Music Dealers

You’ll get all that this Sunday as Smashing Pumpkins will debut a new song…via a Hyundai commercial…that will air during the Super Bowl.

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Poor Yo-Yo

Toyota and Urban Outfitters are teaming up to bring music fans a compilation of new songs from some pretty cool bands – all for a buck – and all to benefit independent radio stations.  Sound too good to be true?  I thought so myself, but check it.

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So yeah, apparently this is for real.  And slightly surprising.  It’s hard enough to find brands who leverage music wisely to advance their own cause, let alone those who actually give something of quality back to the consumer.  But here we have two brands that not only deliver on that, but also do so in the name of aiding indie radio.  And they’ve even previously extended the promotion with in-store shows, after-show parties, and fundraising drives, showing they know how to get the most out of their partnership with music.

No Age play for indie radio

Of course, Toyota and Urban Outfitters are likely doing all this in an effort to simply look cool and ratchet their brand image up a notch or two.  And it will probably work.  But hey, when they’re practically giving away new music while trying to raise awareness for independent radio stations, well, let them try to be cool all they want.

Still not sure if this will exactly make me buy a Yaris or hit up Urban Outfitters more frequently.  But for Toyota anyway, it at least starts the process of making amends for scalding my ears with their “Saved by Zero” jingle all fall and winter.

If you haven’t seen Pepsi’s new anthem spot, it’s worth checking out.

While usually I’d decry the uninspired selection of a song as cliche and outdated as “My Generation” for use in a commercial, the new twist Pepsi puts on the 60s anthem is creative.

Starting with Pepsi’s incarnation in the early 20th century, the spot takes us on a history lesson while it weaves some early western stylings, swing, 50s doo-whop, 60s psychedelia, 70s disco, 80s hip hop, and 90s grunge into the song’s grooves in a way that makes the song sound fresh, while still maintaining the original’s integrity. And in the process, the spot not only draws attention to Pepsi’s heritage, but also tells a little story about the history of music as well.

However, conspicuously absent from this spot is any music from the current decade (what do you call this decade anyway?  The 0′s? The single digits?  The first ten years of the 21st century?).  Based on the end tagline, “Every generation refreshes the world.  Now it’s your turn.”  I guess they’re leaving it up to the audience to decide what today’s representation of music should be.  Kind of the lazy way out, but I guess that’s better than them deciding it’s Britney Spears or Nickelback.

So, what do you think it should be?  What should be the music styling that represents this decade when Pepsi updates this anthem in twenty or thirty years?  (Hopefully via something other than a Who song from the 60s).  And if you say Britney or Nickelback….well, you’re wrong.

Here’s a cool digital music distribution idea from electro act, Groove Armada, and global spirits brand, Bacardi, that builds upon the partnership the two forged almost a year ago.

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Hard to believe that the pyramid template for music sharing hasn’t been used in this manner before, but apparently this is the first time.  And as Bacardi’s branding agency affirms, this file sharing system “encourages and rewards consumers for sharing music in a legitimate fashion” and that it is indeed a “new model challenging the traditional music industry model.”

In addition to allowing their music to be distributed in this manner, Groove Armada will also provide music for Bacardi advertising efforts and perform at several Bacardi-contracted shows as part of their partnership with the brand.

Bacardi has engaged in music partnerships before, and this latest endeavor proves again that they are a brand who’s learned to harness the power of music, and leverage it in new and exciting ways that make sense for their brand identity and marketing strategy.  Maybe they could give Citibank or Sears some pointers.

What type of company could enlist the likes of Kanye West, Thom Yorke, Stevie Wonder, Lil Wayne, and Coldplay, among others, for an ad campaign that will span TV, radio, print, out-of-home, and online? The type that pays tribute to and bestows awards upon these artists.

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It’s no coincidence that most of these big music stars also happen to be up for major awards at this year’s Grammys.  So, not only are they reciprocating the academy for recognizing them by being part of this campaign, but a bigger audience for the Grammys means a bigger audience for them, which will lead to bigger album and concert sales for them.  So, of course they want to help.  They’re essentially advertising for themselves.  Kind of shameless.  But this is the music business.

