The Beastie Boys will never allow their music to be used in advertising. This was even part of MCA’s will (“Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, in no event may my image or name or any music or any artistic property created by me be used for advertising purposes.”)
So imagine Mike D and Ad Rock’s rage when the found out that Chili’s, the American restaurant chain, took some liberties with a new campaign. (Watch the commercial here.)
Yeah, it’s pretty “Sabotage-y”–which would be okay if Chili’s (or, more legally specific, Brinker, Chili’s parent company) had secured permission to do this. But they did not.
The look, feel, and vibe is unmistakable–and the surviving two Beasties are pissed. I quote from SyncSummit:
“To summarize, BJ Novak and Tim Hollingsworth West Hollywood restaurant Chain, did a collaborative virial marketing campaign alongside the restaurant chain, Brinker-owned Chili’s, that was a parody/homage of the Beastie Boy’s “Sabotage” video, calling …