DocMcCoy"Go and laugh in your own country!" 5,913 Posts
Here's my question: who here would take a job selecting music for commercials? i think it'd be ill job. i do hear the arguments about corporate branding corrupting the music tho.
Yeah, but by the same token, it'd be interesting to know how many people hit up the iTunes store or Amazon or whatever when a cool song in an ad particularly catches their attention.
Maybe it's a regional thing, but in the UK there's been some unusual and interesting uses of music in ads. T-Mobile used Vashti Bunyan's "Just Another Diamond Day" in one campaign, and my boy who runs Spinney told me that it gave her album sales a kick, as well as providing some welcome cash for both him and Vashti. The same company also used Arthur Russell's "This Is How We Walk On The Moon" in another ad, a song that was covered by a band I used to play in. I think it's cool that something as left-of-centre as Arthur Russell can find its way into millions of homes, even if it's only through a phone ad.
My all-time favourite use of music in an ad was the Ford Probe ad that I caught on TV when I was in NY about eight years ago. I was having a shave or something, and all of a sudden I hear Model 500's "No UFOs". I was like, "WTF??", and ran into the room just in time to see the tag line "Detroit Techno" at the end of the ad. I thought that was fantastic.
Getting some Sheryl Crow-ish/Alanis Morrisette-ish singer to remake an old song in a slower, jam-band style. The only example that comes to mind is a cell-phone ad (I think?) featuring a turgid version of "People Got To Be Free." And the female vocalist is in full "chick-rock" mode, trying to be all hoarse and gritty. Not amused.
It's worth noting that Pink Moon sold the same number of records the first week the VW ad aaired that it had previously sold in it's entire existence. I think it was at 8,000 copies in total sales from it's original release up until the commercial aired. It then sold 8,000 copies that same week.
I read an article about it awhile back. It does make me wonder how 8,000 copies were in existence at the time of the ad, if there had only been 8000 sold prior. Maybe they anticipated sales from the ad. Maybe that article was wrong. Either way, I think it did a lot for his career, even if he wasn't around for it.
That's got to be a mistake. Though I'm sure 'Pink Moon' sold close to nothing on its original release, it's been in print steadily since the early 80's, including two or three reissues of the box set and individual reissues of the albums. I bought my first copies of the reissued albums in 84/85.
On a slightly different note... In Holland when they were showing the LOST trailer the night before there was some nice music playing along....it was just an acoustic guitar picking away but it sounded rather familiar. I think I have heard that before from some soundtrack if I'm not mistaken.
I can't believe how big that song's been in the US. When you see black girls singing it in their "American Idol" auditions, you know it's hittin'. It's in a bunch of ads over here, too, and was a big pop hit. It's a perfect fit for ad agencies that are looking for something which ticks the box marked "inspirational and appealing to independently-minded women in the 18-35 demographic".
As I might have mentioned before, it's not really that awful of a song. Like Rootless, I also heard it in heavy rotation at the gym and was tired of, but not bothered by it. By the time it was in every ad aimed at women, it had massively overstayed its welcome. And now I hate it. I was always like "are you guys sure there isn't another "go on, get out there and live your life, girls!" type of song out there right now? You have to use the same one that everyone else used? Stop biting!
When the 80's Boom was in full stride there was a Tampax commercial that used Dazz Band -Let It Whip, which made me cringe. And a couple of youngins i knew though it was clever/cool. I used to party to that shit.
lol - it made me cringe in that protectionist way because a song I like was being used in a commercial - but otherwise, I kinda liked the approach. It was much better than the everything-in-white-clinical-blue-liquid-on-a-pad BS they do. I don't know one gal who bleeds Windex.
I don't go to gyms or listen to hits radio - maybe that's why I never heard that rain on my skin song? I escaped this one, but can't say the same about dozens of other annoying songs.
Here's my question: who here would take a job selecting music for commercials? i think it'd be ill job. i do hear the arguments about corporate branding corrupting the music tho.
