The Media & Marketing section of today's Wall Street Journal (10/05) had an interesting question from a reader then a reply from their Advertising correspondent. Paul Koning of New Boston, NH wrote: Toyota has been running TV ads for an SUV. The classical music has been a nice touch, but it's from Verdi's "Requiem", a mass for the dead. I suspect only a few of the audience will spot this, but won't those few be dismayed? The WSJ correspondent (unnamed) replied: Bravo! You sir have a very keen ear. The Giuseppe Verdi musical masterpiece is full of drama and soaring melodies, and was intended to infuse an ad for Toyota's Highlander SUV with human emotion, says a spokesman. In the ad, which was created by Publicis Groupe's Saatchi & Saatchie, and debuted on cable, network and spot TV Sept.29, a woman is seen outdoors with two young girls. As it starts to rain, they pick up their stuff and run toward their Highlander. In another scene, a man puts an infant into the the vehicle. The car is depicted as a place to keep people safe and out of harm's way. Alas...the song is over - at least for Toyota. "It's a classic composition, and it was selected for its highly dramatic tone" says Xavier Dominicis, the Toyota spokesman. "As it turns out, it didn't resonate well with some viewers, and the ad has been pulled". The last day you might have seen this spot - or heard the music playing on its behalf - was October 26th. We will have to wait to see what Toyota does for an encore. I don't recall seeing the spot, and if I did, I habitually use the mute button during commercials, so I wouldn't have heard it. From the description, it might have been the slam-bang "Te Deum" section, which doesn't seem all that compatible with the irenic scenes described. But I know the Verdi "Requiem" has popped up in other ads historically and will again, not to mention Orff's "Carmina Burana", which also is a favorite of commercial makers. Laurence Glavin