Toyota is slayed by zero

Oh yes, it's definitely the most annoying ad campaign since the never-ending Freecreditreport.com plague. Why. oh why, did The Fixx lend their signature '80s hit Saved By Zero to Toyota to advertise finance rates?

The hatred of the ad campaign, which seems to appear nonstop during any sporting event on TV, is growing. The fervor on the Internet has reached top volume with blogs and Facebook.com groups all calling for its end.

Count The Fixx in with the naysayers.

Cy Curnin, the band's lead singer and co-founder, recently told the Las Vegas Sun that while he likes the royalty checks and the new attention on The Fixx, the quality of the recording itself disturbs him.

"It's a bit cheesy. I would prefer to have been the one singing it," Curnin told the Sun via phone from his farm in France. It's also ironic that the automaker chose this particular tune, Curnin says, because the song's message seems contrary to the ad's purpose.

"The song was written from the point of view of the release you get when you have nothing left to lose. It clears your head of all fears and panics and illusions and you get back to the basics, which is a Buddhist mantra, which I practiced back then, and which I still do," he said. "The idea of the song is how great it is to get back to zero."

Despite the grass roots move to get the commercial killed, Toyota says the ad campaign has been a success.

"I think the fact that it's being talked about is good, because the message is out there," Toyota marketing spokesman Joe Tetherow told the Associated Press. "The dealers like the program, and customers do too."

Click here to see the band's original video for Saved By Zero.

Comments

[HATE IT]

I hate that song. I hate the commercial so very, very much. My hate is a warm soothing blanket.

[timmy242]

I can't believe Cy didn't mention that the guy in the commercial sings the phrase WRONG to begin with! Still love the song, though the commercial facks it up terribly.

[Kyle]

Thank god some other people have wieghed in on this. This is far and away the worst ad I've ever heard in my life. I love me some Fixx and Toyota so bastardizes the song that it becomes unlistenable(is that a word?) The end of the commercial with the repetitive "Saved by Zero" over and over again is an affront to all aural experiences. The ad exec who thought this one up should be killed. And no, this won't become one of those "ads you to hate", this ad you will just flat out hate. And as far as what Toyota exec gave the green light on this, he/she should be forced to commit seppuku live on national tv. Ugh.

[Niles]

yea, a real success Toyota. I hate this commercial so much, my next car purchase WILL be a honda.

[Joe Bob]

Of course Toyota is going to tout the ad's success. Admitting it's a flop means they have to admit to their stockholders that they blew millions of dollars making the company look stupid. That ain't gonna happen.

Besides, the executive that came up with this garbage wants his bonus.

[millsapian87]

Kinda like when Levi Jeans used CCR's "Fortunate Son" a few years ago, without a scintilla of irony.

[chris]

the headline says this: "Toyota is slayed by zero"

the article says this: "Toyota says the ad campaign has been a success"

hm. someone tried to make a funny.

[Chris A]

I HATE THAT MOTHER%#*&ING COMMERCIAL SO MUCH!!! I MUTE IT EVERY TIME IT COMES ON!!!

[Melissa]

I hate the commercial too, and the guy that sings it is no Cy. I'll have to admit though that I NEVER knew what the heck Saved By Zero meant...and now I do. Funny how many songs in the 80s I used to sing and had no clue as to their meaning.