Songs on Commercials

[ForeverAutumn]

That's the rub...if it seems like a sell out, it is, but how is it any different than a movie soundtrack? Because its selling something.

The song itself isn't selling something, is it? It's really just providing the soundtrack for the commercial. Are you going to run out and buy a Mazda or take your family to McDonalds (in your new Mazda ) just because The Flaming Lips or The Shins provide the soundtracks for the commercials?

If you follow Troy's logic then a movie is just as bad as a commercial. The song was sold for something other than it's original intent...unless the song was written specifically for the movie.

Put Michael Jackson or Britany Spears in a Pepsi commercial holding up the can and that, to me, is selling out. They are actually seen hocking the product, purposely trying to influence a targeted market to purchase it. But using a song as a backdrop for a commercial? I just don't see anything wrong with that.

[Dusty Chalk]

Are you going to run out and buy a Mazda or take your family to McDonalds (in your new Mazda ) just because The Flaming Lips or The Shins provide the soundtracks for the commercials?

You'd be surprised. In the same way that I refuse to buy anything as a result of spam or popups, if I like a commercial, and I'm in the market for its product, and the product does not suck to high heaven (E.G. I might be in the market for beer, and I like Budweiser's commercials, but I'd never drink the stuff), then yeah, I might buy it.

[shokhead]

Like i've said before,you guys dont know who has the rights to these songs. And if the Artist does,it isnt a sellout,its his to do as he likes and any of us would do it for some bucks.

[daigoro]

I hate for ANY quality music to be used in commercials. It is the best way I know to make you hate a song that you love next to over playing by the radio. One of the perks of listening to smaller bands is that you used to be able to avoid both these pitfalls.

Now you can't turn on the TV without hearing Modest Mouse or Massive Attack. Ugh!! And you may as well never buy a Tarantino soundtrack cuz you'll be hearing ALL of it as bumper music within weeks of its release. On that note, I can't even watch Kill Bill now without having flashbacks of car commercials. Way to ruin a great movie!

I think now is the perfect time to kill my television set once and for all!

[MomurdA]

Seriously, I hear that song from Kill Bill at LEAST 5 times a day, and I watch tv for 2 hrs a day at the most.

[KEXPMF]

You'd be surprised. In the same way that I refuse to buy anything as a result of spam or popups, if I like a commercial, and I'm in the market for its product, and the product does not suck to high heaven (E.G. I might be in the market for beer, and I like Budweiser's commercials, but I'd never drink the stuff), then yeah, I might buy it.

I was SHOCKED to find myself absolutely enjoying a Budweiser commercial the other day. I was driving in Kansas City and listening to a song that stopped me in my tracks. I said, "If this is a real song... I'm getting this immediately. I was that catchy." Yes, a Budweiser song, in this snob's ears. It really got to me. But about 1/2 way through it, the music snob pessimist in me said, "WAIIIIITTT A MINUTE...OH NO. Somehow, I have a feeling this is going to be a beer commercial" (the lyrics just had that 'vibe' for some reason). And I was right.
It made me think, "What a bummer... this band, probably some unknown, obscure, starving little band, could have probably had a huge radio hit on their hands but they gave it to Budweiser."
I'd love to find out who the band was though. Maybe they have another jem up their sleeves.

[Dusty Chalk]

Yeah, there was a Sprite commercial like that a couple years back, too.