New Leno Ad Takes A Subtle Dig At Conan
With all of the damage done by the late-night wars that eventually led to Conan O’Brien’s oust and Jay Leno reclaiming the ‘Tonight Show’ gig once again, you’d think that subtlety and good-guy cheer would be the way to go for NBC and Jay as they try to wash their hands of the mess. Not so much. In a new commercial for the return of Leno to ‘Tonight,’ they clearly use the ad not just as a reminder that Jay’s back at a new time after the Olympics, but to claim that Conan never belonged there in the first place.
In the commercial, Leno is seen driving down California’s glorious Pacific Coast Highway in a Shelby Cobra. Leno, a classic car enthusiast, is seen tearing down the highway with a “10″ decal on the side of the car, alluding to his old and failed time slot. After a quick smile, Leno shifts gears in the car, and the “10″ decal flies off to reveal one that says “11:35.”
That’s not so bad, right? Well, the real stinger is in the soundtrack.
During the ad, Leno is coasting to the Beatles tune ‘Get Back,’ which just as the time changes on the car’s decals declares “Get back to where you once belonged.”
So, is NBC saying that Conan never deserved the seat they gave him and then took away? Keep in mind, Conan can’t say anything — disparaging or not — about NBC and his fallout with the network until September thanks to his $45 million settlement.
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