This post has nothing to do with Bill O’Reilly or GolfWeek magazine. No, today we’re talking about the wonderful world of advertising. I tend to think of myself a discerning consumer, not easily swayed by Madison Avenue’s efforts. In fact, like most people, I tend to change the channel, leave the room or tune out completely when faced with TV advertising. But the first time that I saw this ad for Gucci’s new fragrance, I was enthralled. The first thing that snapped my attention away from whatever I was doing rather than watching commercials was their use of Blondie’s “Heart of Glass”. Advertisers are getting smarter with their music choices these days – using slick pop songs to catch the potential consumer’s attention – and this is a perfect example. Once Gucci got my attention, they kept it with a beautifully visual ad. It features rich golds and earth tones and models dancing in seductively in slow motion, one of whom looks remarkably like Chan Marshall. Yep, you’ve got the Cat Power fans. The money shot is a dreamy sequence featuring the models ecstatically sensing a subtly visible stimulant (presumably the fragrance) with a fade to the brand name. Gucci by Gucci….

When I started looking about for more information about the ad I found that it had been directed by David Lynch. With films like “Dune”, “Blue Velvet”, “Wild at Heart” and the unfortunately short-lived TV series “Twin Peaks” Lynch. His films featured driving and ultraviolent story-lines, sharp dialogue and were both visually and sonically stunning. Lynch was the king of alternative film in the 80’s and into the early 90’s. But then came “Lost Highway” and “Mullholland Drive” – two films that were still visually stunning, but were just cryptically dull. Lynch seemed to be losing his narrative touch and officially became a director non grata for me when he did “The Straight Story” for Disney, which features nearly two hours of an old man riding a lawn tractor. I shit you not. I have kind of lost track of his career since then and don’t know if it has gotten so bad for Lynch that the only work he can find is in commercials. I suspect, however, that it is some kind of badge of honor to do a high fashion ad – like Baz Luhrmann and Nicole Kidman’s Chanel ad last year.

The good news for Gucci is that this ad worked. When I was thinking about gifts for Dr. O’C’s first Mother’s Day this damned ad was lodged firmly in my head. Just like the little media-powered robot that advertising agents would like me to be I toddled down to Boots large drugstore chain and bought the new Gucci fragrance. Even as I was paying for the perfume I found myself flummoxed by my submission to the corporate will.

Things end well if you believe that we’re often unwilling victims to corporate manipulation. The bad news for Gucci is that Dr. O’C was apparently not as enchanted as I by their ad. I need to put this gently, because she has so many truly lovable qualities (and reads this blog regularly). Let’s say that she can, on occasion, be a difficult person for whom to buy gifts (and one who’s going to be peeved to have this part of her personality revealed on the interwebs). Sorry, fashion giant, but you get an A for effort.

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“The Best of Blondie” is available from Blondie - The Best of Blondie and Amazon. Gucci’s damn fragrance is available at fine retailers everywhere.

Here’s the ad via YouTube:

 
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