playing themselves out.

…and get the hell out.

as i have stated many times before – i watch too much t.v.

add to that the time i spent working at a certain mid-wilshire advertising agency, and it’s fair to say that i have spent a good portion of my life watching commercials on television. while nobody at ogilvy and mather is kicking down my door to solicit an opinion, i’d like to think that i have an eye for amusing and/or interesting approaches to marketing. i certainly believe i have an ear for good music.

when these two worlds collide it usually makes for some terrible results. on the soundtrack for t.v. ads you will usually find cheese dick retreads of baby boomer classics performed by someone other than the original artist. and if the originators are contributing the song? often times you discover that its a desperate last grab for money resulting in the musician playing themselves out. however…

lets be honest. some ads feature brilliant music, which further proves the point that nothing in this world is completely awful or completely good. from the perspective of the musician, it has to feel like a slimy way to become exposed (or further appreciated) to a wider audience. nevertheless, i can think of a few artists who produced some fantastic work that might have been ignored or forgotten had madison avenue never stepped into the breach.

instead of praising those making a sales pitch, i’d like to take a moment and appreciate the fact that some great music has found a way to invade spaces that it otherwise never would have. these videos below are some my favorites, but there are so many other great songs in commercials. feel free to post up some of your own.

******

the walkmen – we’ve been had
saturn ion

john lennon – instant karma
nike apparel

soft cell* – tainted love
levi’s jeans

air – playground love
levi’s jeans

the flaming lips – the w.a.n.d.
dell inspiron computers

*yes, i am aware how ironic it is that i’m using material from a band named “soft cell” to rail against advertising exploiting music. paradoxes are fun… enjoy the ride.