Commercial Failure

Have you seen Macy's new Estee Lauder commercial? It's been in heavy rotation lately, and I've been seeing it two or three times a day.

The commercial stars Kendall Jenner, yet another of the seemingly endless Kardashian tribe. In it she sashays down the street, splashing on perfume and turning heads wherever she goes. Most importantly, the whole thing's set to the tune of the 1974 hit Lady Marmalade.

Um... Macy's? You realize this song is about a New Orleans WHORE, right? Jesus Christ!

Even a brief glance at the lyrics would have been enough to tell them that. The song starts out, "He met Marmalade down in old New Orleans, struttin' her stuff on the street. She said, 'Hello, hey, Joe. You wanna give it a go?" If that doesn't indicate she's a prostitute, I don't know what does. They even included the chorus, "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir" which translates as, "Do you want to go to bed with me tonight?"

Is that really the message you're trying to get across here? That any woman can be a whore like Kendall Jenner if they buy Estee Lauder perfume? Cause that's what I'm takin' away from it.

Sure, it's an admittedly catchy tune, but it's all about context, guys. You can't just use a song because you like it. You've got to actually listen to it first, so you don't use a tune about a Creole prostitute to hawk expensive toilet water.

Might I suggest a couple of alternative songs for your next commercial? There's Timothy by The Buoys or D.O.A. by the band Bloodrock (look 'em up!).