art and biomed, displays/exhibits, marketing and advertising
Scientists for better PCR — just bad taste!
The Bio-Rad corporation has released a music video called “Scientists for better PCR” to promote their new 1000-series of thermal cyclers (PCR machines).
It’s well done indeed. But I think MedGadget get it wrong when they write that ”it does successfully fill the time between test tube changes”.
The model for the Bio-Rad video is apparently the 1985 bestselling “We are the world” song by Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie and Quincy Jones, which was produced for charity reasons, to raise funds to help famine-relief efforts in Africa. The 45 singers gathered as artists for a better world, like Bob Geldof’s Band Aid and Live Aid concerts.
Bio-Rad is probably not interested in raising funds for anyone else but their own shareholders. So the biotech company is just exploiting the good vibrations of popular culture for commercial reasons. Bad taste! What would Naomi Klein (No Logo) think of this?
Better fill the time between test tube changes with some serious reflections about the advertising strategies of the transnational biotech market instead.
11 Jan 2008 Thomas
You are pretty tough on them – I thought it was technically made well and I felt entertained.
PS: why don’t you suggest to biorad to donate some of their proceedings…
Well, maybe I was a trifle too hard on them. It’s funny, yes (and I did point out it is well done indeed). Nevertheless my feeling of fun waned, because I always thought the 1985 song was such a sublime event, and that Bio-Rad sort of profanates it. I guess someone who hasn’t had that particular sublime experience will just experience it as, well, technically made well and fun.
The indulgence idea is good :-)
Good grief! Why the hate?
I just saw this over on Wired Blogs and liked it. It’s a pretty funny and well made corporate riff on pop culture by a company not taking itself too seriously–unlike you.
I think you are taking the whole stars for charity thing way, way too seriously.
Hi Sandy, I don’t think there is any hate involved here, at least not on my side. I mean, you thought it was pretty funny, and I was a bit irritated, because I thought they profaned one of my sublime youthful experiences. That’s just a matter of diverging tastes, isn’t it? But ‘hate’ is a very strong word for these critical remarks. Critical film reviews tend to be much more negatively worded. Have a good day!
a different angle to see it. interesting.