Volkswagen has a new ad out, you know the one with the dude who makes a good drumstick toss and catch air drumming to an old Rush tune in his new black VW Passat? Well, once again, the song is the star, not the dude, and not the car. This time, the song is Fly By Night, a slightly undervalued song from the album by the same name. Rush released Fly By Night in 1975 and it helped launch their career that is still going strong today. Have you heard their latest album Clockwork Angels? You should, because it is good, it really is and might be as good as their classic album 2112 and that’s saying a lot. Why these guys are not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is beyond me.
I said Volkswagen has an ad out and once again the song is the star. Do you remember the other song that stared several years back? You should if you don’t. Pink Moon by Nick Drake. The title track from his third album released in 1973, Pink Moon is dark and pensive as are the rest of the bleak but gorgeous songs on the LP. It would be his last recording before he died of an overdose. If you don’t know his music, check him out. You’ll be glad you did.
Filed under: media analysis, Music | Tagged: air drums, Clockwork Angels, Fly By Night, Music, Nick Drake, Pink Moon, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Rush, tv ads, VW ad |
Ribbie's Weblog 
The only thing I don’t get is why this brilliant marketing strategy would be wasted on a $20,000 car. A very significant percentage of Rush’s fan base are successful businessmen that can easily afford $80,000 + cars. Go figure!
Good point! And it may have been a better marketing strategy for Rush than for VW.