This ad for Montblanc caught my eye on the subway the other day. Not only does it feature Nicolas Cage–my favorite bad movie actor (tell me this isn’t a ridiculous filmography: Con Air, Face/Off, Ghost Rider, and of course National Treasure) with an airbrushed smug-as-all-hell grin, but it has a subtly insensitive slogan: “Helping others give success true meaning.”

At first glance, it seems Montblanc is saying, “Now that you’ve made all this money, why not spend it on something that actually lets people know you are rich?” That’s enough to piss off a poor schmuck like me who can’t even afford to dream of a $4,000 watch. But, since I actually hate wearing watches, I decided to let it go. That is, until, I discovered what Montblanc was actually saying…

Success is something we can be proud of, but it is also a commitment to give something back to those who have contributed to it.

Nicolas Cage and Montblanc have made a joint commitment to social responsibility. By purchasing a Montblanc Star Chronograph or a Montblanc TimeWalker Chronograph, you are supporting a significant donation by Nicolas Cage and Montblanc to the “Heal the Bay” organisation.

That’s really nice and all–I certainly don’t doubt that Heal the Bay is a worthy organization committed to cleaning up the coastal waters of Southern California–but there’s some seriously messed up logic going on here. Not only is success being equated with a luxury brand, but Montblanc is also telling us that buying things can actually help society–when, in fact, buying less would have a much greater positive impact. This isn’t a particularly shocking revelation. The Gap is doing the same thing with it’s Red Campaign. But at least its slogan isn’t quite so snobbishly boastful. Also, Bono is way cooler than Nick Cage.