Yeah, but by the same token, it'd be interesting to know how many people hit up the iTunes store or Amazon or whatever when a cool song in an ad particularly catches their attention.
Maybe it's a regional thing, but in the UK there's been some unusual and interesting uses of music in ads. T-Mobile used Vashti Bunyan's "Just Another Diamond Day" in one campaign, and my boy who runs Spinney told me that it gave her album sales a kick, as well as providing some welcome cash for both him and Vashti. The same company also used Arthur Russell's "This Is How We Walk On The Moon" in another ad, a song that was covered by a band I used to play in. I think it's cool that something as left-of-centre as Arthur Russell can find its way into millions of homes, even if it's only through a phone ad.
There was a good thread over at VG+, about this, including the input of several who work in the industry.
Personally, I try not to watch adverts. But one theme that keeps cropping up since the use of Vashti Bunyan, is the endless use of folky songs, old and new, combined with a soft, faded colour scheme, and some vaguely creative/green/ecological tag line/concept. Like, wow, you like folk music!? Your product must be green then.
When the 80's Boom was in full stride there was a Tampax commercial that used Dazz Band -Let It Whip, which made me cringe. And a couple of youngins i knew though it was clever/cool. I used to party to that shit.
lol - it made me cringe in that protectionist way because a song I like was being used in a commercial - but otherwise, I kinda liked the approach. It was much better than the everything-in-white-clinical-blue-liquid-on-a-pad BS they do. I don't know one gal who bleeds Windex.
Haha...The commercial,if i recall starts w/ a Black College Marching band.I was like, "ok whats this about'......and bang, Tampax...OOF. Almost made me wanna get some.
That's got to be a mistake. Though I'm sure 'Pink Moon' sold close to nothing on its original release, it's been in print steadily since the early 80's, including two or three reissues of the box set and individual reissues of the albums. I bought my first copies of the reissued albums in 84/85.
Yeah, it does seem really odd. I read the article around 2002 or so. It was when that movie came out about his life. I remember reading something to that effect. I don't remember the exact numbers, but they seemed like they were confident in their research. I couldn't find the article again though. The basic point was that the record sold as much the week of the VW ad as it had previously sold in its existence. Maybe you're right that it was referring to its original release only, but that doesn't sound like good writing to me if they excluded any reissues. Who knows, maybe Pink Moon as an individual album did low numbers. Not counting Fruit Tree or anything else.
The Five Six Seven Eights, "Woo Hoo." Granted I first heard this in the movie Kill Bill, but I thought it was a really cool, kitschy, Japanesse girl-band song. It worked great in the movie and was very catchy.
I don't know what commercial it is, but the song has been hammered into oblivian for about a year now. The song has been ruined two times over. I thought of this thread when my iTunes shuffle played the song last night, and I "unchecked" the tune forever.
The Five Six Seven Eights, "Woo Hoo." Granted I first heard this in the movie Kill Bill, but I thought it was a really cool, kitschy, Japanesse girl-band song.
It was actually a cooler rockabilly song when the Rock-A-Teens did it in 1959. Hearing the 5-6-7-8's godawful remake, at a hardcore punk tempo and with that one girl's cutesy, nasally voice, makes my blood boil.
The Five Six Seven Eights, "Woo Hoo." Granted I first heard this in the movie Kill Bill, but I thought it was a really cool, kitschy, Japanesse girl-band song.
It was actually a cooler rockabilly song when the Rock-A-Teens did it in 1959. Hearing the 5-6-7-8's godawful remake, at a hardcore punk tempo and with that one girl's cutesy, nasally voice, makes my blood boil.
Ouch -- haha -- I didn't know it was a cover. Knowing it hurts you more numbs my own pain.
When the 80's Boom was in full stride there was a Tampax commercial that used Dazz Band -Let It Whip, which made me cringe. And a couple of youngins i knew though it was clever/cool. I used to party to that shit.
lol - it made me cringe in that protectionist way because a song I like was being used in a commercial - but otherwise, I kinda liked the approach. It was much better than the everything-in-white-clinical-blue-liquid-on-a-pad BS they do. I don't know one gal who bleeds Windex.
