How much $ did Zep get to whore it out to Cadillac?

[BMXTRIX]

There's no need to personally attack me over my dismay at seeing a favorite band sell their souls to Cadillac. I'm not trying to degrade the band, just their choice to whore it out. I'm not being personal nor trying to apply dime store pop psychology to them over their decision.

Rob, honestly man, the hypocrisy of this statement simply astounds me.

Zeppelin IS the Cadillac generation, if they are your favorite band and you were raised with them - then YOU are Cadillacs intended audience. Welcome.

 

[Shadow_Ferret]

OK. Explain that one. I'm of Zep age and I have absolutely no interest in Cadillacs. And in fact, because they are using a Zep song to schlep their product, I'm determined completely overlook them when it comes time to look at new cars.

Cadillacs might have a specific demographic they go after, but I doubt that age is the primary focus, or being a fan of Zep.

So I'm not quite sure what you're driving at.

 

[Leprkon]

What exactly is the problem here ? Hard cold fact is that, of all bands U2 and Led Zeppelin are ONLY in it for the money. U2 in particular has done nothing but sell their souls, using every trick in the book to take money from the US who they hate so badly (like their own country has no political problems, psycho bomb-throwers, or poverty). Led Zeppelin, on the other hand, if they had such high moral ethics, never would have gotten back together since they all supposedly hate each other so bad.

Music, hate, and politics never really mean a damn in the face of a gazillion dollars, whether they be from Sony or Cadillac or Viagara, for that matter.

Seen a golf or tennis player lately ? They look like walking billboards. Sometime when you are really, really bored, look at the Pro Bowler's tour. Those guys don't wear shirts, they wear a bunch of advertisements all stitched together.

Those bands owe you NOTHING. And they KNOW they owe you nothing. They are in it for themselves. Deal with it.

 

[Rob Babcock]

I'm gonna have to mail a lot of Valium to you guys. Not everyone in the world shares your views. Deal with that.

 

[Shadow_Ferret]

Heh. This is probably a generational thing and what gets the generation that grew up in the 60s and 70s (overcommercialization of music, selling out values for a buck) don't seem to be at all important to this generation. And in fact, seems to be encouraged and accepted as the way things should be.

 

[BMXTRIX]

OK. Explain that one. I'm of Zep age and I have absolutely no interest in Cadillacs. And in fact, because they are using a Zep song to schlep their product, I'm determined completely overlook them when it comes time to look at new cars.

Cadillacs might have a specific demographic they go after, but I doubt that age is the primary focus, or being a fan of Zep.

So I'm not quite sure what you're driving at.

Age is definitely a primary focus. As with Harley Davidson and other higher end car companies. Caddys are marketed towards middle aged white males primarily, and have been working hard in recent years to reach out to boomers with new car designs and new advertising techniques.

You don't have to like them to be the primary person that their advertising is aimed at. Likewise, you don't have to like Zep to like Cadillac. The point was that everyone who was a teenager when Zep first came round are now pushing their mid 40s and maybe a few 50+ year olds. While growing old sucks, it doesn't change that if you fall into that age range, you are definitely being targeted by Caddy, whether you want their car or not. You don't want it, great, you do, great, your liking or disliking of Zep should have little to do with your choice, but that's what advertising is about. Influencing your choice with completely unrelated merchandising.

IE: Smoke because it is cool, drink because you will get hot girls, buy this car because you will relive your youth with the bands you were raised on.

 

[Duffinator]

Heh. This is probably a generational thing and what gets the generation that grew up in the 60s and 70s (overcommercialization of music, selling out values for a buck) don't seem to be at all important to this generation. And in fact, seems to be encouraged and accepted as the way things should be.

I don't know if I'd even go that far. I went to high school in the 70's and this "selling out" doesn't bother me. Led Zeppelin and U2 are two of my all-time favorite bands. I like their music, always have, always will. And as long as U2 continues to make music I enjoy I'll continue to buy their CD's. To me it's all about the music and what I enjoy regardless of how much money the artist are making.

 

[BMXTRIX]

I don't know if I'd even go that far. I went to high school in the 70's and this "selling out" doesn't bother me. Led Zeppelin and U2 are two of my all-time favorite bands. I like their music, always have, always will. And as long as U2 continues to make music I enjoy I'll continue to buy their CD's. To me it's all about the music and what I enjoy regardless of how much money the artist are making.

Wish everyone felt the way you do. I agree, good music is good music, why complicate things beyond that? I like some bands that others hate because they feel they 'sold out'. What does that have to do with their music? The songs are the songs and either you like them or you don't.

 

[MDS]

Age is definitely a primary focus. As with Harley Davidson and other higher end car companies. Caddys are marketed towards middle aged white males primarily, and have been working hard in recent years to reach out to boomers with new car designs and new advertising techniques.

I think that is exactly right. Those who are in their late 30s (me) or 40ish are now longing for a piece of their past. That age group is now all grown up and in their prime earning years. What better way (from an advertising perspective) to appeal to those buyers than to associate your product with music that age group knows well and remembers fondly?

Ever notice that there is now a very large number of 'Hits of the 70s and 80s' type discs? They sell like wildfire because the people that grew up with that music are looking for it. Associate that music with a product and many of those same people might be persuaded to at least look at the product.

