On Waterloo Station and probably elsewhere there is a large poster of John Lennon and Bob Dylan playing electric guitars and promoting the services of a company called Henderson New Star with the words “Imagine if they worked together…”
This annoys the hell out of me. Firstly, the Dylan picture is inverted so that he appears to be playing left-handed, presumably in order to make a more pleasing composition. This is a fraudulent distortion in my book. Secondly, they are using the word ‘Imagine’ because it is the title of John’s well known hit, in all probability without permission from his estate, to promote their services and perhaps give the impression that John (and Dylan) would approve. They most certainly would not. Thirdly, Henderson New Star turns out to be some investment corporation, some sort of fund into which you can buy in the hope of turning £1 into £2 by doing nothing. It is not therefore an enterprise that either Lennon or Dylan would lend their names to.
Had this poster not been protected by glass and in full view of several CCTV cameras I might have been tempted to deface it with a marker pen. All I can do is urge RBP readers and their friends to give Henderson New Star a wide berth.
5 Responses to Bob & John – Their Names Taken In Vain
Yecch, I hate hearing stuff like this.
I just found the Henderson New Star website, whose banner says “Imagine if they worked together.” But the accompanying graphic is just a pair of logos, for Henderson and New Star. I take it there was a recent merger. My guess is they wouldn’t dare put the image of Lennon and Dylan on the site, as Beatle and Bob web trawlers would find it in a second and there’d be an outcry. I did notice that there’s a contact link for Henderson. . .
Surely, the word on this will get back to Yoko soon enough and she’ll put the kibosh on it.
“Imagine no investment corporations…” Yes, the world should be at one on this, Chris. Fraudulent distortion in deed. Just tell me where the posters are and I’ll happily tour London doing all the defacing. (As long as everyone knows it was you Chris – the Mr Big of the Marker Pen mafia – who put me up to it!) Len
Far be it from me at my age to be a party to criminal damage Len. However, the poster I pass each morning and early evening is in the tunnel leading from the Underground to the steps which bring you our half way along the platforms.
Somehow or other I will get a message to Yoko about this.
I’m not thrilled either with the concept of Lennon and Dylan being drafted into passively shilling for an investment brokerage, especially as John can’t have a say about it one way or the other. But don’t forget that Dylan voluntarily appeared in a commercial for the Victoria’s Secret lingerie shoppes a few years ago. I thought at the time that Zimmie saw pitching panties as yet another way to “reinvent” himself and to keep his fans guessing & confounded, so he might even go for the investment ad if he regards his presence in it as perverse enough.
Speaking of which, I consulted the Henderson New Star website cited by Bill DeMain, and found that the company’s chief exexcutive is one Andrew Formica(!) Now in my country, “Formica” is the trade name for a plastic-like material used on table- and counter-tops, especially in the Swinging ’60s. Which, in our postmodern universe, would make “Andrew Formica” the perfect ironic handle for a bass player in the 37th revival of The Cramps. Are you sure Henderson New Star is a real company? Maybe you won’t have to deface the ads after all . . .
That’s a very astute observation Richard. I always thought that Dylan’s relationship with Victoria’s Secret was motivated by his need to maintain a ready supply of gifts for whomsoever might lay across his big brass bed.
I am happy to report that through an intermediary Yoko has been made aware of this blog. It is now up to her whether she takes steps against Henderson New Star.