Haha...The commercial,if i recall starts w/ a Black College Marching band.I was like, "ok whats this about'......and bang, Tampax...OOF. Almost made me wanna get some.
Yup, that's the one! And they never did anything like it again... You wanted to get some periods? Wow! That's good advertising!
It sucks when ads use songs you like for the typical reasons and it sucks when they use songs you hate cause then you hear it all the time.
The Five Six Seven Eights, "Woo Hoo." Granted I first heard this in the movie Kill Bill, but I thought it was a really cool, kitschy, Japanesse girl-band song.
It was actually a cooler rockabilly song when the Rock-A-Teens did it in 1959. Hearing the 5-6-7-8's godawful remake, at a hardcore punk tempo and with that one girl's cutesy, nasally voice, makes my blood boil.
Ouch -- haha -- I didn't know it was a cover. Knowing it hurts you more numbs my own pain.
That song has been used regularly for the past five years (?) or so, so somebody's making some loot, but just the mere fact that we can't remember what product they're using it for kinda defeats their purpose! I hope.
Someone said gap using Marlena Shaw....but it's Docker's...just saw the commercial here at work.
Mick Jagger's Charmed Life could have been used for something so much better than a Dell commercial.
Music used well in Ads:
J. Ralph - "One MIllion Miles Away" for Volkswagen Space raiders - "Beautiful Crazy" for Adidas RJD2 - "Ghostwriter" for Wells Fargo Wax Poetic w/Norah Jones - "Angels" for Royal Elastics
The Five Six Seven Eights, "Woo Hoo." Granted I first heard this in the movie Kill Bill, but I thought it was a really cool, kitschy, Japanesse girl-band song.
It was actually a cooler rockabilly song when the Rock-A-Teens did it in 1959. Hearing the 5-6-7-8's godawful remake, at a hardcore punk tempo and with that one girl's cutesy, nasally voice, makes my blood boil.
In the reverse sense, I hate this piece of garbage beamed into my tv every 30 minutes having never been familiar with the song until the commercial by Apple:
Someone said gap using Marlena Shaw....but it's Docker's...just saw the commercial here at work.
massive difference there...
I always liked the Itunes/Ipod ad with 'Mi Swing es Tropical' (name might be off a bit) by Quantic + Nicodemus.... but man do I hate that "rain on my skin" track.. damn that lady is rich now.
In the reverse sense, I hate this piece of garbage beamed into my tv every 30 minutes having never been familiar with the song until the commercial by Apple:
What a horseshit song.
What is this horseshit song?
I can't stand it either, but I am morbidly curious.
Comments
Yeah, but by the same token, it'd be interesting to know how many people hit up the iTunes store or Amazon or whatever when a cool song in an ad particularly catches their attention.
Maybe it's a regional thing, but in the UK there's been some unusual and interesting uses of music in ads. T-Mobile used Vashti Bunyan's "Just Another Diamond Day" in one campaign, and my boy who runs Spinney told me that it gave her album sales a kick, as well as providing some welcome cash for both him and Vashti. The same company also used Arthur Russell's "This Is How We Walk On The Moon" in another ad, a song that was covered by a band I used to play in. I think it's cool that something as left-of-centre as Arthur Russell can find its way into millions of homes, even if it's only through a phone ad.
My all-time favourite use of music in an ad was the Ford Probe ad that I caught on TV when I was in NY about eight years ago. I was having a shave or something, and all of a sudden I hear Model 500's "No UFOs". I was like, "WTF??", and ran into the room just in time to see the tag line "Detroit Techno" at the end of the ad. I thought that was fantastic.
as if it were over?
Getting some Sheryl Crow-ish/Alanis Morrisette-ish singer to remake an old song in a slower, jam-band style. The only example that comes to mind is a cell-phone ad (I think?) featuring a turgid version of "People Got To Be Free." And the female vocalist is in full "chick-rock" mode, trying to be all hoarse and gritty. Not amused.
