You know what’s sort of strange and inconsistent? I mean, other than my behavior at social gatherings? The way some cars are portrayed in commercials. Not all cars, of course, but some cars. And not ones that are the focus of the commercial itself, just the background cars, at best the supporting characters. But still, significant cars. Cars that are, let’s say, very recognizable.
Sometimes in commercials, these cars just exist, unmolested. And sometimes they get changed, often in strange ways that make us feel unsettled. Remember that CGI’d Mustang from some ad about a drug that gets injected into your eye from last year? That was a good example of this.
Here, just in case you forgot what I mean, you can see the tweaked Mustang:
These always make me feel funny in the kishkas. It’s just wrong, and in this age of AI horseshittery, the connotations of reality that isn’t quite right just feel more, well, loaded. Anyway, see if you can spot the similar (if more subtle) example in this commercial for the freshly-redesigned Volkswagen Tiguan:
First, it does seem like this ad is targeted at the dog community, which is an unusual choice for VW, considering that traditionally, dogs tend to be broke and/or have pretty poor credit scores. But, more importantly, did you catch the weirdly CG-modified car?
I mean, I’m pretty sure you did, since it’s in the picture at the top of this article. The car is clearly a Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow convertible, but the distinctive Rolls-Royce Pantheon grille has been modified:
The most obvious change is the vertical slats of the grille, designed to mimic the Pantheon in Rome, which is, of course, where the iconic Rolls-Royce Grille gets its name:
Oh yeah, I can see that. Of course, I think a lot of radiator grilles from the early 1900s ended up with a generally similar sort of look, but Rolls definitely leaned into this classical-inspired design with its roots from the year 126.
Of course, in the Rolls-Royce application, there’s no Corinthian capitals on the columns and there’s that iconic Spirit of Ecstasy at the apex there, but I think we get the idea.
That grille is an iconic symbol of Rolls-Royce, and as such it’s understandable why they protect its use. Jeep does the same with their seven-slot grille. Grilles are a big deal. But it seems like the portrayal of these iconic designs wasn’t always so… precious, or protected. For example, check out what is arguably the best-known of commercials that feature Rolls-Royces, the famous Grey Poupon mustard ad from 1981:
This commercial became a cultural touchstone, and made the carrying of condiments in your car pretty much a requirement of any vehicle with luxury pretensions. Who among us doesn’t keep a full array of mustards, mayos, ketchups, salsas, and ranches ready to go in our glove boxes now, all thanks to this ad?
You’ll note that the Rolls-Royces shown in the commercial – I think they were mid-’60s Silver Clouds – display their proportionally-taller Pantheon grilles unmolested and proud. No one was trying to change or hide them back then.
Same goes for this follow-up commercial, which shows the mustard-enjoyers in a less flattering light, more selfish and disinclined to share:
What a jackass. Share your mustard, asshole! That’s the code of the road!
Now, by 2013, when Grey Poupon decided to revisit this old ad campaign and have some fun with it, the world seems to have changed. Look at the grilles on the Rollers in this ad:
See what they did? Clumisly? Look at these grilles, with their horizontal slats and what looks like strips of flashing down their middles:
Wow. It’s not even just the grilles that have been changed, the quad headlamp setup had been reduced to just two headlamps, the turn indicator lenses have been changed, as have the taillights, as seen in other shots. Interestingly, all these changes seem to be real, physical changes to the cars, not CGI.
Is this just the result of the world growing more litigious? If there was a specific legal precedent that had been changed, I haven’t been able to find it, so I’m thinking it’s just excess caution. And yet in movies and television and other entertainment that are not strictly advertising, these sorts of disguising efforts are far less common; why is it okay to show a car as it is in an episode of, say, Law and Order: Elevator Inspectors Unit but not in a condiment commercial?
I should reach out to a real lawyer about this. I’m curious!
I think that newest gray poupon commercial makes it pretty obvious why they modified the cars to not explicitly look like RRs. Certainly BMW/RR would object to having their owners portrayed as dangerously and recklessly battling on the street.
Wouldn’t it have just been easier for VW to use a Bentley instead of a Roller? Actually seems like a missed opportunity!
According to
The Complete Works – The Best 599 Stories about the World’s Best Car
Mike Fox and Steve Smith, Guild Publishing, London, edition published 1984 by Book Club Associates by arrangement with Faber and Faber Limited,
“No one is certain who designed the Rolls-Royce radiator grille to the interlinked RR badge.”
I always thought those ads saying “It even has wine” were quite silly since Dijon mustard, by definition, is made with white wine.
