You don’t expect to see Bob Dylan hawking Pepsi.
So when the commercial came on during the Super Bowl last month, I was more than a little surprised.
But after watching this commercial a few times, I have no doubt that it works.
It works because:
a) you don’t except to see/hear Bob Dylan on a Pepsi commercial. It is just odd enough to surprise your mind, yet ultimately fit.
b) the updated song features Will.I.Am from Black Eyed Peas, another person widely regarded as a generational spokesman, especially thanks to his “Yes We Can” in support of Barack Obama.
c) the visual images are a reminder that no matter how much things change, we are all connected.
My gut feeling is that, at first glance, hard core Dylan fans will be a little put off that Bob has “sold out”. But has he really sold out?
The message of the commercial is perfectly in-line with the message of the song. Watch this commercial a few times and you start to see why Bob Dylan approved of doing this. It is more than a paycheck. It is an image-builder.
This is a brilliant example of an association that works for both Bob Dylan and Pepsi.
