Volkswagen has redone one of the most famous album cover photos of all time.
Taking advantage of a Beetle parked closest to the camera, the automaker has always benefited from the street scene just beyond the four Beatles and the zebra stripes.
The Abbey Road image by Iain MacMillan has sparked so much conversation over the years: Paul's bare feet and cigarette; George dressed in denim; why was John leading the group; why were they walking left to right and not the other way? And on and on and on.
Now, Volkswagen's ad agency has restaged the shot, with what appears to be the same car -- but with one subtle difference. It's no longer partially parked on a sidewalk.
The hook is VW's Park Assist technology, which makes it easier to get cars into tight spaces -- and likely avoid tickets, such as the one the car on the album cover was in line for.
We're not sure if the ad will be used here in the U.S., where the current Beetle was recently discontinued. But VW is selling copies of the new photo -- with proceeds going to Bris, a Swedish children's rights organization the automaker has supported since 2010. (MuseByClio.com)
The 50th anniversary edition of Abbey Road will be out this Friday.