In conjunction with the Walt Whitman themed ads focusing on nationalist narratives (see previous post), Levis has issued this goodbye to Senator Ted Kennedy. This clip from his most famous speech has been broadcast all over the media so, no doubt is instantly recognisable.

It reminds me of when Volkswagen said goodbye to Jerry Garcia from the Grateful Dead. I read this ad in Rolling Stone magazine sitting out in Stanley Park in Vancouver (so powerful, I remember where I was). The tie-in with the Grateful Dead and the Volkswagen microbus is seamless. VW even decided to use a model that last saw production during the Ted Kennedy scandal. The ad also did not tie into any campaign look and feel, slogan or anything commercial about the brand, so there is little cause for calls for exploitation.

In short, these are some of the criteria to use when thinking about whether to salute a fallen icon with your brand.