By Erin Free
Considering that many of today’s most acclaimed and well-loved filmmakers started in the world of advertising (from David Fincher through to Ridley Scott), and that large numbers of big name directors continue to drift back to the world of the TVC despite being able to do whatever they like on the big screen (Wes Anderson has taken money from H&M, Spike Jonze has touted for Kenzo, and Asif Kapadia likely has a whole new wardrobe courtesy of Burberry), it’s difficult to get snarky about human credibility-barometers, Joel and Ethan Coen, getting a cheque from Mercedes-Benz.
But what we can get snarky about is, well, how lame this ad from The Coen Brothers is. There’s literally no trace of their off-centre, pitch-black brand of wit in this clunky promo, which will screen during The Super Bowl on February 6. Somehow tying the unaffordable-to-most German luxury car into the mythos of Dennis Hopper’s game-changing 1969 rebel yell classic, Easy Rider, the ad even features a cameo from that film’s iconic star, Peter Fonda…who still looks pretty damn good, we might add. We hope, however, that The Man Who Was Wyatt got paid a lot of money (or at least a gas tank full of blow) for his cringe-inducing appearance in this inexplicable effort from two of modern cinema’s greatest auteurs.
Get your motors running if you dare, here’s a preview of the ad.
Hi Guys…
For the record the Coens like Errol Morris have been making ads thru their own Mike Zoss brand (check spelling) for over twenty years (and before that I believe.) They also have a post-production/production office rental/space business. In an age without contracts then, everyone who doesn’t/can’t and won’t wait to be tapped for a project/their project must have on offer several revenue streams…just to keep going. Of course the essence of Erin’s yarn here is about the relative merits of THIS ad…Cheers PG