It's only been five years since Bob Dylan's music and images were used in a Pepsi commercial that compared him to will.i.am, but people were shocked to see the famously counterculture folk singer star in a Chrysler ad during this year's Super Bowl.
In the ad, Dylan does a voiceover touting American ingenuity and the U.S. automobile industry over shots of iconic bits of Americana, like Rosie the Riveter and "Dr. J" Julius Erving. Dylan then appears in person at a pool hall, where he tells the camera, "Let Germany brew your beer, let Switzerland make your watch, let Asia assemble your phone. We will build your car."
Here's the ad, made by GlobalHue, for the Chrysler 200:
Though Dylan appeared in the aforementioned Pepsi commercial, as well as a 2004 ad for Victoria's Secret, people on Twitter expressed shock and sadness at seeing the man who once sang about deceptive advertising signs selling cars.
Here's some reactions from NewYorker.com editor Nicholas Thompson, Gawker's Max Read, and Havas Media Labs' Umair Haque:
Bob Dylan 1966: "Build a fire on main street and shoot it full of holes." Dylan 2014: "We will build your car."
— Nicholas Thompson (@nxthompson) February 3, 2014the bob dylan ad was so bad i spilled my beer
— max read (@max_read) February 3, 2014Bob Dylan is now a car salesman. #helpus
— umair haque (@umairh) February 3, 2014