Rolls blew it when they got rid of the oculus in the center of the roof.
The bumper says that’s a Corniche rather than the much less common Silver Shadow DHC (2-door Silver Shadows were Corniches for most of their long lifespan).
Not to be confused with cornichon, a tasty pickle.
Every new medical treatment seems to come with a slightly modified classic convertible. I think that they use the same designers that worked on off-brand Hot Wheels cars.
Horizontal shutters on Rolls-Royce grilles were, in fact, a thing in the ’20s, on e.g. some Silver Ghosts and 20s and maybe P1s. See e.g. this Springfield-built car:
https://classicpromenade.com/for-sale/1925-rolls-royce-springfield-silver-ghost-2/
Indeed there were!
Nubar Gulbenkian had one made in 1947 by Hooper’s on a Silver Wraith chassis which looks like it’s straight out of a late 1930ies science fiction film.
There is also a picture of the Viceroj leaving Dunbar in 1917 in a Roller with a horizontal grille, but I’m not sure of the model or the coachbuilders.
There is a gentleman in my town with a 23 or 24 Rolls that has the horizontal slats. It’s a wooden, boat tailed roadster.
I’d always assumed the Rolls Royce grill referenced the Parthenon, and not the Pantheon. So, thanks for the edumacation Jason! 🙂
My dog has a credit score of over 800. She doesn’t spend her money; she spends mine.
“…an unusual choice for VW, considering that traditionally, dogs tend to be broke and/or have pretty poor credit scores.”
Seems like a typical VW buyer to me. Or Nissan.
Never before have I been so offended by something I 100% agree with
There’s an ad, maybe for a hotel, that features a dark green Mercedes 280sl convertible but with the three pointed star photoshopped off the grill. The grill just has horizontal bars.
That’s also actor Timothy Simons in the driver’s seat, as part of a 3 ad campaign where he for reasons doesn’t talk at all in one?
https://media.vw.com/releases/1871
If you’ve seen his political career you know why they didn’t want him to talk.
New Tags: “condiments” AND “mustard?!” William and/or Nilliam, indeed!
They used to sell a kit where you could add a Rolls grill on your VW:
https://preview.redd.it/vw-beetle-rolls-royce-kit-v0-wbw7k0gkwxs41.jpg?width=1080&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=be2cee531693961408519a4d00c11f573574ee44
Don’t know how they got away with that, but it waas great to occasionally see one of these on the street back in the ’70s.
Very much a thing on 70s and 80s Cadillacs too. https://davidsclassiccars.com/cadillac/403882-1985-cadillac-eldorado-ce-rolls-royce-grill-carriage-roof-continental-kit-nr.html
“Who among us doesn’t keep a full array of mustards, mayos, ketchups, salsas, and ranches ready to go in our glove boxes now, all thanks to this ad?”
I do but in packet form,scattered about the floor rather than stored neatly in the glovebox.
Safety Tip of the Day: Condiment packages are typically good for 6-12 months. If it’s swelled up like a tick, toss it.
You don’t want to know what hatches out of it after the third trimester.
I prefer to hand them out at Halloween.
Older kids/adults who showed up at my house on Halloween sans costume and with an attitude got mayo packets I had left out in the sun for a week.
Well they do ask for a trick OR a treat.
Finally, another Autopian who suns their mayo packets.
Its just Volkswagen’s way of having fun, since they are the most fun German brand. Which you can tell by them playing Jump Around over B-roll of mundane crossovers driving sedately on normal streets
Not since Ford’s foolish comparison of its Granada to Mercedes has a company self-inflicted Faberge egg to the face.
Under BMW ownership, Rolls-Royce seems to have all but ceased licensing, which probably also means they’d go after “unauthorized” use of their vehicles, designs, etc., so I imagine that has a lot to do with why the newer Grey Poupon ad and the VW ad are being so careful.
One of my main hobbies is designing and 3D printing my own 1:64-scale cars. I do most of my printing through Shapeways; up until a couple of years ago, Shapeways also had a “marketplace” where you could sell prints of your designs, and I had a shop there to sell my cars. I had a wide variety available, from lots of different marques. The only time I ever got in trouble was when I tried to upload a BMW. Shapeways had apparently already heard from their lawyers and automatically red-flagged anything BMW to prevent it from going into the marketplace. I never tried, but I imagine it would have been the same if I’d tried to sell a Rolls or Mini model. Of all the stupid things to be uncool about.