This multi-million marketing campaign – which is the biggest in Grammy history – is in response to the ratings for last year’s show which were the lowest in 16 years, along with the dismal ratings for this year’s prime-time Grammy special that announced the nominations.  Clearly, people are losing interest in the Grammys.  Perhaps that’s because they’re pretty much a joke.  And becoming more so every year as they continually honor the safest and least compelling music being made today.  (I mean when your “most prestigious award” – Album of the Year – has gone to the likes of the Dixie Chicks, Celine Dion, and Christopher Cross, you may have a problem).

But nonetheless, it’s nice to see major artists of all genres coming together for a similar cause.  Even if that cause is themselves.

Here’s an actual cool idea from the land of Hollywood, where there’s a dearth of cool ideas these days.

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Advertising Age has released their “runner-ups” that didn’t make the  cut for “Ad Songs of the Year” (as previously discussed here.)

Again the general criteria here is “taste and creativity,” although  the author’s don’t deny that their own musical tastes and preferences  come into play.  Naturally.   Just as you can argue ad nauseam over  what makes one song or band better than another (with certain  exceptions of course – for example, there is no argument that Rage  Against the Machine is better than Linkin Park), the same can be said  of such a list as this.  But it makes for interesting discussions  nonetheless.

Of note here is that both Apple and Sears have used the same song for  ads, as detailed by the inclusion of Brendan Benson’s, “What I’m  Looking For”/iPod spot on this list.  That companies as disparate as  Apple and Sears, with advertising at opposite ends of the spectrum (as  noted here) , can use the same exact song for marketing purposes either points to  music’s inherent flexibility and capacity to derive a variety of  emotions and interpretations – or is just another example of laziness  on the part of marketers that they land on the same song out of the  hundreds of thousands out there.

Also of note is that Radiohead finds themselves on this list.  Yes,  that Radiohead.  The fiercely progressive band who go out of their way  to shun the mainstream and even went around the record business with  their last album by selling it exclusively online and allowing  consumers to decide how much to pay for it.  That such a strong-willed  and ambitious band is willing to lend their music for advertising  purposes, points to the power and value of such corporate partnerships  for musicians.   Or I suppose it could also point to all the money the  band lost by allowing consumers to name their price on their last album.

Heartbreak, drug abuse, big butts. There are a variety of places where artists find inspiration for their music. But a winning t-shirt in a design contest? Never heard of that one. But that’s apparently what inspired Tex Mex band, Calexico’s, latest song, “Absent Afternoon.”

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Okay, so this was all part of a partnership between Calexico, and shirt company, Threadless, where the band agreed to create an original song based on the winning t-shirt in a Threadless contest. So, I guess Calexico was going to be “inspired” by whatever t-shirt was declared the winner. Which, at best, seems like a little forced creativity. And at worst, like a bit of a sham.

But having a band create a song based on a winning entry in a company-sponsored contest certainly takes branding partnerships to a new level. And a Calexico song inspired by a t-shirt is still better than a Bon Jovi song inspired by anything.

Twenty-one years after Nike used The Beatles “Revolution” in a  commercial and twenty-eight after is death, John Lennon finds himself  in another TV spot.  And he actually finds himself in it – not just  his song.

Yep, following the lead of Orville Redenbacher Popcorn’s unearthing  and digitizing Orville himself or an ad campaign a couple years ago,  a non-profit organization has decided to bring Lennon from he grave  to implore audiences to donate laptops to needy children.  And this  has created a mini-controversy in the marketing world.

Though the cause is admirable, it is a little creepy to hear and then  see the deceased Beatle iscussing a technological tool that didn’t  exist until over a decade after his death.  And there are seemingly  some Orwellian boundaries this ad pushes.  Lennon may very well have  supported this cause had he been alive – but is that for a marketer  (and Yoko) to decide?  And though he may support the cause, would  Lennon support putting assumed words into the mouth of deceased
celebrities and using them to push a cause posthumously?

It seems like merely using Lennon’s image or one of his songs would  have been enough.  That in itself would given the spot and cause the  credibility it was looking for.  Having Lennon digitally speak these  words seems to take it a little too far, and looks like an ad agency  trying to show-off.  But then again, using merely a song or image  likely wouldn’t have garnered the talk value that using Lennon has.   Which has also likely led to more laptop donations.  Which is  ultimately the point.

So, this spot very well may be a success.  But does that it make  right?  I’m not sure.  But as long as this doesn’t start a new trend  and we soon see Jerry Garcia selling BK Whoppers or Tupac shilling for  Kia, then this one is okay with me.