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Has this Brecht guy got a box set?

Posted in Advertising, Creative, Branwell Johnson, Latest reporters' blogs October 4th, 2007 by Branwell Johnson

Okay, so kudos for Ken Loach in breaking the mould for the latest HMV “My Inspiration” ad by not referring to a film - but using a quote from a Bertolt Brecht (pictured) poem is wrong on so many levels.

First, at bottom, it’s all about HMV shifting “product” or “units” or “packaged goods” to boost profits. What would Bertolt Brecht, author of Mother Courage And Her Children and The Threepenny Opera think? He wasn’t the biggest advocate of capitalism. He was a lifelong Marxist.

And as for the message and target audience, I am puzzled. Of course, HMV caters for some film connoisseurs and high literary types but the arty crowd is a very small bunch. Most of the audience are looking for the latest Will Ferrell comedy, director cuts of Tarantino flicks or Korean horror films.

The percentage of the audience that have heard of Brecht will be so miniscule I’m willing to stand outside Oxford St HMV and poll customers – I’ll donate my Tarkovsky boxed set as a prize if I find one all morning….

In fact, they are more likely to have heard of him through his musical connections with Bowie, having appeared and performed songs for Baal and Scott Walker having covered a number of his songs.

To read the news story related to this blog, go to mad.co.uk