Television Ads

[~WaterDragon]

Okay, I’m kinda curious what everyone’s take on this is…. I’m just thinking of all those commercials on tv that have these pop singers/artists doing the music (ie Pepsi, Chili’s). What would be your opinion if say one of us EGN artists happen to be heard on an ad? Say for example that you were in another room with the tv on and you heard a synthpop song. You look at the tv and see one of us re-doing the Pepsi song.

I remember it happened a lot in the 80’s (Pepsi with Robert Palmer and Caramello with Peter Gabriel to name a couple I remember), but I mean what if it happened now.

What would you be thinking as you were seeing this? What would you tell a fellow EGN’er? Would you be thinking that they were a “sell-out” or congradulate them for getting the exposure?


“…and remember, this is for posterity, so please be honest” :laugh:

[~KissTheStar]

What? What the hell is is a sell out anyway.... ???

sell out???

where do I sign???


~Craig

[7red7]

I'd give them a huge smile, and congradulate away!!! Any positive exposure to the scene is good exposure...There is no such thing as a sell out, just fairweather fans...

And I'm with Craig, sign me up, hell I want to be on t.v., and make some good money while doing it...Besides, I could be wearing my band's t-shirt, or sporting the EGN t-shirt in the commercial...How's that for double exposure :)

[~WaterDragon]

I hear ya, buddy.... that's the kind of comments I wanted to hear! :)

[~raven0us-]

i think it would ruin a good song.. ive seen several songs murdered and some that were murdered to begin with on tv. its just too overexposed.. to the point where you want to change the station because you see it every 10mins. i mean, its just annoying and pointless. brainwashing it is! it would be great yeah, for the fact its being heard by billions of people.. but if its played enough, it becomes a nusence or whatever that word is.

[test]

Well, I hope that the original artist would be doing the song on the commerical. I am thinking of Just Can't Get Enough used for the GAP commercial, I believe it was. They had someone else singing the song and it ruined it for me. If it was the original artist and a song I liked, I would probably scream and bounce around my house singing it each time it came on. :)

[~PTInc]

I have absoutely no problem with seeing our scene getting exposure whether Juno Reactor is in the TOmb Raider trailer or Hate Dept is in a maxi pad commercial. Im all thumbs over here.

[~Joevirus]

But the bands you brought up from the eighties were top 40 bands. Peter Gabriel and Robert Palmer were both big big names back then, not "underground". Pepsi has a POP singer (miss Spears), and that boy band on Chili's, Blink 182 in car commercial. It's the same now as it was back then. Top 40 artists.

Now, with my generation now in the director's chair and in the marketing business, I have heard Download in a car commercial, Dirty Vegas in a car commercial, TONES ON TAIL is even in a car commercial! So finally a little underground has gotten out there, but the major companies are still going with the top 40.

I would love to be top 40, or help sell a Volkswagon. Hell, I'd help sell depends if they asked!! (and paid)

[test]

Hi Gang,

This is Aidan from Empire State Human. Regarding electro artists' music appearing in TV & Cinema adverts. I thougth that you may like to know the following ......

Last Summer we had a piece of our music called 'Chimes' in an Sony PlayStation 2 advert called 'Anything Can Happen'. This Ad was on TV & in the Cinema all over Ireland and featured on the follwing TV Channels
RTE 1, Network 2, TV 3, TG 4, UTV, Channel 4, SKY One & SKY News.

We have re-recorded a new verison of this piece of music, which will feature on our new album 'Alpha & Omega' with Ninthwave Records. This will be our 3rd full lenght release on 2002 and we're hoping it will be out in time for our live debut in New York City on October 5th.

Regards,
Aidan
ESH
www.empirestatehuman.com

[~chriswdc]

I do not see any danger of the synthpop underground being overexposed any time soon. Synthpop has virtually no exposure to mainstream audiences now...at least in the United States. I do not believe a synthpop musician is a sell out for earning a living and putting food on the table while doing what they love to do.

[~raven0us-]

hate dept doing a maxipad commercial.. now THAT i -have- to see.

BWaHaA AHHAHahah AHhHAHAHHAHHAHAHA >¦D

[NoirTech]

I say go for it. I wouldn't consider it a sell out, unless they changed everything about the song because they were told to, and made it more poppy or just made it not synthpop/ebm whatever. I would like to see some good music on TV....that's for sure.

[~WaterDragon]

Thanks for the input, to all. But......... it kinda went the wrong way. Not that that's a bad thing, it was nice to hear that side, too. What I meant by the question, was a remake of the company's song(s). Like the Pepsi song. Not an original song being WAY over-played or as Steph brought up, an original song being performed/sung by someone else. But like I said, it's very good input all the same. :)

[~PTInc]

Originally posted by raven0us-
hate dept doing a maxipad commercial.. now THAT i -have- to see.

BWaHaA AHHAHahah AHhHAHAHHAHHAHAHA >¦D

It was a loop of Hit back or Anger Impulse off their new album. It ¤¤¤¤in rocked!!!!! \m/ ):> \m/ Definately one of the coolest commercials I have ever seen.

[~darklink]

On a side note, the dude from EN does music programming for MTV, which is why you may notice alot of cool industrial rock type stuff on shows like road rules (acumen nation, dj acucrack,. smg, 16volt...

and Nothing tops the time I was watching NFL football and they used the ambient intro to jesus christ porno star, and later on a loop of exhile on mainline as beds! That rocked.

[~synth19]

Didnt the Echoing Green have a song featured in a commercial last year..was it Pepsi? hmm...dont remember

[~chriswdc]

Originally posted by WaterDragon
Thanks for the input, to all. But......... it kinda went the wrong way. Not that that's a bad thing, it was nice to hear that side, too. What I meant by the question, was a remake of the company's song(s). Like the Pepsi song. Not an original song being WAY over-played or as Steph brought up, an original song being performed/sung by someone else. But like I said, it's very good input all the same. :)

In general, I do not think it would bother me to have a synthpop artist remake a Pepsi song or something to that effect. It would really depend on the song, how it was done, and the context of the ad to determine if it was objectionable.

For example, N'sync's material does not appeal to me..nor does their image in any way. So I am not a fan. Upon seeing their Chili's desert island commercial, I felt embarassment for them. First, what a tacky ad. Second, what a horrible song. Lastly, a group who has had more than substantial success in the music business is in there performing it. I thought it was pretty terrible. Terrible for them...and I do not even care for them. But at that moment I was slightly sympathetic. I am sure they received some nice cash..but I would have felt humiliated to have done a commercial in that way.

[~zoggoz]

The only problem I have with mainstream exposure. Is eventually major labels step in buy out indie labels and the artist water it down make to many changes and run off with the profit. I'v seen it happen to many times.On the other hand its nice to see A group you like get some decent exposure film scores are fine Pepsi commercials are not.