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Did the Beatles mean ‘Hello, Goodbuy’?I know, I know. I should be over Beatles tunes being used in commercials. But if I were, I wouldn’t be posting right now about the use of “Hello Goodbye” in this new ad for Target. Actually, for the most part, it’s one of the more engaging uses of a famous pop song I’ve seen in an ad lately, except for this: They had to take the ultimate commercial step and repeatedly flash the word “Goodbuy” on the screen. How banal. —Posted by Catharine P. Taylor |
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January 17, 2007 | Permalink |
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» Beatles Actually Proponents of Savvy Spending According to Target from Adrants
In their usual mod, somewhat Stepford style, Target takes the Beatles' "Hello, Goodbye" and makes one critical improvement, which they flash intermittently throughout the ad. We'll grant it that John Lennon maybe had spelling issues but whether he mea... [Read More]
Tracked on Jan 17, 2007 1:07:31 PM
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"Say hello to a good buy" is an old hackeneyed ad cliche from the 50's I believe. I can't believe Target thought this was creative in any way. And the practice of using great songs to prop up weak ideas has got to stop.
Posted by: thumper | Jan 17, 2007 10:28:15 AM
I think it was a brilliant use of the song as they were able to display so many of the items they sell. What a great song, so what if they had to display the word, it worked.
Posted by: adsales | Jan 17, 2007 1:53:59 PM
Blame it on Michael Jackson - Sony/ATV Music Publishing. They own the rights.
Posted by: richles | Jan 17, 2007 2:39:03 PM
There's a fog upon L.A.
And my friends have lost their way.
"We'll be over soon," they said.
Now they've lost themselves instead.
Posted by: Russell Tutty | Jan 17, 2007 4:14:55 PM
A new low for Target. And here I thought they could not sink any lower in their advertising.
Posted by: Ted | Jan 17, 2007 4:46:23 PM
target and their agency think they're so cool that they can rape and pillage anything in the name of selling more cheap crap. A pox on their house.
Posted by: thumper | Jan 17, 2007 5:44:25 PM
its really sad, thats it. Its like, really, really sad.
Posted by: Brian J | Jan 17, 2007 7:12:19 PM
who cares how it's spelled! who did the arrangement and who performs the song! very cool sound.
Posted by: greg gillispie | Jan 17, 2007 8:53:19 PM
. . .and then there are the Buzzcocks providing the soudtrack for a recent AARP spot. . .file that under incongruous.
Posted by: mars | Jan 18, 2007 7:22:45 AM
It's pure fluff goading us along to the next creative epoch - sooner or later we will collectively say 'enough!' and something new will come from advertising and art. Meanwhile, this ad is not such a bad ditty. Pretty girls too. And the editing's nice, don't you think?
Someone once said 'we get the advertising we deserve', or was that government? Same difference. Better leave off here, I need to go get a few things from Target.
Posted by: Ian O'Neill | Jan 18, 2007 7:45:14 AM
does anybody now who the artist is who is singing this song?
Posted by: SLC | Jan 18, 2007 4:44:31 PM
Sophia Shorai sings the song
http://www.myspace.com/sshorai
Posted by: Joe B | Jan 18, 2007 9:26:25 PM
Also, I don't mind the 'goodbuy' text so much but I think it would have been better if they left the text out. People who got it would get it, and everyone else would think she's just singing "hello, goodbye"
Posted by: Joe B | Jan 18, 2007 9:42:46 PM
Im sure Lennon would turn over in his grave if he saw Beatles tunes used for subliminal wordplaying advertising for hmm lets see, vacuum cleaners, soccer balls, Clorox cleaning pens etc. Corporate America converting everyone to yuppies to come and buy crap. Nothing is sacred anymore, Tomorrow Never Knows. Buy and iPod and kill yourselves. Its like the equivalent of letting a 6 yr old girl advertising Victoria Secret or Hot Topic lingerie. Just offending.
Posted by: JL | Jan 18, 2007 9:52:34 PM
By the way the singer offers a very lame version of a very nice pop song. The postmodern trick of slowing everything down to make it more "moody" is wearing thin. All the hacks involved in this spot should be thrown off the roof of Abbey Road studios.
Posted by: thumper | Jan 19, 2007 4:27:18 PM
Target is brilliant. I find the people behind the idea for the commercial are very cleaver, appealing to boomers & the younger crowd. smart, smart, smart.
Posted by: andi | Jan 21, 2007 4:29:52 PM
Hello Goodbye was a McCartney song, not Lennon's, so I doubt he's rolling over in his grave - in fact it's been reported he didn't like this song. Paul McCartney has written some of the most artless pop crap of the last 40 years, and this song is no great achievement, ranking right up there with "Someone's Knocking on the Door." It certainly doesn't deserve commercial protection. The ad does what Target wants it to do - emits a cool vibe.
Posted by: jm | Jan 21, 2007 9:33:00 PM
I actually really enjoyed this commercial. When I was on the couch with my wife, we both stopped what we were doing and started staring at the TV screen. It may sound a little cheesy, but it's definitely appealing. The visuals and music work well together and actually highlight all of the products at Target.
Posted by: Buddy Cee | Jan 24, 2007 10:32:18 PM
I found the comercial very engaging. Couldn't wait for It to come back again and again.
Posted by: john hotz | Jan 25, 2007 8:46:09 PM
These "Red" Target ads are starting to look re-hashed. I feel like I've seen this before, just without the famous track. They need some new tricks. I "Expect More" from Target.
I've seen some new spots that look like paper pop-up books for electronics that look amazing. Anybody seen these yet?
