Lennon Citroën ad – original audio
Written by admin on March 6, 2010 – 11:06 pm -The appearance of John Lennon in a commercial for the Citroën DS-3 car has caused some predictable controversy, with some offended by Lennon being used to endorse a product from beyond the grave.
 |
The Citroën DS-3 is being promoted with the slogan “Anti Retro.” In keeping with this, footage is shown of Lennon criticizing people’s nostalgia for the 1960s and 70s. He says “Once a thing’s been done it’s been done. Looking backwards for inspiration, copying the past – how is that rock ’n’ roll? Do something of your own. Start something new. Live your life now. Know what I mean?” |
The footage is from a June, 1968 interview for the BBC arts program ‘Release.’
What was Lennon really saying?
The footage is of course manipulated, with a fake voice over. For those who want to know what Lennon was really talking about before the footage was altered, I’ve tracked down the original, undoctored footage and put together a comparison video.
Although Lennon’s original words were far removed from the voice over on the Citroën commercial, it’s fair to say that the voice over does ring true as something Lennon might say. It’s a similar sentiment to these words from his 1980 interview with Playboy:
“If the Beatles or the Sixties had a message, it was to learn to swim. Period. And once you learn to swim, swim. The people who are hung up on the Beatles’ and the Sixties’ dream missed the whole point when the Beatles’ and the Sixties’ dream became the point. Carrying the Beatles’ or the Sixties’ dream around all your life is like carrying the Second World War and Glenn Miller around. That’s not to say you can’t enjoy Glenn Miller or the Beatles, but to live in that dream is the twilight zone. It’s not living now. It’s an illusion.”
Fans call for Citroën boycott
Some John Lennon fans are now calling for a boycott on Citroën cars and there is a war of words on Twitter between fans and John’s son Sean, who has defended Yoko’s decision to allow the footage to be used. He notes that the move was not about making money, but about helping to maintain Lennon’s public presence. Given the huge exposure The Beatles have received in the last year with the album remasters and the Rock Band game, I think that explanation is a little flimsy.
Whether Yoko’s motive was financial or to raise Lennon’s profile, I think this is all much ado about nothing. Sometimes fans can get a little precious about Lennon and to me the ad is fairly innocuous. That said, I wouldn’t advocate excessive or tacky use of his image of the kind the Elvis Estate can sometimes be guilty of.
Do you approve of the use of Lennon’s image for such overtly commercial purposes? Let us know. Please note, comments are moderated so there is a short delay before they appear.
Tags: John Lennon, John Lennon Citroen commercial
Posted in The Beatles |
6 Comments to “Lennon Citroën ad – original audio”
March 7th, 2010 at 9:33 am
yeah wow, I haven’t seen that commercial. But it was BADLY done. You could tell it was a voice over. I wouldn’t be so against it if they had taken more time to make it (not just seemingly throw it together.) However, its kinda wrong to make it look like he said that, when he never did. Even if it sounds like something he’d say.
Although i agree with the article, it indeed sounds like something John would say.
March 7th, 2010 at 6:26 pm
Yoko, the external whore. She can’t help herself. Like her son, zero talent, her ugly mug always in the spotlight. Boy, did Chapman fuck up.
March 7th, 2010 at 9:05 pm
Wrong for three reasons: 1) it is a slippery slope to start to use his image in adverts, 2) it’s not a real quote and 3) there is no need to do anything to keep John in the universal consciousness–he’s there big-time.
March 8th, 2010 at 2:14 pm
I do believe John’s profile is fading as we all age….I also think the words have a wisdom that John would have agreed with. I believe that John would like to think he was continuing to benefit those he loved. So, given that the product involved is not amazingly controversial, I personally don’t have a problem with it. Daniel seems to have a problem with Yoko. I often find myself thinking how low-profile she has stayed since John’s passing, and admiring her for this. She could well have played the world stage for HUGE personal gain, but has displayed a dignity I really admire.
John belonged to no-one but John. We certainly cannot claim to own him, nor his image, nor his words. Yoko is probably the only one who can say where to draw the line on any use of his memory, for whatever purpose, and I am happy to let her do so.
March 8th, 2010 at 4:49 pm
I’m presuming it was ‘badly done’ on purpose. Citroen have already paid Yoko a lot of money for image rights, I don’t think they would then skimp on post production costs, especially where John Lennon is concerned. By making the advert obviously dubbed they’re not trying to fool anyone into thinking that’s an actual quote and risking a backlash much bigger than this. I agree with Sean, it does maintain public presence. Remastered and rereleased recordings as well as Rock Band are for fans, this gives exposure to those who would never go looking for Beatles music or (and this feels weird to say) the younger generation who do not know who John Lennon is.
April 30th, 2010 at 7:30 pm
The question is, do you think he’d have appeared in an advert for a citreon car if he’d been alive. Personally I wouldn’t have thought so…