Easy one first:
There’s a TV commercial for a beer or hard cider or something – and there is a song playing in the background, the words of which are “Lazing on a sunny afternoon/In the summer time.” What is that and who did it?
Harder one:
Maybe a year ago there was an ad for a credit card. The card was blue, and was being pulled around by robotic arms. In the background was some classical music, I believe in three. What was that and who did it?
Easy one: I put “Lazing on a sunny afternoon/In the summer time” in Google. Apparently, the song is called Sunny Afternoon, and was originally performed by the Kinks, with Cathy Dennis later doing a cover of it.
Hard one: What credit card was it?
It was blue. CitiBank Blue, or MasterCard Blue, or something like that. Actually, only part of the card was blue. Mostly it was clear.
The credit card was American Express, but I can’t help with the music. The ad was promoting their then-new “Blue” card, which can act like a regular credit card (instead of requiring you to pay off the balance each month).
That ad annoyed the hell out of me, actually, because it showed the card as being mostly see-through (kind of frosted) with a blue center when in fact it is regular white plastic with a blue center. When I thought it was see-through I considered getting one, just for its looks. Maybe it’s just as well that I found out the truth (by seeing one in real life), but I have never seen an ad for that card that doesn’t imply a degree of see-through-ness (oh my, is that a word?) in its appearance – even the card’s website! Bad American Express. :mad:
Hmm, I just did a search on the AmEx site to see if I could find info on the music used in old commercials: one of the search results is a bunch of testimonials from people who have Blue, and many of them mention the awesome appearance of the card. So maybe it really is at least partly clear? But I know that I saw a Blue that was plain white with a blue center… 
I’ve accepted the clear card many times from customers. Maybe your credit rating isn’t high enough, and they sent you the opaque card.
My credit rating is excellent: the opaque card I saw belonged to someone else. 
I already have a regular AmEx card, and have no need for their Blue card. Though now that I know it really is clear, I’m back to thinking I might have to get one just 'cause it looks so cool.
Yes, I might be willing to get further in debt for a cool-looking credit card…you gotta problem wit dat?
Incidentally the cider in questions is Magners Irish Cider, a very nice tipple.
Another one of their ads has “Time is on my side” by the stones.
For the credit card, is it this commercial? Can’t help you on the music, though (other than that it sounds like a waltz of some sort). Sorry.
The one I just pulled out of my wallet and looked at is see-through, with an approximately 1.25 inch blue square in the middle.
Ha! We get that here (Ireland) as Bulmers. Must be the same stuff as we get that ad as well. (Bunch of people frolicking and being 'appy in a garden set-up, right?)
But the reason I wanted to join in this thread is that it is definetely NOT the original Kinks version in the ad, though someone is doing their utmost to sound just like them. And fails. Either it’s about royalties or it is so they could edit out some of the more biting lyrics and have the more “happy happy” parts stuck together. It really gets my goat.
If you liked the song then find the original, which shouldn’t be hard as it would be on plenty cheap-o sixties compilation. Better still, treat yourself to a “Best of the Kinks”.
My girlfriend’s run off with my car
And gone back to her ma and pa
Telling tales of drunkenness and crueltry
or their Face to Face album on which it originally appeared.