Trans-automotive Freedom and the Trance-Ecstatic Lifestyle
An Essay By: Matthew T. Lotti

How do you sell the idea of "cool" today to the 18-35 demographic? It's a tough market, you realize, as this group tends to be finicky when it comes to its own self-image: clothing matters, hair matters, complexion matters, taste in entertainment matters, EVERYTHING matters. So when Mitsubishi, Volkswagen, Nissan and these other car companies are hawking their wares and creating an 'aura' of cool, what better to utilize than popular music? Volkswagen's use of the Trio song "Da Da Da" to accompany a Jarmuschian commercial involving two young men driving around aimlessly struck a chord with go-nowhere, do-nothing youth. Nick Drake, the tragic young man who suffered from depression but wrote some gloriously haunted lullabies, had his "Pink Moon" 'stolen.' Dance music seems to be gaining even more popularity among advertisers because it is essentially repetition-oriented: the same sound (the 'hook') gets repeated over and over again, lodging itself in your memory. Rob D's "Clubbed to Death," used in a recent car commercial, was also used in "The Matrix," thereby creating associations with the successful film (the movie's "coolness" is equated with the car's "coolness"). Master Cylinder's "Jung at Heart" was used for a memorable Volkswagen ad in which the visuals were totally in sync with the beats of the song, while Télépopmusik's hypnotic "Breathe" was used by Mitsubishi for their sleek ad straight off the Vegas Strip (or a simulacra of the Strip) about a man envisioning the different people (friends, girlfriends, wife and kids) that will ride in his car (the man is in his late twenties). Cynically, though, that's what consumers are seen as: empty vessels waiting to be imprinted on, waiting to be told what the 'other people like' (so, naturally, it's acceptable for 'you' to like it too). As a friend of mine in Marketing once told me, "Computer science majors program computers; we program people."

Commercial Songs

Volkswagon Beetle
Orb - Little Fluffy Clouds

Back during VW's big re-launch of the beetle, they played some trippy commercials featuring the car. This particular commercial featured VW Bugs in different colors spinning in circles repeatedly around the screen.

Volkswagon
Trio - Da Da Da

This particular commercial depicts two young men driving along in a small Volkswagon automobile. Suddenly they spot a cool looking Lazy-Boy type chair on the side of the road. They stop, look at the chair, and look at one another. Cut to: both guys riding along in the car with the chair in the back seat smiling. One sniffs, then the other sniffs. What could that foul odor be? They look back at the chair, then at one another, and then stop the car. Cut to: both gentlemen riding along once again--this time without the chair. Ha ... ha ... ha. How witty. The song playing in the background is equally cerebral. It's Da Da Da (Yeah Yeah Yeah) by Trio. It's German, repetitive, annoying, but somehow catchy (a la 99 Red Balloons).

Volkswagon Golf
Nick Drake - Pink Moon

Another Volkswagon commercial. This one is a little more bearable. In fact, I'd actually like this commercial, if they weren't abusing the music of one of the greatest contemporary folk baladeers. Here's the chase in a nutshell: kids riding along in a Volkswagon at night, enjoying the sweet soothing tones of Mr. Drake. They all seem to be enjoying their magical ride in this magical car which seems to be producing this magical sound (note: not Nick Drake, it's the Volkswagon!). Then, they arrive at their destination: a noisy, uproarious party. They look at one another, climb back into the santuary of their wonderful car and ride away--again to the soothing sounds of Nick. I like the concept, but ... for lack of a better phrase: What the fuck?

Volkswagon
Master Cylinder - Jung At Heart

Another goddamned Volkswagon commercial. By the way, did you know that Volkswagon was the offical car of the Nazi party while Hitler was in power? That's what I'm told. And, the word "Volkswagon" means "The People's Car". Sounds evil and red, doesn't it? Well, these commmie bastards put together a smashing commercial this time. Aided by Master Cylinder, his trippy song Jung At Heart (pronounced "young at heart"), and focused on a simple, yet intriguing concept, this commercial amuses endlessly. Here's how it goes: A couple are riding along in their car (yes, it's a fucking Volkswagon) in heavy rain. Suddenly a song comes on the radio. The song is Jung At Heart. When it plays, everything around them appears in synch to the rythym; the windshield wipers, the traffic light, people walking, people shaking their umbrellas. Everything. The couple look at one another in amazement and the guy says something like, "Weird." Indeed. What's film making of this caliber doing in a commercial? Those krauts don't deserve this gem. (For the record: I'm German, so I feel it is my perogative, nay, my obligation to insult krauts. On with the show.)

Eclipse Flash Strips
Res - Let Love

This commercial gives me jungle fever. Sitting in car at a traffic light is a black woman looking fine as Mississippi wine, and smiling like a sexy vamp in the rearview. In it she sees herself at the side of the road singing with a band to a sweet African-flavored beat (which starts playing immediately). What is that sweet beat? It's Let Love by Res (pronounced "Reese"), a Philly-born group. And the African Queen is none other than: Kim Kobeck--their front woman. Another Eclipse Flash Strips commercial gives me the fever as well, because it features the actress Thora Birch. Two words: Bomb. Shell.

Mitsubishi Eclipse
Dirty Vegas - Days Go By

Mitsubishi Outlander
Telepopmusik - Breathe

<< /home