Billy Corgan Gets Bumped From The Super Bowl To The Pre-Game Show
Well, the ad with the new Smashing Pumpkins song “FOL” did, anyway. Last night the Pumpkins fan blog Hipsters United broke the news that “FOL” would be in an ad for the Hyundai Genesis airing during the big game, part of a campaign that will also use serial finger-syncer Yo-Yo Ma. But tough economic times and the recent woes besetting car companies resulted in the spot getting moved to the pregame show. Here’s hoping Billy will take some solace in the fact that said programming block will also include an interview with our still-sorta-brand-new President!
For instance, Hyundai Motor America decided months ago to buy two 30-second commercials in the game, both for the 2010 Hyundai Genesis coupe. But as the financial crisis unfolded, the company began to reconsider that, to perhaps add a spot that would directly address the economy. Such a spot would promote an insurance policy called Hyundai Assurance, which offers car buyers the chance to undo their deals if they lose their jobs.
The idea was “to take advantage of the fact Hyundai has some unusual positioning in the market right now” for reasons that include the insurance policy as well as the lower prices of its cars, said Jeff Goodby, co-chairman of the Hyundai agency, Goodby, Silverstein & Partners in San Francisco, part of the Omnicom Group.
“These guys do have something to say,” he added. “It’s a question of whether you have the money or not.”
On Tuesday afternoon, Hyundai announced that it had indeed rethought its lineup. There will be one spot in the game for Hyundai Assurance, and one saluting the 2009 Genesis sedan for winning a “car of the year” award.
One spot for the Genesis coupe, with the rock musician Billy Corgan, is being moved to the pregame show, where Hyundai will also run a second spot for Hyundai Assurance along with a second spot for the Genesis sedan. Those three commercials will earn Hyundai a title sponsorship of that program.
As if to rub salt in the wounds, Portfolio blogger Jeff Bercovici reached back into the archives to recall the days when Corgan was way too good to sell his songs to companies—although, y’know, maybe the whole idea that he wrote a brand-new song for this campaign makes the whole idea of “honesty, artistic integrity and alternative non-mainstream culture” that he was railing about a mere 10 months ago a bit moot. Or maybe it doesn’t! I just hope he got paid up front.
Smashing Pumpkins Super Bowl Ad! [Hipsters United] Billy Corgan Now OK With “Crass Commercialism” [Mixed Media] Advertisers Change Game Plans for Super Bowl [NYT]
