While Bruce Springsteen is doing deals with nasty Wal-Mart, Bob Dylan is doing deals with the much easier to love UK supermarket chain the Co-op (who you gotta love, if only for their own-brand crumbly Cheshire cheese, with is yummy). He's given the Coey, as my aunty calls them, permission to use 'Blowin In The Wind' on a new ad campaign.
The Co-op Group is, of course, known for spearheading ethical trading in both the supermarket and certainly the banking sectors.
Confirming they had licensed the retailer the song, the MD of Columbia Records UK, Mike Smith, told reporters: "It is rare for Bob Dylan to license his recordings to TV ads, the decision to do so with the Co-operative and 'Blowin In The Wind' shows a willingness to embrace fresh ways of reaching a new audience through an ethical and fair trade organisation".
The Co-op's marketing boss Patrick Allen added: "When we put the ad together we were astounded that no-one had ever used 'Blowin In The Wind' in this context before. We felt the sentiments expressed in Dylan's masterpiece summed up the optimism we have for the Co-operative, so when Columbia Records told us Dylan had agreed we were delighted".
So, well done Dylan for picking an ethical brand partner. Though he's licensed a song to Pepsi in the US. I can't remember whether they're good or evil. Though, give me a can of Pepsi over a can of Coke any day of the week. Especially Tuesdays.