The White Stripes are crying foul over what they call the unwelcome and unauthorized use of their song “Fell in Love With a Girl” by the U.S. Air Force Reserve during a Super Bowl ad last Sunday. The band, consisting of singer Jack White and drummer and ex-wife Meg White, issued a statement on their website slamming the repurposing of their song, asserting “we simply don’t want to be a cog in the wheel of the current conflict” and threatening “strong action to stop the ad containing this music.” The warning seems to have worked, as the Air Force Reserve has taken down the ad from its site. –KA

“Rock & Roll Daily” in Rolling Stone:

A comparison of the White Blood Cells single and the Air Force Reserve commercial reveals that the music is nearly exactly the same, with Jack White’s guitar riffs firmly intact and another guitar replicating the cadence of the original vocal medley. The commercial initially seems like an X Games ad until three fighter jets fly into frame during its final seconds. The “Grab Some Air” recruitment spot “features the high-octane thrills of action sports at its best. This is sure to capture the interest of even the most enthusiastic sports fan,” the Air Force Reserve site writes while listing two-dozen television markets where the ad will air. The Air Force Reserve makes no mention of the White Stripes.

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Watch the video for “Fell in Love With a Girl” here:

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