (62!), BMW, on the other hand, had the youngest. To counteract this, Cadillac needed to find buyers among a demographic where they had none (i.e., those born between 1955 and 1965).
Somebody call me when a tune from The Mentors or G.G. Allin is used to sell Pop-Tarts.
Anyone who has had the pleasure of owning or driving a Cadillac from the 1930's or 1940's can testify to its grandeur and exquisite craftsmanship. I would argue that it is Led Zeppelin's "Rock n' Roll" that has sullied and defiled Cadillac, not the other way around. This ad campaign was a rare brilliant move on the part of GM. Among all luxury car brands, Cadillac had the highest average customer age (62!), BMW, on the other hand, had the youngest. To counteract this, Cadillac needed to find buyers among a demographic where they had none (i.e., those born between 1955 and 1965).
Somebody call me when a tune from The Mentors or G.G. Allin is used to sell Pop-Tarts.