Wednesday, June 07, 2006

Blog Stuff: Talkin' 'bout my generation...

You know what's the most poignant thing about seeing those Cadillac commercials set to Led Zeppelin's "Rock And Roll"?

Knowing that Cadillac's demographic hasn't changed; it's Zeppelin's that has.

11 comments:

Fairlane64 said...

Cadillac needs to dump the Led Zep song and look for a Rap / R&B theme given its biggest fan base:
http://www.agendainc.com/latimes.html

phlegmfatale said...

In about 15 years commercials will be like "Tupac Shakur for Cartier timepieces." Classy.

Remember that line from "boys of summer" (don henley or glen frey)?
"Out on the road today I saw a deadhead sticker on a cadillac."
Your post made me think of that.

Actually, the whole dead-celebrity endorsement is a bit of a travesty, really. Some furniture company (Thomasville?) has a themed-line of its furniture called the Humphrey Bogart Collection. I could see invoking Bogey if they were promoting trench coats, cigars or even a barber shop, but furniture? That's pretty weak.

Oh, and Stevie Ray Vaughan's "Sweet Little Thang" being used for a Lincoln commercial? Sacrilege!

I'm completely secure with looming old-fart-hood, so I'm not bothered so much by Led Zep's Cadillac promotion - at least most of them are still alive to make that choice of licensing.

phlegmfatale said...

fairlane - actually, I think Cadillac HAD the R&B crowd at hello, and the Led Zep thing is an attempt to appeal to a bad-boy- grown-up market.

Unknown said...

On that subject...is "Fleetwood Mac" a Cadillac shaped like a burger, or a burger shaped like a Cadillac?

Anonymous said...

I came to grips with the Caddy thing once I reached the same conclusion.

Jane's Addiction selling tires on the other hand....

TGirsch said...

That "Boys of Summer" line has, so lost its irony, that The Ataris felt the need to change it in their recent remake. They say "I saw a Black Flag sticker on a Cadillac."

phlegmfatale said...

tgirsch: "Black Flag sticker on a Cadillac." Hilarity - I'll have to look up that recording.

Phlegm's All-Star Jug Band is about to record "out on cinder blocks today, I saw a Tupac sticker on an El Camino."

Gewehr98 said...

When I first saw/heard the Cadillac commercials playing Zep's Black Dog, I was a bit pissed off, since they're my absolute favorite band, and Acid Rock associated with an asswagon targeting the geriatric crowd just don't mix. Then it dawned on me, somebody had to grant Cadillac/GM the rights to play it, most likely Jimmy Page. I'll wager that the check they dangled in front of him was certainly quite substantial...

Tam said...

"Acid Rock associated with an asswagon targeting the geriatric crowd just don't mix."

If you were 20 when Page & Plant played at the Hammersmith Odeon in '88, you're 38 now. If you were 20 the first time you heard "Black Dog" on the radio, you're 55 now.

Either way, Limp Bizkit fans think you're geriatric, and Cadillac wants to sell you a car. :o

Tam said...

...you know, I think those XLR8's are kinda cool.

Then again, I'm an old fart. Or so the kids at work tell me...


(BTW: Have you seen a pic of Jimmy lately? He's looking really very, very amazingly fat and unwell...)

BobG said...

"Then again, I'm an old fart. Or so the kids at work tell me..."

A pretty young lady like you? Hell, I have T-shirts older than you...