Classics in Commercials: Bach meets David Ortiz

Baseball fans will probably love the new Turbo Tax commercial that features David Ortiz, also known as "Big Papi". Ortiz retired in 2016 season after a great career, mostly with the Boston Red Sox. He will likely be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. In this commercial, Ortiz has started a new career as a tennis instructor. As a hitter, he was famous for hitting home runs, after which he would drop his bat a admire his work. As a tennis instructor, he waits for the ball machine to fire the tennis ball over net, just as a pitcher would throw to the plate, He takes a huge two-handed baseball swing at the ball and knocks it out of the court, only to have it land hundreds of feet away somewhere in the tennis club causing destruction and chaos. Take a look.

Pretty hilarious I think. The music is Bach's "Air" from his Orchestral Suite no.3 in D major. It is one of the most recognizable and beautiful pieces of music ever written. I am usually always happy when classical music is used in commercials, films, TV programs, etc....But the producers of this commercial got it wrong if you ask me. I understand what they were attempting to do....Big Papi is at a snooty country club. They needed music to reflect this atmosphere, so they defaulted to classical, right? That's unfortunate. I have been saying all along in this blog that classical music need not be cast in that light. But even if you go along with it, THIS is not the piece to use. It does not fit that stereotype at all. The "Air" conveys...and this is my opinion of course...grace, understanding, peace, hope, redemption, and love. It is not stuffy and pretentious in any way, shape or form.
A swing and a miss for Initiative (Agency), and Wieden+Kennedy (Creative Agency).