Is nothing sacred?

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I'm not sure if this is a TV or Music topic...

BUT

Has anyone seen that horrific new Mars bar ad, where this guy is walking through the city, eating his Mars bar and lights keep turning on and off as he walks by stores, cinemas, etc.?

They're using "Blue Monday" to advertise Mars bars. Has anyone explained to the twentysomething star marketer who came up with this ridiculous campaign because it's "retro" that the song is about mourning the suicide of Ian Curtis? Mad

And it's the original master recording/mix of the song. I realise that Bernard Sumner probably has nothing to do with it anymore, as the publishing is controlled by EMI, who is losing money like crazy. But really, who honestly thought about using that song for this campaign?

Or is it just a warning about the high fructose corn syrup inside?

"How does it feel..." indeed!

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If I were an advertiser I'd want to know if I was unknowingly sending a message that ran counter to the message I was actually trying to send. I'm guessing it was a mistake. Unless the person who came up with the ad thinks suicide and candy bars go hand in hand, in which case he/she might have a point.

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I work with advertisers and some are very careful about where and in what their ads run. Others are a little less concerned.

Either way, a good advertiser has a good agency that watches it's back. The younger crowd (tweens and teens) probably won't know what you are taking about. But it seems that this ad is targeting 20-somethings and early 30-somethings. I think someone needs to have a chat with who this ad is directed towards and make sure the appropriate research is being done.

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I haven't seen that ad but you really have to wonder what in the heck they were thinking.

I remember the Jaguar ads that used The Clash's "London Calling". I couldn't see that ad without singing the chorus:

The ice age is coming, the sun is zooming in
Engines stop running and the wheat is growing thin
A nuclear error, but I have no fear
London is drowning-and I live by the river

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I really think the appropriate, and safe, thing to do is to research and ask etc etc. For sure. In fact I assumed that people already did.

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I hate to disagree with you guys, because I think you're right - it's horrifying that they never took the time to figure that out. Having said that, you can't expect the advertising companies to waste money researching song history, or assume that any more than a few people would be able to not only pick out the song immediately from just a few bars but recall its significance to the songwriters. That would be wasteful and time-consuming, and I think the major companies don't care enough.

I'm just trying to see things from the company's point of view, and I don't see how such research would be worthwhile to a massive advertising group.

And by the way, I loved what you said about the high fructose corn syrup, Mrs. Buttercup. Nice.

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hopefully this will make those of you who are offended by the use of "Blue Monday" in the new mars bar commercial feel a bit better. I couldn't place who did the song, so I searched and searched until I found out it was New Order. I remembered at that moment that my friend in high school was a huge fan of both New Order and before them Joy Division. At any rate.... I downloaded the song, and subsequently have downloaded much more by both bands since. If that commercial had not had the song in it, I would not have become a fan of two wonderful groups of artists. I'm sold. Both bands are great, and I'm happy that I now know about them.

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Shows to go you where I was coming from. When you said, "Blue Monday", I immediately thought of the Fats Dominio song. Oh well, I suppose that the company is not trying to sell candy bars to me!

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zashiki wrote:

hopefully this will make those of you who are offended by the use of "Blue Monday" in the new mars bar commercial a bit better. I couldn't place who did the song, so I searched and searched until I found out it was New Order. I remembered at that moment that my friend in high school was a huge fan of both New Order and before them Joy Division. At any rate.... I downloaded the song, and subsequently have downloaded much more by both bands since. If that commercial had not had the song in it, I would not have become a fan of two wonderful groups of artists. I'm sold. Both bands are great, and I'm happy that I now know about them.

Hmm...Effem Foods doing a good deed without involving high fructose corn syrup? :wink: Glad you "discovered" two of the greats out of the emerging Mancunian scene, zashiki. You should also check out the film "24 Hour Party People" (and the book too) which is about the emergence of the whole musical uprising in Manchester, which started with the early days of Joy Division all the way through to Happy Mondays. Enjoy your newfound musical freedom, and I'm glad to hear that you didn't go out and buy the candy bar... Cool

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As a HUGE fan of NewOrder and JD, I don't have a problem with it. In fact I'm not convinced that the song is about anything specific such as Ian's death. I seem to remember Barny saying he just made up some bullshit lyrics that fit and that the song grew from the fact that they had a new drum machine.

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Is nothing sacred?

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