 

[BMXTRIX]

Heck, there might be people willing to start entire threads on the Internet that may eventually get some people to look at the ad to see what is really so bad about it the next time it is on TV. Or look up some comments about the ad that inevitably show up other places on the web:
http://slate.msn.com/id/2064338/
http://wardsauto.com/ar/auto_cadillac_led_zeppelin/
http://www.songfacts.com/detail.lasso?id=330

I think that last link is really nifty as it indicates that Caddy sales rose 16% the year after using Zep to help promote their cars. Just fantastic.

This most definitely isn't the first, nor the last post on the subject for sure though and many amusing topics have been brought up on it.
IE: http://www.notbored.org/led-zep.html

Enjoy.

 

[Leprkon]

Not everyone in the world shares your views.

just the guys who own the copyrights and the Cadillac marketing department...

 

[zipper]

1st off, I disagree with the Notbored guy.................I think Zeppelin peaked with "Physical Graffiti", not with their 1st album.

It seems that Caddy is trying to change the image of their cars from being "boats" to "sport luxury sedans". Using "Rock & Roll" isn't a bad choice. Are they aiming at me? I don't know. They can try, but I got fed up with GM vehicles long ago, so I don't care what genre they pull a song from, I won't be a customer.

 

[Duffinator]

1st off, I disagree with the Notbored guy.................I think Zeppelin peaked with "Physical Graffiti", not with their 1st album.

I think everything through Physical Graffiti was great although their first album is my favorite. Nothing like listening to Communication Breakdown at about 100 db And how about the Led Zeppelin DVD from a couple of years ago. I like the concert footage where Jimmy was wearing that preppy looking plaid vest. See, he was preparing to sell Caddy's back then.

 

[rschleicher]

I basically agree with Duffinator about everything through PG being great albums, but my own pesonal "ranking" is as follows:

1. LZ II - probably captures the essence of Led Zep the best - and defined heavy metal.
2. first album - Plant's voice is a little raw, but wasn't he only about 18 or 19 at the time?
3. LZ III - most people wouldn't agree with this, but I really like the third album, and think it's maybe the most underrated - best moments are "Celebration Day" and "Out On The Tiles"
4. Physical Graffiti
5. 4th album
6. somewhat distant 6th place to Houses of the Holy

I like the use of "Rock and Roll" by Cadillac. The lyrics are entirely appropriate for a car company that is trying hard (and succeeding in a lot of ways) to be cool again for younger buyers. Cadillacs WERE cool in the 50's when Elvis was buying a lot of them. "It's been a long time since rock and roll...", and its been a long time since Caddy-lover Elvis was the King of rock and roll.

 

[rschleicher]

I don't have a problem with bands selling song rights for use in ads, although I do get annoyed a bit if they do that while at the same time acting like they're not interested in the money. A lot of British bands, in particular, have always seemed to be up front about unabashedly chasing maximum fame and fortune, and successfully blending art and commerce (e.g. Beatles, Stones, Zeppelin).

Plus, it's not always obvious who owns the rights to the song itelf, and/or to the specific recording/performance of the song.

Some of the more surprising uses of songs in advertising are the cruise company that uses Iggy Pop's "Lust for Life", and whatever product it is that used the Ramones' "Blitzkrieg Bop". I liked both ads a lot, as well as the car company ad that was using some old T-Rex song. That said, I'm getting a little weary of hearing (and/or seeing) Lenny Kravitz songs in ads!

 

[Shadow_Ferret]

I've been thinking about this, about selling out, about artistic integrity, and about the counterculture, which I believe is where this whole concept of selling out came from. I'm reminded of a line from a Glenn Fry song (or was it that other guy from the Eagles?) "Saw a Dead Head sticker on a Cadillac..." and I think that sums up the whole thing.

The counterculture icons were the Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Bob Dylan, Arlo Guthrey, and many others of that Woodstock era. Names like Timothy Leary, Alan Gingsberg, Jack Kerouac, Hunter S. Thompson, Jerry Rubin, Abbie Hoffman (co-founders of the Yippies)...

Led Zepplin was never really a part of that counterculture movement. In fact, I'd say that they, along with Black Sabbath were part of the anti-counterculture. While everyone else was singing about peace and love, these two started out with something so heavy and raw it caught the world offguard and started a whole new genre of music.

I understand what selling out means, and though I don't like seeing songs I grew up with that spoke to my teenage angst trivialized by making them into ad jingles, I also realize that Led Zepplin probably wasn't part of that whole counterculture crowd.

 

[BMXTRIX]

And even if they were part of that crowd, in their own way, THRITY years ago, they aren't that age anymore. I mean, I remember going on tour on my bike and loving it and having fun, but now I really do love my 9-5 job. I like being home nights and weekends and having benefits... I don't remember many teenagers telling me how excited they were about the 9-5 career job. Everyone said "You won't catch me doing that." A dozen + years later and almost every single one of them not only works 9-5, but wouldn't ever go back to what they had before.

 

[Shadow_Ferret]

I would, in a heartbeat. I hate being part of the 9-5 rat race.

 

[MDS]

I'm reminded of a line from a Glenn Fry song (or was it that other guy from the Eagles?) "Saw a Dead Head sticker on a Cadillac..." and I think that sums up the whole thing.

FYI. Don Henley - Boys of Summer.

 

[Mudcat]

A dozen + years later and almost every single one of them not only works 9-5, but wouldn't ever go back to what they had before.

I would be outta my office before I finish farting. I would spend all day making things, tinkering around just to hear my wife yell "will you stop playing with yourself and get up here for dinner".