Consumationist

Last week’s tutorial wandered around the presence of popular music tracks in TV advertising… an interesting scenario in relation to questions around production and consumption, and process of marketing music. It has to be noted that in recent times the floodgate has opened in regard to the amount of songs being used and the alacrity they are picked up for use (while the track is still very much in the charts and thus in youth awareness). Until this recent shift, the use of popular music in TV advertising was seen as counter to credibility and even progress. The notion of being linked with a product or service was generally seen by artists as a form of cultural devalue… the song placed in the role of a virtual jingle removed some aesthetic quality and suggested the possibility of “selling-out”. Yet when you think about it, given the fragmented state of radio and audiences for this media, the capability to reach a larger audience in a possibly more specific market (per ad placement on various shows that attract specific audiences for the duration) in a much more repetitive manner (a few times an hour rather than once every hour or so) thus being able to establish a more effective engagement of interest (taking in account the attention directed at the TV as well as the not so subtle shift in volume that seems to be apparent for ad breaks), it could be clearly debated has more impact. Of course to enhance this choice as a significant one, it should also be noted that the owners of the copyright (record label and publisher) also make revenue from the track being licensed for use in the ad… and ultimately the artist receiving this income per the arrangement they have with their copyright owners. This of course complicates the relationship between the production and consumption of music in parallel with the production and consumption of the products or services that the music then becomes linked with. But it should also be noted that generally the artist has to clear this particular use with both the record label and publisher, thus the artist has agency in choosing to have their music connected with a particular product or service. So at present we have a high profile Jet track used in a Vodaphone ad, in that sense it continues the high profile of Jet via another media, but then also links Vodaphone with the contemporary youth presence of Jet. Coming in the near future we have Bob Dylan placing music in a Victoria’s Secret lingerie commercial, which seems to run counter to his past persona, yet serves as strong medium to re-engage with an audience which may possibly be denied to him in radio media. Possibly this has arisen from music never released to radio yet via use in a TV commercial and the degree of repetition established a demand for the music, such as the track used in the Mars Bars ad. Interesting premise to see where it goes… advertising as much as it comes down to the choice of the artist, in general I tend to find it such a banal use of music but whatever...


Otherwise the newish band EAGLES OF DEATH METAL that includes Josh Homme from Queens of the Stone Age have caught my attention. Need to check their album “Peace, Love & Death Metal” out. Hopefully soon. Still waiting to get the new albums from Phoenix, TV on the Radio, !!! and eventually Beastie Boys. Time to wait.

Ummmm... many thoughts crystallising on the local/global thing... please note as much as I haven`t made mention of local or national artists in this blog I'm quite interested in what has happened and is happening... more soon!
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