I love that they used Joanna Newsom in a commercial, love love love that she's getting some commercial success... but did they have to use my favorite song of all time about love and longing?

slight derail. . .I just heard "Get Together" the old chestnut from the Youngbloods, in a commercial and just about barfed.

I am surprised that Newsome sold this song to them. But then I was also surprised to hear a few bars from a Decemberists tune in an AT&T commercial recently.

I am very ambivalent about the commercial. . .it would not draw me to be a customer of that bank.

That Bob Dylan ad would've drawn me to be a customer of Victoria's Secret, except that I don't think V's S sells anything I want. Plus, female friends give me the impression that they're, like, the Bose of undergarments or something.

Okay, I'll admit I don't really understand what's going on in the HSBC commercial. Loggers: check. Protesters: check. Cops: check. Then, wha?

Then, wha?

The logger that showed up bailed one of the protesters out of jail. She's on the motorcycle with him.

I love this song.

It's high-concept, all right, but I don't think it's actually well-made as an ad, and I don't see how it sells the bank in any obvious way. It's a very tricky narrative and you probably have to watch it a few times before it makes sense. And it really doesn't do anything for the bank's branding that I can see.

Cop=Bank.

Protester=Frightened Person Who Has Her Money in a Bank but isn't sure she should keep it there.

Tree="entitlements" like social security.