General Motors gets tub-thumped

Wed, 30 Jan 2002 20:30:00 +0000

Pass it on. General Motors is providing $100,000 of backing for two fiercely anti-corporate activist groups, IndyMedia and CorpWatch, with a little help from the British pop band Chumbawamba. But before you call your local GM dealer to see if their latest models come with a "nuclear power, no thanks" bumper sticker fitted as standard, you should know that the world's largest automaker's status as benefactor to the anti-globalization movement actually came as a rather unpleasant surprise to the company.

GM's embarrassing problem began when marketing executives at the company decided a catchy piece of music titled "Pass it Along" would be ideal as a hip soundtrack to their "Pass it on" ad campaign for Pontiac cars. Unfortunately for GM, the song in question happened to be the work of outspoken pop pranksters Chumbawamba, best remembered for their anthemic 1997 hit, "Tubthumping."

Salon.com > Iain Aitch

General Motors gets tub-thumped