Barcodes in commercials, wristwatch credit cards, and bathroom broadcasts are just some of
changes we're going to see as advertising keeps on blending with entertainment - a Report by Scott G (The G-Man).The very name "advertainment" sends thrilling vibrations up spine of anyone with marketing in their blood or communication in their genes. And it produces a strong shiver of disgust from many of my colleagues in music industry.
"I don't want my songs to be involved in advertising," they say, forgetting entirely that by wearing branded running shoes, a t-shirt hawking Fender guitars and a baseball cap emblazoned with Peavey logo, their very lives are involved in advertising. Plus, if they attend an awards show, they happily state brand and designer names of everything they're wearing.
They further ignore fact that radio itself is a form of advertainment. What gets played has little to do with musical accomplishment or artistic merit, but is directly related to backing of large corporate distributors. I have been told to budget anywhere from a quarter of a million dollars to $350,000 in promotional costs to obtain national radio play on (the appropriately-named) commercial radio stations. Is it any wonder that corporations are seeking ways to build a little brand awareness into songs?
Turn on any rap, urban or hip hop station and you can start counting product mentions in lyrics, some paid-for, some just happenstance. In electronic-pop field, I have done it myself. On my "Electro Bop" album are songs such as "Paranormal Radio" (which begins as a documentary about American Technology Corporation's HyperSonic Sound system), "Sheena Sez" (about talk radio host Sheena Metal), and "Check Tech" (about joys of watching TechTV channel).
Has this advertainment hurt acceptance of album? Not that I've noticed. Many e-mails from around world cite "Paranormal Radio" as their favorite track. Not one person has complained about ad messages, I assume because audience for my dance-oriented music is pleased to receive information about technology and a far-out rock-talk jock such as Ms. Metal.
Ads and entertainment go hand-in-wallet in many other ways, some pretty strange. In music alone, we have all wondered about Bob Dylan's "Love Sick" in Victoria's Secret commercials (not to mention Mr. D himself smirking between shots of lovely bodies wearing lingerie). But don't overlook Keith Richards in "Cover Girl" ad while "Honky Tonk Women" plays, or Willie Nelson's "Red Headed Stranger" in Herbal Essence spot, or Iggy Pop's liquor/drug/sex-soaked "Lust for Life" blasting throughout Royal Caribbean commercials. (Love to work with Account Executive who was able to sell that concept!) By contrast, Sting crooning from back seat of a Jaguar seems a very model of demographic compatibility.
And that's point: ads and public relations are routinely dismissed as silly, annoying, intrusive or a waste of time right up to moment when they are delivering facts reader or listener wants. Then, suddenly, sponsored message is viewed as helpful and instructive. Therefore, trick is to achieve right match between audience and message.
One problem is choosing your media. Just listing advertising outlets can be daunting: TV, radio, outdoor, newspapers, magazines, transit, direct mail, Internet banner. Many of these have subsets: paid inserts (advertorial) in newspapers and magazines, sponsored "newsbreaks" and infomercials on broadcast media, static or animated announcements at stadia, those dreaded 'Net pop-ups, brand names on sports uniforms and equipment (can you say NASCAR?), etc.
One of most enjoyable categories for producers of both music and advertising is viral 'Net marketing, which has had some notable success stories such as BMW Films, Seinfeld AmEx campaign, and of course, Burger King's Subservient Chicken.
