# Lincoln/Mercury should fire their ad agency. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 18, 2004, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-mercury-should-fire-their-ad-agency/235021 "2004-03-18T13:41:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-mercury-should-fire-their-ad-agency/235021/1 "2004-03-18T13:41:32Z")
Really, Peter Gabriel’s “Big Time” in an SUV ad? I’m not a rabid SUV hater, but you don’t need to be one to see that a song parodying conspicuous consumption wouldn’t be the best choice to push Lincoln Navigators and Aviators. Especially with these lyrics: _“my belly is getting bigger big time and my bank account big time look at my circumstance big time and the bulge in my big big big big big big big”_ Safe to say, they left that part out. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2004, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-mercury-should-fire-their-ad-agency/235021/2 "2004-03-19T03:17:18Z")
Maybe my thread titles just suck. ---
**Author:** ![threeorange](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@threeorange](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threeorange)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2004, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-mercury-should-fire-their-ad-agency/235021/3 "2004-03-19T15:57:56Z")
The ad agency (whoever they are) is probably aware of how irony-challenged the general public is; most people think that **Born In the USA** by **Bruce Springsteen** is a chest-thumping jingoistic anthem and that **The Future’s So Bright (I Gotta Wear Shades)** by **Timbuk 3** is an optimistic song about a lucrative future. I suppose soon we’ll be hearing **Radio, Radio** by **Elvis Costello** in ads for car stereos. To paraphrase **Nirvana** _We are the ones We like all their pretty songs and we like to sing along… …but we know not what it means_ ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2004, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-mercury-should-fire-their-ad-agency/235021/4 "2004-03-19T18:20:39Z")
I think half the time they do it on purpose just to get those who notice to remember the commercial - didn’t Mercedes actually end up using Janis Joplin’s song once? I still say the big winner so far is Target, for their use of Devo’s _Beautiful World_. ---
**Author:** ![Ghanima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Ghanima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ghanima)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2004, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-mercury-should-fire-their-ad-agency/235021/5 "2004-03-19T18:45:56Z")
The HP digital camera commercial with The Cure playing Pictures of You always cracks me up, because the song is about how all he has left is pictures because they broke up, etc. It’s actually quite a sad song but HP seem oblivious. All they care about is the words “pictures of you.” Probably the same ad agency… LOL! ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2004, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-mercury-should-fire-their-ad-agency/235021/6 "2004-03-20T02:19:52Z")
> [@Mr. Moto](#): > > Really, Peter Gabriel’s “Big Time” in an SUV ad? Think Vauxhall in the UK used Sledgehammer (That was one of his song titles wasn’t it?) in the 80’s for an ad demonstrating the crash worthiness of their mid sized saloon car. Were they being unintentionally ironic with that choice? ---
**Author:** ![owlofcreamcheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@owlofcreamcheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlofcreamcheese)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2004, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-mercury-should-fire-their-ad-agency/235021/7 "2004-03-20T07:18:20Z")
of course the ad people always realize this, but they know that people that don’t know won’t care… and people that do know will go on for weeks about how funny that is. I mean I think I have mentioned how funny I think the ads with the flameing lips “do you realize” song is. every ad uses it as a normal “life is wonderful” sort of song, and it is at its heart, but the “do you realize” is “do you realize everyone you know will someday die” ---
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2004, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-mercury-should-fire-their-ad-agency/235021/8 "2004-03-20T07:23:52Z")
I still think the worst song choice for a commercial ever was when McDonald’s used “New Slang” by The Shins. You can’t go wrong with lyrics like: > [@](#): > > New slang when you notice the stripes, the dirt in your fries. and > [@](#): > > God speed all the bakers at dawn may they all cut their thumbs, > And bleed into their buns 'till they melt away. Not to mention that the entire song itself is pretty darn depressing. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2004, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-mercury-should-fire-their-ad-agency/235021/9 "2004-03-20T07:39:32Z")
\*Dirt in my fries! Blood in my buns! Dirt in my fries! Blood in my buns! It still ain’t enough without spunk in my cheese – Give me snot in my shake else I’m goin’ to Wendy’s.\* ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2004, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-mercury-should-fire-their-ad-agency/235021/10 "2004-03-20T11:54:17Z")
Believe me, by the time the commercial is ready to be aired, everyone involved with it has heard the song half a million times. We know what the songs mean. ---
**Author:** ![International\_Playboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/48db29/32.png) [@International\_Playboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/International_Playboy)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2004, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-mercury-should-fire-their-ad-agency/235021/11 "2004-03-27T19:26:38Z")
Just saw the commercial that has been bugging me since I first read this post. I couldn’t recall exactly what it was. Universal Orlando Resort has an ad using Cheap Trick’s “Surrender.” I think it’s kind of funny that they use a song about a kid’s parents being on drugs to sell a vacation spot. "Whatever happened to all this season’s Losers of the year Every time I got to thinking Where’d they disappear Then I woke up, Mom and Dad Are rolling on the couch Rolling numbers, rock and rolling Got my Kiss records out Mommy’s allright, Daddy’s allright They just seem a little weird Surrender, surrender But don’t give yourself away" In the commercial they just use the “surrender, surrender But don’t give yourself away” part.