I’m a little annoyed at the Visa commercials where one person pays with cash or check and thereby totally destroys the production line eatery or other commerce. But I found it very funny on this latest one. It’s the garden supply store and everyone is happily buying their flowers to the happy music. Until one person decides to be different. Then everything sucks until conformity is restored. What’s so funny to me is the music they used. It’s the opening music from the movie Brazil. A movie so anti-conformity in nature and intent that I find it hard to believe that the producer of the commercial isn’t having a little fun at his clients expense. Poking a little fun at the very message of the commercial, so to speak.
Anyone know of any other commercials that “accidently” undercut their own message?
I like Robin Curtis. I met her at a convention once and have a photograph of the two of us with me doing the “fingers behind the head” bit to her, with a Vulcan salute.
But Robin Curtis once made an American Express commercial which included a scene of her going to an antique store just as the proprietor was closing up. She flashed her AmEx card at him through the window and he eagerly reopened. This has left me ever since with a deep distrust of AmEx and at times makes me question my otherwise devout love of capitalism.
Maybe it was used in Brazil, but it’s actually Raymond Scott’s ubiquitous “Powerhouse,” which has been gracing films and cartoons since the 1940s. Indeed, the use of the song goes a long way to cover up any objections.
Yeah. Terry Gilliam said a lot of the inspiration for his movie came from the mood that song conjured up for him. But for a lot of us, that song is linked forever with that movie. In fact, I’l go as far to say that the movie is the dominant popular link for most people who recognize the song.
Actually, there are two different commercials. I think the one that shows a diner uses “Powerhouse” (which is almost always the answer) and the one showing a garden center uses “Brazil”.
I’ve noticed Brazil being used quite a bit lately in different commercials!
No, most people have heard it many more times in WB cartoons. It was used in over 40 of them.
In addition, I can’t see any indication it was used in Brazil; the Raymond Scott website, the IMDB, and the soundtrack have no mention of it. The only indication that is is from the movie are people who have misidentified it as “Brazil.” There is a song call “Power Station,” but it doesn’t seem to be credited to Scott.
Edited. I haven’t seen the Flower Shop one, but the OP talks about the lunch line.
We’ve got the Powerhouse/Brazil confusion cleared up. It’s also worth noting that the movie Brazil takes after the song, and not the other way around. The song was originally written by Ary Barroso in 1939 (English lyrics by Bob Russell). I believe the version used in the commercial is from Geoff and Maria Muldaur’s album Pottery Pie, released in 1987, and included on the much delayed movie soundtrack.
What annoys me most about the commercial is that it is not true. It is still a bit faster to pay with cash than a debit card. “Enter your PIN” “Oops sorry enter it again” “Press OK if the amount is right” “You want cash back?”
Of course anyone paying with a check should be beaten.
That was Wrangler. The first time I saw that commercial I got to thinking “Someone in that ad company is gonna lose their job once the older folks see this…”
The use of Devo’s “Beautiful World” in a Target commercial tops the list for me.
An upbeat song about people enjoying their life but oblivious to the problems of the world around them. A good fit for Target, I suppose, since they seem to have a much better image than WalMart even though they’re only slightly less evil when it comes to exploiting the Third World.
Side note-
The song at the beginning of Brazil is actually titled “The Office” on the soundtrack. It’s the one which has a typewriter used for the underlying beat, and a Bolero-like crescendo with a repeating horn line from the song “Brazil”. (This was used in a recent trailer for a movie - anyone recall which one it was?)
“Power Station” is bit of the score. I think it’s from the scene where Jill is picking up or delivering the package.
When Carnival Cruise lines used “Lust for Life,” I thought it was one of those hilarious accidents. But lately, they’ve used Ain’t we got fun?, which has convinced me that they’re just fucking with us.
Landlords mad and getting madder
Ain’t we got fun
Times are so bad and getting badder
Still we have fun
There’s nothing surer
The rich get rich and the poor get laid off
In the meantime
In between time
Ain’t we got fun.
to advertise luxury cruises that cost thousands of dollars per person. :rolleyes:
I’ve seen the song used in several patriotic commercials, which of course always makes me laugh since the lyrics always seem to cut off just before the line “Ooh, they point the cannon at you”.
A few years ago there was a commercial for a television that used a cover of The Beatles’ “It’s Getting Better”. The song, and the commercial, ended just before, “it can’t get much worse.” I always helped them out by singing that line.
I have to disagree. After so many years of watching Warner Bros. cartoons they’re the automatic link for me whenever I hear that music and I’d wager many more people than ever saw Brazil.
Personally, I hate those Visa commercials precisely because of the conformity aspect.
Where?