Posted by: billy knows | Jan 27, 2007 10:55:12 AM
Found it: This is so great. Live action meets pop-up. I love the message, Simply What Matters.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNRRTZD9z98
Posted by: billy knows | Jan 27, 2007 10:59:31 AM
It's a great ad- no doubt. The cut from black and white to the fantastic smile on the LCD TV just grabs me. Ms. Shorai's voice is exactly right as are the cuts and colors. The baby bit is pandering but all in all one of there best ads- way, way above the equivalent from say Target, JC Penny, Sears and on and on.
Posted by: Me | Feb 10, 2007 11:36:58 PM
The Target ads are great ads from a marketing standpoint and presents a clean, trendy image - and obviously they have hit a home run on many accounts. Including getting the public to talk about the ad without being vulgar and tasteless. How hard is that to do these days?
Anyone who staggars from the ad as if they are injured in some way just needs to turn the TV off for a night. Using old songs for advertising is a growing trend and you'll be seeing more and more of it.
And why not? Would you rather the new generation of kids never know about the great music we grew up with?
Posted by: DanC | Jun 5, 2007 11:20:17 AM
The Target ads are great ads from a marketing standpoint and presents a clean, trendy image - and obviously they have hit a home run on many accounts. Including getting the public to talk about the ad without being vulgar and tasteless. How hard is that to do these days?
Anyone who staggars from the ad as if they are injured in some way just needs to turn the TV off for a night. Using old songs for advertising is a growing trend and you'll be seeing more and more of it.
And why not? Would you rather the new generation of kids never know about the great music we grew up with?
Posted by: DanC | Jun 5, 2007 11:20:21 AM
The Target ads are great ads from a marketing standpoint and presents a clean, trendy image - and obviously they have hit a home run on many accounts. Including getting the public to talk about the ad without being vulgar and tasteless. How hard is that to do these days?
Anyone who staggars from the ad as if they are injured in some way just needs to turn the TV off for a night. Using old songs for advertising is a growing trend and you'll be seeing more and more of it.
And why not? Would you rather the new generation of kids never know about the great music we grew up with?
Posted by: DanC | Jun 5, 2007 11:20:31 AM
I thought the ad was brilliant.
Visually stunning. Music choice was fantastic. I found myself singing in my mind. When I saw the "goodbuy"... I thought - "incredible... simple yet smart".
The ad delivered the impact it's authors had hoped for.
You remember it.
Posted by: Trinity | Jun 20, 2007 9:43:29 PM
a true work of genius - brilliant song, stylish, smart look, and the smiles - when that woman smiles at you - you just have to smile back - big!
Posted by: cava | Jun 21, 2007 5:10:16 AM
Why isn't the agency that produces these beautifully realized spots getting any credit? When I found out that this work was done by Peterson Milla Hooks,a small boutique in Minneapolis, rather than Wieden + Kennedy, I was surprised to say the least. This work is visually striking in every way. Purely hypnotic.
Posted by: Joe G. | Jul 30, 2007 11:34:17 PM
Dear Target its ad agency whores. Don't think you're fooling anyone by fake posters like andi & Joe G. No one with any taste or heart likes to hear great artists posthumously raped by you souless marketing scum. BOYCOTT TARGET FOREVER!!!!!!
Posted by: the rest of us | Aug 24, 2007 10:33:07 PM
It is sad that any Beatles is used in an ad. They all always opposed it. The rights to that song are not owned by any of them, but McCartney keeps trying to get them back. Target is only supporting Michael Jackson. Boycot them until they stop!!!!!!!!!! They are bastardizing the music of an iconic group!
Posted by: JK | Sep 10, 2007 1:56:55 AM
McCartney, Jackson, they're just artistic pawns in a game played by big corporations and blood sucking lawyers.
Posted by: twon | Sep 19, 2007 1:02:57 PM
I completely agree and cringe with HATE and disgust everytime I hear their horrid rendition of a song that should never be touched. A band that should never be touched for that matter, I really hope Michael Jackson rots in his consumer hell and that any right minded Beatles fan over at Target(although I am sure they all stop listening to music when the $$$$ starts rolling in) can't sleep at night. John Lennon would've been furious.
TO HELL WITH TARGET.
goodbuy.
Posted by: Anna | Oct 2, 2007 5:53:04 PM
Please sign my online petition to keep John Lennon's killer imprisoned for his full life term. He's due for another parole hearing.
Posted by: tim | Oct 8, 2007 3:07:22 PM
http://www.gopetition.com/online/13695.html
Posted by: tim | Oct 8, 2007 3:08:10 PM
Online Petition: Keep Mark David Chapman Imprisoned for LIFE.
http://www.gopetition.com/online/13695.html
Posted by: tim | Oct 8, 2007 3:11:38 PM
Target is sexy especially when it comes to advertising. So why don't you bungholes get lost in a Wal-Mart and shut the hell up!
Posted by: | Oct 8, 2007 8:16:48 PM
OMG !! I am totally discusted with this selling the Beatles music. The Beatles had no intention of their music EVER being used this way. I just saw another commercial, and I knew I couldn't be the only one that feels so strong about this. Michael has no class, and he is a perfert. If anyone knows were I can get more envoled with this let me know. I already boycot anyone who pays that nut for the music of a generation with commitment.
Pissed in HB
Cindy
Posted by: cindy | Mar 14, 2008 9:45:29 PM
I am in a class and need to know how much Target had to pay for the rights of the song "Hello Goodbye"
Please help if you can
Thanks,
SB
Posted by: Shellie | Mar 28, 2008 10:32:55 AM
I am in a class and need to know how much Target had to pay for the rights of the song "Hello Goodbye"
Please help if you can
Thanks,
SB
Posted by: Shellie | Mar 28, 2008 10:33:49 AM
