Some Ads Just Don't Age Well. We Blame the Music

dhl_mchammer.jpg

We realize how old this DHL ad is, but we're going to review it anyway because it saddens us that over the past few years we have paid DHL's efforts no mind whatsoever, and now it does next to nothing ad-wise. (Unless you count this, but we sure don't.)

Point of fact: If every DHL delivery actually did come with a passel of ass-shaking Miami Dolphins cheerleaders, the First World may actually use the service. It could be like a sassy singing telegram.

Second point: Disclosure is important. But sometimes, it can be sad. (See comments section.)

One more: Any ad that tries making serious use of an MC Hammer track is just begging to be associated with 1990. And not too much happened there. (Unless you count Manuel Noriega's surrender and the first McD's to open in Moscow, but we sure don't.)

by Angela Natividad    Oct-28-07   Click to Comment   
Topic: Commercials, Sponsorship, Television   

Enjoy what you've read? Subscribe to Adrants Daily and receive the daily contents of this site each day along with free whitepapers.



Comments



Comments

I wonder if using MC Hammer music in an ad will ever cross the line from lame to kitsch?

It seems that if massive success ever comes to an artist overnight it dooms their catalog to the Trying-To-Hard bin, whereas kitsch factor is amped up by the artist never quite getting to the top (or taking a lot longer to get there - livin' the dream over many lonely decades definitely helps).

Posted by: Burst Labs on October 29, 2007 10:35 AM

ahem. "Whoomp! (There it is)" is actually by Tag Team, not MC Hammer (believe it or not, the group is also from Miami— either the creative team really knew what they were doing or this was just a happy coincidence...)

Posted by: Phen Wei Park on October 29, 2007 12:37 PM

No kidding this ad is old - it is from October 2004 - three years ago! Not that it makes the music any more relvant, but I thought you would be commenting on a somewhat more recent commercial.

Posted by: Live in the Now on October 29, 2007 2:34 PM