A group of Rock & Roll icons are admonishing Workday, Inc. and the corporate world at large for co-opting the phrase “rock star,” noting it should be used sparingly, and only for those who have rightfully earned it through years of decadent, defiant—and at times wild—behavior.
To help raise awareness, Billy Idol, along with Gary Clark Jr., Joan Jett, Ozzy Osbourne, and Paul Stanley star in Workday’s Super Bowl AD.
The “Rock Star” commercial reminds viewers what true rock star antics look like, with Clark Jr. demonstrating the commitment required to shred a guitar lick, Jett reminding viewers she’s been touring since she was 16, Idol recounting the determination required to trash hotel rooms in 43 countries, and Osbourne recalling the complete lack of business synergy that led him to do his fair share of “bad things.”
While these rock icons acknowledge that Workday does make people very, very good at their jobs, they implore businesspeople to cease using “rock star” in a corporate context.