Last night, the brands were at it again. Sure, they’re always at it again, but the Super Bowl is basically April Fools Day for brands. (Fittingly, April Fools Day is also the Super Bowl for brands.) And as is the case every year, the celebs were also at it again, with the brands and with their own brands. Brands on brands on brands. Capitalism is wild.
So Shaggy got paid (cash that check, Shaggy!) and so did Michael B. Jordan, David Fincher, Brad Garrett, Tracy Morgan, Dolly Parton, Martha Stewart, Drake, and Wayne and Garth, among many others. Hey, Dolly probably turned that money into hundreds and hundreds of new library books, so who are we to judge? Also not one to judge? Tim Burton, also no stranger to brands, who has not one problem with Edward Scissorhands, or at least his descendant, shilling for Cadillac.
Timmy Chalamet played Edgar Scissorhands, who is, it’s strongly implied, the son of Edward and Kim, the character played by Winona Ryder, who also appears in the commercial with a very jaunty mom haircut. (Cash that check! Winona Forever!) It’s an ad for a fancy dancy car with hands-free technology. Get it? Hands?
If you came here hoping for a strongly worded email from Mr. Burton, no such luck. His response is, depending on your perspective, either refreshingly wholesome or, you know, not. Here’s the Los Angeles Times:
Timothée Chalamet fans can thank prolific filmmaker Tim Burton for Cadillac’s buzzy Super Bowl ad starring the former as the lookalike son of Edward Scissorhands — and not only because Burton directed its cult-classic source material. He was also involved in the making of its Super Bowl sequel, which reunited Burton with Winona Ryder, with whom he worked on 1990’s “Edward Scissorhands.”
“It’s rare when a work you’re proud of continues to live on and evolve with the times, even after 30 years,” Burton, who approved the concept for the commercial, said in a statement. “I’m glad to see Edgar coping with the new world! I hope both fans and those being introduced to Edward Scissorhands for the first time enjoy it.”
That translates roughly to, “Hey, I am delighted people love this movie, and yes, I definitely got paid.”
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