Sure, American Idol might be one big Coca-Cola and Ford advertisement. But that doesn’t mean Grey’s Anatomy, the once buzzworthy ABC show that’s taken a nosedive in ratings and interest, has sold its soul to Madison Avenue. In what will likely turn out to be a non-scandal, the show caught flack when its season finale on Thursday, with a plotline that included the doctors freeing a young man from concrete, also aired an ad from Honda’s Pilot, which showed a man trapped in concrete. Paid tie-in, or coincidence? ABC maintains the latter, as does Honda’s ad agency RPA. [NYP] Below, the Honda ad.
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“Honda wanted to raise the green credentials of its lawn and garden equipment and to remind avid gardeners that Honsa???s range of products its not only good for their garden, it???s also good for the environment. Their solution was a letter that grows. They printed the direct mail piece on specially made paper containing seeds that could be planted to grow flowers. When consumers planted the letter, it became a permanent (and lovely) part of their garden. In terms of a gardening message, ???Honda??? literally became part of their garden. In terms of a green message, they went beyond ???Carbon Neutral??? and created an idea that would ultimately remove carbon from the atmosphere. Both the envelope and paper were 100% recycled, acid free and environmentally friendly. They even used green friendly inks.” [Ad Goodness]