Music in ads: Ain't it good, ain't it right?

Posted: Monday, July 07, 2008 6:00 AM by Gael Fashingbauer Cooper
Filed Under: TV commercials

Don't worry, Multi-link Monday fans. That feature isn't gone, but I want to get back to the TV commercial contest this Monday. We'll offer up five more time-wasting links next week.

For now, let's talk about music in commercials. Not jingles or songs written just for the ads ("five...five dollar...five dollar footloooooong"), but commercials that use well-known songs in the hopes that if we like the song, we'll transfer that feeling to their products.

I've written in the past about the hilarity that ensues when someone at the ad agency doesn't listen to all the lyrics of their chosen song. (I call this the "Here comes Johnny Yen again" rule.) That kind of inattention still cracks me up -- feel free to mention new examples of it in the comments.

Maybe it's because my musical tastes are stuck in the past (like Anna's!),  but I am especially drawn to ads that resurrect old tunes that I didn't even realize I was missing until I started hearing them again. (I also loved the use of  "Shambala" in "Lost.") Here are a few favorites.

I LOVE EGYPTIAN KINGS
At the risk of overdiscussing it, one great use of music in commercials is the much-praised Discovery Channel "boom di ada" ad, which uses a great old children's song ("I love the mountains...") and fills it in with words relating to Discovery Channel shows. From our discussions here, it's definitely a contender for best ad of the year. The song and concept are irresistible even if you didn't sing the song as a kid.

MAC AIRBOOK IS A NEW SOUL
When the beautifully thin Mac Airbook was introduced, Apple put out a commercial displaying how tiny the computer is. Yael Naim's "New Soul" plays in the background ("I'm a new soul...I came to this strange world...") Personally I found the song charming and perfect for a new product introduction, but some of you commented that you found it as annoying as a computer virus. You might appreciate this parody.

VIVA VIAGRA
We've already sliced and diced this commercial, but I can't let it go without comment. Apparently impotence inspires otherwise normal men to sit around and jam while ruining perfectly good Elvis songs, making the lyrics all about their, uh, issues. (Fans of "The Warriors," the drummer in this ad is Dorsey Wright, who played Cleon in that movie. "WAARRIORS! Come out to PLAAAAAY!")

ROCK ME GENTLY
Andy Kim's 1974 hit "Rock Me Gently" is the centerpiece of one of my favorite current ads. It features a man driving his Jeep through the woods, singing, as various animals drop in through his open window and sunroof. A squirrel and two birds join him and sing along, and then a wolf sails in, swallows one of the birds, and sheepishly spits it out while the singalong continues. I think this ad hits for numerous reasons -- the animals are cute, the song is a catchy tune that was ripe for a revival, and the overall ad is a sweet little vignette. Even the swallowed bird resurfaces uninjured. One problem: Although I've seen this ad a dozen times, I had no idea what it was for until I Googled it (Jeep Liberty).

Share your favorite (and least favorite) uses of music in commercials in the comments.

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