Using Classic Rock in TV Commercials: Good or Bad Thing?

Question

My gut feeling about this is "bad thing". Has been for years now. (since '87 when Nike used the Beatles' "Revolution")

I still don't like it. I mean, take a song like Sly & the Family Stone's "Everyday People" used to sell cars to me, reallly cheapens the songs legacy & original context. Though hey, if Sly Stone needed the cash (he hasn't had a hit since like, 1973), then OK.

But unless a parent or much older sibling intervenes, it seems today's youth are discovering the classics in either or some of these ways:

-self-discovery via Internet
-tv ads
-video games

It's a *little* sad to me, but none of them asked to be born when they were. (like we didn't either)

On the positive side, however, if even ONE kid hears "Black Dog" on some car commercial & it sparks him or her to jump over to iTunes or where ever & get it & in turn, delve further into Zepp's discography, mission accomplished.

What say you?

sarah, you know what we like about you? (& I think many of us older folk here would agree w/ me)

Your youthful enthusiasm. :)

As long as young people like yourself exist, I have no doubt the classic rock flame will be kept alive. :)

Answer 1

Effective but pretty tacky would be my vote.

I see the upside you're talking about, but very few commercials show you who is playing. If they all did that and it was mutual advertising then it would be cooler, but it becomes "you know...the song in the VW commercial."

Answer 2

The game has changed. TV is the only way new indie music and forgotten rock classics are being heard. Sly is a very good example. "Everyday People" had fallen through the cracks. What do you hear on radio but "Dance To The Music?" We all know Sly had many more hits than that.

With Radio 1 and Clear Channel dictating everything heard on radio, kids' exposure to the vastness of classic rock is extremely limited in scope.

Every band I've met that has been honest has answered my question about getting into the industry with "To meet chicks and make money". Seems like TV ads are a way to make money; they're on their own with the chicks thing.

Answer 3

I think that it's a good thing. The day I first heard one of the Beatles' songs in a commercial, I was very surprised. I remember when they had said they'd never let their songs be used for commercial purposes. But this exposes a new generation to music they would otherwise not know about. I've seen numerous requests for music here, just from commercials that were on TV.

Good thing. Besides, sometimes that's the ONLY place you can hear those songs. Sadly they're not getting the airplay they used to.

But it's nice to see a new generation rummaging through the dreams of their parents and grandparents. You can almost feel the excitement they have, just like we did the first time we heard it. Welcome to our world.
:)

Answer 4

I think of myself as *SO* lucky to have grown-up on Classic Rock ~ in the days before it was used on adverts.
The nearest we got back then was the BBC using the instrumental bridge of Fleetwood Mac's 'The Chain' as the title music for the Formula 1 Grand Prix!

Here in the UK the use of Classic Rock on ads is quite different ~ not nearly so many of them!
The only ones I can think of are :~

She's A Rainbow ~ Rolling Stones {Sony Bravia TV}
You Can't Always Get What You Want ~ Rolling Stones {Apple Mac computers}
Third Stone From the Sun ~ Jimi Hendrix
{Car ad ~ can't recall which!}
Itchicoo Park ~ The Small Faces
{Marks & Spencer's ladies clothes}
Albatros ~ Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac {M&S food}
Samba Pa Ti ~ Santana {M&S food}

Answer 5

It sucks when great songs become like Prof. said "the song in the ______ commercial." Yes it exposes them to some good music, but I don't think many will delve deeper. I sometimes get excited when I hear a great song on the TV, but usually get discouraged when I see its used to advertise something stupid. Today, you have ELO in a Sears commercial, Soft Cell in a Taco Bell commercial (i know, not classic rock) and the list goes on and on and on.

The good side was that it was through a Volkswagon commercial that I discovered Nick Drake (who I love).

Answer 6

Makes me want to belt out a few verses of my favorite new song......this one goes out to Sookie.

♫ Viva Vi-AG-ra, Viva Vi-AG-ra ♫

You can make the case that it does cheapen the legacy. However, since everybody else is doing it with very few exceptions, you could also say that the artists all have equal footing. Plus, when you get right down to it, was Viva Las Vegas truly one of the great classic rock songs? To me, it always seemed more like novelty kitsch. I have to agree with you in that these commercials are likely the only realistic avenue most of the younger generation will discover the classics.

Answer 7

Using classic rock in a commercial is ok, but you got to be original and not use the same things over and over again. Seriously, I've heard enough of Iron Man and You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet always used to glorify trucks and their so called "badassness".

On a related note, that Nissan commercial annoys the **** out of me.

Answer 8

I'm in the same place you are on this one, Fonzie.

I kinda cringe when I hear these songs on TV - it's hard for me to imagine Led Zeppelin, The Beatles or even Elvis ("Viva Viagra" *grrr*) writing these songs with the intent of selling products. It seems kind of cheap, and by being featured in these ads it cheapens the meaning and the history of these classics.

But I was lucky enough to have members of my family and some friends that were into this kind of music, and they introduced it to me. Not everyone gets an introduction like that, and I guess that is the silver lining.

Edit: lovnrckets - *giggle* Thanks.

Answer 9

It's a good&a bad thing whatever way you look at it..It's bad because there are some songs from ads that, either because they're overplayed, or the context they're in, gets unbelievably irritating and can make you HATE what was a really good song!!
However, in saying that, it introduces people to these bands, and revives their music...
Hmmm, tough question really!
Star for you!

Answer 10

Well, I'm just gonna tell you now, no kid is introduced to classic rock through commercials. I've yet to meet anyone who listens to classic rock and heard it through a commercial. Most people I know just associate some amazing bands with commercials, and that's just terrible. People I know think the Who's Bargain is a jingle made for car commercials. ELO's Do Ya' mean nothing to them but the Monsters commercial. Someone actually called me "lame" for "listening to advertisement music" (oh yea... and MCR isn't commercial?). The songs being on commercials just puts them out to be jingles and not actually songs, they just become background music, and that hurts.
Kids might actually be turned away from classic rock by the commercials (it cheapens the song), because the songs get so overplayed and associated with products, most of the people I know who listen to classic rock get it through their parents or through mainstream bands saying they draw influence from classic rock.

Answer 11

I am going to say generally bad, primarily because of the lost meaning. But using music has been done for years, and if the band who made the music is comfortable with it, i probably shouldn't sweat it. It would abhor me to have wacko jacko sell all of the Beatles catalog to phone companies for cheesy ads!