Post by memoriesradio on Feb 15, 2023 17:32:53 GMT
Back in the late 90s, Mercury used to run an ad campaign called "Imagine TV" in which each commercial was its own contained fictional TV show with its own genre and plot. One such spot had a storyline of a secret agent on the loose, only for one car to be stopped at a security checkpoint with a German guard looking for the suspect whose vehicle (in this case, a Mercury Cougar) matched their description. Instead, the dangerous double agent, now disguised as a woman, replies that "she" hasn't seen him and drives off. The 30-second version of this ad is readily available online and often found in commercial compilations on YouTube.
The 60-second version, however, has been lost for some time. The general plot of the ad is the same, except in this longer version, once the secret agent drives off he chuckles and says in his own male voice (but still disguised as the woman) that he hasn't seen the suspect anywhere. A number of people recall seeing this particular cut, but attempts to retrieve it have come up short. It is known to exist, as AdWeek described it in an article from June 1998 (the paywall can be averted using the archived link here):
As the spot opens, a voiceover intones: “This is Imagine TV.” So, what’s on Imagine today? From all appearances, it’s a James Bond knockoff. To the accompaniment of Bondesque theme music, a man is seen driving through the countryside. Spies and hidden cameras monitor his movements as he nears a roadblock that’s manned by thugs from central casting. When the car arrives, the chief thug signals it to stop and addresses the driver (whose face is now unseen by us), using the sort of accent taught at the Bad Guy School of Elocution: “We are looking for a man in a new Mercury Cougar, exactly like this one. He is a dangerous double agent and a master of disguise.” Aren’t villains supposed to play their cards closer to their black leather vests? Anyhow, we hear a female voice respond: “Haven’t seen him.” Despite what he’s just said about disguise, that’s good enough for Mr. Villain, who waves the car through the gate. Once the car is past the barrier, we see the driver’s face in female disguise as his male voice adds, with a chuckle: “Haven’t seen him anywhere.” If you think this all sounds tedious, you’re right. The bad guys seem more stupid than sinister, draining the vignette of the mock suspense that might enliven this umpteenth Bond parody. And the pretense that we’re watching some sort of cable channel is more confusing than disarming.
