| I would buy-into the idea that quite a few people only know the song from the chorus ("born in the USA"). But the general public apparently has a short memory for complete song lyrics (or just enjoys a good catchy jingle.) In the past decade I've heard: a. A song about raping and pillaging (Led Zepplin/Immigrant Song) used to sell Cadillac SUVs. b. A song about a deadly disease (Gang of Four/Anthrax) used to sell Burritos and Tacos. c. A song about random hook-ups in Texas (ACDC/Thunderstruck) used to sell... not sure what it was pitching... Apple commercials are sometimes vague. d. A song about kidnapping pretty women (Johnny Guitar Watson/Gangster of Love) used to sell whatever the hell it is Axe is selling. Though using the Ronettes "Be My Baby" to sell Cialis seems to be about right. All good rock songs are about sex, so using a song about hooking up to sell a product that makes it easy for old dudes to hook up seems spot on. I think my point is a) Bruce Springsteen and Brian Eno had TONS of great songs before "Born in the USA" and various Talking Heads tunes and b) people don't listen to song lyrics when interacting with commercials. If they did, they sure as hell wouldn't eat at Taco Bell. (Though I have to admit, using "Anthrax" in a Taco Bell ad was inspired culture jamming. So... hats off to whichever random ad creative who snuck that in under the radar.) Also... if you're analyzing ads based on song lyrics, I think you've missed the point. The advertisers aren't expecting people to listen to the lyrics, critically analyze them and then attempt to relate those concepts to the product being advertised. Music in ads is (pretty much) exclusively there to establish an affective context. It's sort of like they're saying "hey. remember this song! remember when you were young and didn't have a mortgage and were dating that crazy blonde chic? this product will make you feel like that." |