Mercedes substitute badges for ability

Chris Burford cburford at gn.apc.org
Thu Aug 5 13:21:40 PDT 1999


At 10:13 04/08/99 -0400, you wrote:
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Carl Remick <cremick at rlmnet.com>
>>Oh Lord, won't you burn me a Mercedes Benz?
>>My friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends.
>>Worked hard all my lifetime, no help from my friends,
>>So Lord, won't you burn me a Mercedes Benz?
>
>
>Speaking of which, when Mercedes Benz got the rights to that song, it really
>took rock-n-roll commercial hell to a whole new level. It's bad enough to
>have formerly radical rock songs used in totally different settings to
>advertise commercial crap, but when the actual objects of satire and comment
>of the songs use the songs in a positive way in an advertisement, irony is
>truly dead.
<>
>--Nathan Newman

There is a lot of class irony in the advertisement though. It reflects on the theme of badges of ability, from which most working people are excluded. Unless you listen to the catchy, apparently inclusive message and have a mere 20,000 to spend. 'Burn' is sung as 'buy' in the ad as shown in England anyway.

The market aim of the advertisement is very clever. Many inclusive images making a joke of envy. Individuals from all backgrounds, ages, ethnicity, coming together and joining in an affirmative chorus of greed. Despite probably equal number of images of women and of men last image is of a little boy with a vehicle, with a strange peace symbol on it. Naughty chuckle in the background. Good individual and collective singing, and spliced together well.

All images of strata marginal to the current perceived market for Mercedes.

Prediction: mass sales among the rising "middle class" of the world, who now realise Mercedes Benz can be one of their own toys too. More among men than women, but among men who might otherwise hesitate to appear too macho in public.Price plugged at an attainable level.

You need a badge but not a badge of ability. You can just be greedy and compete cheerfully with your friends. If they want to eat their heart out, you can still play with your car on your own. And make amends on them.

Chris Burford



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