Creative solutions we like

I think one of my first memories of a song from an advert that really stuck in my brain (and this unfortunately shows my age) is “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” by Marvin Gaye in the Classic 1985 Levi Launderette advert. For anyone that wants a reminder from Nick Kamen of how to be the coolest guy on the planet…

http://youtu.be/Q56M5OZS1A8

Levi’s have always been the company that have great theme tunes for their adverts… The songs are generally a hit in the charts too!

I think “I’d Like to Buy The World a Coke” does the same thing but in the opposite (and arguably harder) direction by creating a chart success from an advert jingle blurring this line between music as a backing track and music as the force majeure.

Interestingly, despite being hated by the public [at first] to the point radio stations then refused to even play the New Seekers track, the agency [McCann-Erickson] eventually did manage to convince Coca~Cola to make a TV advert of it. (I’m sure you’ve seen the ad… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfU17niXOG8 )

“I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke” has undoubtedly created lasting connection with the viewing public so much so that advertising surveys consistently identify it as one of the best commercials of all time, and the sheet music continues to sell more than thirty years after the song was written.

I wonder how many other advert “jingles” crossed over in to mainstream music?

obviously as a spring chicken myself I would not remember such antiquities… until last night, when “the Gadget Show” on Chanel 5 parodied this very advert whilst laundering USB memory sticks in the most bizarre “test of strength” a product should ever be subjected to.

My memorable advert has to be the wrigleys gum, Bad Company ‘all right now’ where their on the bus sharing the chewing gum.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-M3AjO1F-vo

it’s true adding to the Levis Chart toppers, the smoke city underwater love. The song always fits in with the product their selling

Levi’s started it with the Nick Karmen AD. It was the first AD of it’s kind It even increased Boxer Short sales dramatically.

Unfortunately whenever I hear a good song in an AD Like ‘Venus Furs’ by Velvet Underground (Dunlop – Tested For The Unexpected) It ruins the song for me.

The only exception to this is the ‘heartbeats’ Ad by Jose Gonzalez (Sony bravia advert) but I think it’s because I had never heard of the song before.

I would also say that we tend to remember the song rather than the product.

I remember thinking, that never happens to me!

I forgot that one another great ad that appeals to human nature – well male human nature anyway. The best songs are normally a few years older and cool classics.

ooops – Alright Now was by ‘Free’ and used in the 1989 advert – Bad Company was formed by Paul Rodgers (the current Queen singer) over a decade alter. they did cover the track but not until 2002.

Oldies 1 – Youngsters 0

I think the ‘Here Comes the Girls’ (by Sugababes) which is the Boots advert song, whenever I hear it I think of the Boots adverts, particular their Christmas gifts adverts.