That's got to be a mistake. Though I'm sure 'Pink Moon' sold close to nothing on its original release, it's been in print steadily since the early 80's, including two or three reissues of the box set and individual reissues of the albums. I bought my first copies of the reissued albums in 84/85.
In Holland when they were showing the LOST trailer the night before there was some nice music playing along....it was just an acoustic guitar picking away but it sounded rather familiar. I think I have heard that before from some soundtrack if I'm not mistaken.
Anybody know what that was??
As I might have mentioned before, it's not really that awful of a song. Like Rootless, I also heard it in heavy rotation at the gym and was tired of, but not bothered by it. By the time it was in every ad aimed at women, it had massively overstayed its welcome. And now I hate it. I was always like "are you guys sure there isn't another "go on, get out there and live your life, girls!" type of song out there right now? You have to use the same one that everyone else used? Stop biting!
lol - it made me cringe in that protectionist way because a song I like was being used in a commercial - but otherwise, I kinda liked the approach. It was much better than the everything-in-white-clinical-blue-liquid-on-a-pad BS they do. I don't know one gal who bleeds Windex.
I don't go to gyms or listen to hits radio - maybe that's why I never heard that rain on my skin song? I escaped this one, but can't say the same about dozens of other annoying songs.
There was a good thread over at VG+, about this, including the input of several who work in the industry.
Personally, I try not to watch adverts. But one theme that keeps cropping up since the use of Vashti Bunyan, is the endless use of folky songs, old and new, combined with a soft, faded colour scheme, and some vaguely creative/green/ecological tag line/concept. Like, wow, you like folk music!? Your product must be green then.
Haha...The commercial,if i recall starts w/ a Black College Marching band.I was like, "ok whats this about'......and bang, Tampax...OOF. Almost made me wanna get some.
Yeah, it does seem really odd. I read the article around 2002 or so. It was when that movie came out about his life. I remember reading something to that effect. I don't remember the exact numbers, but they seemed like they were confident in their research. I couldn't find the article again though. The basic point was that the record sold as much the week of the VW ad as it had previously sold in its existence. Maybe you're right that it was referring to its original release only, but that doesn't sound like good writing to me if they excluded any reissues. Who knows, maybe Pink Moon as an individual album did low numbers. Not counting Fruit Tree or anything else.
I don't know what commercial it is, but the song has been hammered into oblivian for about a year now. The song has been ruined two times over. I thought of this thread when my iTunes shuffle played the song last night, and I "unchecked" the tune forever.
What is VG+ ?
It was actually a cooler rockabilly song when the Rock-A-Teens did it in 1959. Hearing the 5-6-7-8's godawful remake, at a hardcore punk tempo and with that one girl's cutesy, nasally voice, makes my blood boil.
Ouch -- haha -- I didn't know it was a cover. Knowing it hurts you more numbs my own pain.
Yup, that's the one! And they never did anything like it again...
You wanted to get some periods? Wow! That's good advertising!
It sucks when ads use songs you like for the typical reasons and it sucks when they use songs you hate cause then you hear it all the time.
Here's a list of songs and ads
That song has been used regularly for the past five years (?) or so, so somebody's making some loot, but just the mere fact that we can't remember what product they're using it for kinda defeats their purpose! I hope.
Mick Jagger's Charmed Life could have been used for something so much better than a Dell commercial.
Music used well in Ads:
J. Ralph - "One MIllion Miles Away" for Volkswagen
Space raiders - "Beautiful Crazy" for Adidas
RJD2 - "Ghostwriter" for Wells Fargo
Wax Poetic w/Norah Jones - "Angels" for Royal Elastics
It's the re-branded vinyl vultures forum.
the 5-6-7-8's are a bad look all around.
What a horseshit song.
massive difference there...
I always liked the Itunes/Ipod ad with 'Mi Swing es Tropical' (name might be off a bit) by Quantic + Nicodemus.... but man do I hate that "rain on my skin" track.. damn that lady is rich now.
What is this horseshit song?
I can't stand it either, but I am morbidly curious.