Weird Al Yankovic is as hot as he's ever been. RadioShack? Not so much.
Noting the disparity, the flailing company is banking on the appeal of the King of Parody Songs in a new holiday spot, in which Yankovic performs his original adaptation of Toyland to showcase RadioShack's holiday gift collection.
Weird Al bursts into song after a customer asks an associate whether the store stocks HeliQuads, opining that RadioShack is the perfect place to find gifts for girls, boys and his cousin Bob, who is 43 and lives at home.
Weird Al shocked the music world this summer when his 14th album, Mandatory Fun, entered the Billboard album charts at No. 1. RadioShack has followed a different trajectory. In June, the company's stock price dropped below $1, leaving it vulnerable to NYSE delisting. As of November, though, it is still listed on the exchange.
Like other brick-and-mortar retailers, RadioShack has struggled with competition from online stores, namely Amazon, but also from big-box competitors like Best Buy.
Going into the holiday season, the Weird Al ad looks like a Hail Mary from RadioShack, and the gamble on Weird Al -- despite its comedic trappings -- appears to be dead serious.