sellin' out

Though I fully understand that many artists license their music for advertising purposes, namely commercials, I have always wondered why they opt for certain brands over others. Now while being paired with a "cool" product with a great campaign behind it will definitely break any artist, as is the case with apple ipod, their are certain products which are completely devoid of any cool factor and do absolutely nothing more than pay the bills.

I also wonder if being featured in one of the latter type campaigns can do more damage then good. After all, true fans will find themselves thinking wtf!? and possibly question why they would sell out and have their beloved music used in such a misplaced way. Case in point: Spank Rock's "Bump" featured in a Wishbone commercial!? Yes, the dressing! I'm sure you'll have the same reaction:

Now, if used in a proper way, featured music can add a certain cool vibe to a potentially cool product while also returning the favor. A perfect example of selling out to a "proper" product is Santogold. Her song "Creator" ( I know the idea of it being used to sell anything is innately wretched!) is used in the new Bud Light Lime. Though I must admit that I have yet to try the beer, I feel that the commercial at least encourages me to try it. And if I had no idea who santogold was, I would have immediately googled it after viewing this:



So bottom line is, selling out is part of the game, very few judge this in 2008, but choose wisely when lending your songs to any product. The perfect product pulls double duty, accentuating both the product and showcasing your music. Make sure that you the artist will also benefit longer than the check lasts, because as a fan I must admit that I am watching. So, if it is going to be something lame at least do it over seas, so that I don't find myself channel surfing and stopping cuz I hear your song, only to realize I'm being sold Preperation H.

FIN