Interesting. That reminds me of music publishers going after any kind of analysis, reaction, or discussion about their records. Why would you want to prevent people from talking about or interacting with your stuff like that?
That falls under fair use and it’s not even a contest (I’m not a lawyer). My understanding is they go after it because they care less about the increased exposure of their catalog and the incremental revenue that will inevitably follow, and care more about setting the precedent of no free rides. It’s their property and even if you use it legally they will come after you because it’s expensive and time consuming to fight back. Rick Beato, for example, disputes every copyright strike and is undefeated because of fair use, but he has the wherewithal (and will) to have a lawyer respond.
I recall hearing that in the early 2000s BMW and various other brands like Ferrari were quite bad about threatening lawsuits if their cars were ever used on screen in a negative manner – such as being driven by a villain, hitting things like fences, or even being driven above the speed limit. It sounded just absurd enough to eliminate any doubt that the rumor wasn’t true.
The Transporter made me love BMW even more. The lesser sequels stuck him in an Audi which is one of many reasons why they are lesser.
I collect Brooklin Models (well not so much now that I have no more room). Licensing was always a thing, and sometimes contentious. You’d think the marque would be happy to have a lovely 1/43rd representation of its cars.
https://brooklinmodels.com/collections/brooklin-collection
The funny thing is VW owns Bentley. Just swap out the car and avoid the lawsuit from BMW.
I came to the comments to say the same thing – nothing wrong with a little freebie advertising for another brand in the stable.
Oh man, using the Rolls was a clear swipe at BMW, with whom VW battled for control of Rolls-Royce 25 years ago. The ad pokes fun at the snobby rich guy. But with no grille, no Spirit of Ecstasy, there’s no lawsuit. But everyone knows it’s representing a Rolls.
“In the criminal justice system, building code infractions are considered especially heinous. In New York City, when violations go down and the law needs a lift, the dedicated men and women of the Elevator Inspectors Unit answer the alarm and hold open the doors of justice. These are their stories.”
COTD
Dun Dun
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gP3MuUTmXNk
You should see the car disguises in Law and Order: Parking Violations Unit.
My dad worked for Otis, service superintendent for most of Connecticut.
The horror stories of what people did to those elevators.
I’d watch a full season where every episode starts with a grizzly elevator death.
What do you have against bears? (pedantic wordplay since you used the word “grizzly” which is a type of bear rather than “grisly”, which means particularly graphic and gory – insert TMYK graphic)
LOL, good catch.
But now that I think about it…
Lot’s of TV shows modify the grills now. It started out just masking the manufacturer logo with black tape, I can only assume because the manufacturer didn’t kick in some money for promotional placement.
Bones – Booth drives a Tahoe, but then they sign a deal to promote Toyota so Booth gets a Toyota Sequoia and Bones gets a Prius over her Mercedes SLK. Later when the Toyota deal ends, Booth gets his Tahoe back, but with some ugly aftermarket grill.
FBI – Two of the Tahoe’s in this show have a weird ugly custom black mesh that’s replaced the front end. Funny thing is sometimes there are unmodified ones in the background.
For a while, Modern Family must have had some kind of deal with Toyota because it seemed like the main characters were driving different Toyotas every episode.
Bones was pretty blatant. Bones would be like Booth, we can use the Toyota Entune GPS navigation to get to the crime scene faster by routing around traffic, while briefly showing the nav screen in the car.
We’ve been re-watching Bones and there are a few seasons there where you want to laugh at how blatant it is that they’re promoting Toyota.
Suits did similar things with Lexus and Burn Notice with, I think, Kia (the hero car for a while was a Stinger if I remember correctly).
RIP Beto O Kitty
The horizontal-slat grille just turned that from a millionaire’s car into a billet-grilled custom pickup from the ’80s or ’90s. “Take your car’s image from 6-figures to 4 with this one trick!”
The British can’t help but appropriate Greek stuff made out of marble, right?
The Brits also appropriated the architecture of Palladian Villas from the Veneto for their townhouses and country estates — which were spectacularly ill-suited to the English climate.
Ah but wait one sec, Torch said that Rolls Royce used the Roman Pantheon for inspiration, not any of the Greek Pantheons. So its really that the British can’t help themselves from appropriating Ancient Italian stuff that was appropriating even more Ancient Greek stuff!
Ah, did they appropriate it, or did the Romans bring it when they conquered (most of) Britian?
So you are telling me they appropriated an appropriation?
Do you know why the Pyramids are in Egypt?
Because they were too big to move to the British Museum.
ngl, the British Museum is really really impressive.