Sure, the Beatles’ music has cropped up in TV spots before. And borrowing famous tunes for ads is, in general, a commonplace (but not without its potential pitfalls, as we’ve pointed out). Still, it’s a different matter to appropriate an artist’s face and philosophy, as opposed to the work itself. So it’s almost as if Citroen was deliberately courting controversy when they decided to build a recent spot around old footage of John Lennon sharing his thoughts on originality and inspiration.

And controversy is exactly what has ensued. Much of the ire has centered on Yoko Ono, who has been accused of compromising Mr. Lennon’s legacy for the proverbial thirty pieces of silver. But coming to her defense has been none other than the couple’s son, Sean Lennon, who says his mother did not approve the spot for the money, but rather to keep his father in the public consciousness. Of course, there are many who would argue that no such reminder is needed, especially one so blatantly commercial. But in response to this point, Sean Lennon says that he is constantly surprised by how many twenty-somethings have no idea who the Beatles were. Which may be the saddest part of this whole story.