Fanta Taps Into Kids' Unlistenable Conversations

Mobile App Produces Sounds We Old Folks Can't Hear

Posted by Charlie Moran on 12.03.08 @ 02:31 PM

A couple years back, a British company called Compound Security unveiled a product called The Mosquito, a high-frequency sound device intended to keep young hooligans away from town squares or other hang-out spots. As we get older, our ability to perceive pitches in the upper reaches -- around 20 kHz -- diminishes, and this security tool was intended to annoy the bejezus out of the baggy pantsed youngsters just cold loitering, all without affecting the town elders who ostensibly couldn't perceive the sounds at all.

Of course kids were smarter and used the same frequency as a ringtone on their mobile phones so they could be covertly notified of new text messages in class. Now, with the help of Ogilvy and former Human League band member Martyn Ware, Fanta thinks it's figured out a way to squeeze even more use out of these new-fashioned dog whistles.

Mixing Business, Pleasure and Brands

MSG Chairman, Cablevision CEO Shows Passion for Synergistic Riffing

Posted by Mike Tunnicliffe on 12.03.08 @ 12:05 PM

A great example of how passion for music and the business of music and entertainment can fit together so well has just popped into the SFS mailbox courtesy of Ticketmaster, with an offer for customers to download a free new album by JD and The Straight Shot.

The 'Prince of Darkness' Resurfaces to Sell

Ozzy Osbourne's Eccentricities Highlighted in Spots for Samsung, Blizzard

Posted by Mike Tunnicliffe on 12.03.08 @ 11:17 AM

Ozzy Osbourne hits the screens in two separate endorsements this month.

The first one, for the Samsung Propel phone, has the mumbling rock star trying to order coffee, take a cab and visit his therapist. Unfortunately no one can understand poor Ozzy's mumblings, not even the barista at the coffee house, so he texts him his order for "black coffee" using the Propel. Later, a taxi driver can't understand Ozzy, so he texts the cabby his destination, and finally Ozzy performs the same routine with his therapist, who naturally finds this quite disturbing.

Lil Wayne Grabs the Ball From LeBron James

2008's Biggest Rapper Steals Thunder in Nike's Basketball Spot

Posted by Charlie Moran on 12.02.08 @ 10:33 PM

We're not sure how late we are on this; some sources say it dropped during Thanksgiving, others say it's been floating around a while longer. Either way, no one told us that this Nike basketball spot features Lil Wayne reveling in airborne chalk talc and then wisely wiping it off his kicks. Oh yes, there's also some guy named LeBron James and others too, including a young woman who earned national attention after she was denied the opportunity to play basketball with boys. We have no idea why the Dunkin' Donuts man is here.

Once again, it's a sports ad sporting one of the best songs of the year; this time it's "Candy Man" by Cornershop, a righteous anthem that's making us think there's something to this "professional sports" stuff that we should look into.

Adidas Kicks It Old-School for 60th Birthday

Stars Come Out for Classic 1980s Hip-Hop House Party

Posted by Mike Tunnicliffe on 11.28.08 @ 03:03 PM

England and LA Galaxy soccer star David Beckham has joined a diverse group of other stars including Katy Perry, Estelle and Missy Elliott for a new Adidas commercial that's essentially a 60-second house party snapshot. Soundtracked to Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons' 1967 hit "Beggin" remixed by DJ Pilooski, the ad also features hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons, rappers Method Man, Redman and Darryl "DMC" McDaniels and The Ting Tings.

Sony and Bloomingdale's Make Healing Waves

Holiday Auction With High-Profile Artists Benefits Musicians on Call

Posted by Mike Tunnicliffe on 11.28.08 @ 12:16 PM

Whilst we've had misgivings about the relevance of some of the recent fashion and music collaborations, Bloomingdale's has put together a neat tie-in with Sony in aid of the charity Musicians On Call, which brings live and recorded music to the bedsides of patients in health-care facilities and promotes the use of music to complement the healing process for them, their families and caregivers.

Savaged by Zero

'Ring,' Toyota Ad Mash-Up Sums Up Our Economic Horror Story

Posted by Charlie Moran on 11.24.08 @ 01:48 PM

This mash-up of Toyota's "Saved by Zero" jingle and "The Ring" captures our current economic horror almost as well as the ad for the Pembroke Pines, Fla., Dodge dealer offering a buy-one-get-one-free deal on Ram trucks.

[Via Laughing Squid]

Anatomy of a Song Promotion

The Fray Strike Far-Reaching Deal With ABC

Posted by Mike Tunnicliffe on 11.21.08 @ 11:34 AM

Within a week of The Fray's song "How to Save a Life" appearing in "Grey's Anatomy," sales of the single shot up 283%, according to Nielsen Soundscan. Subsequent sales eventually hit over 2.5 million downloads as ABC and channels in other countries used the soundtrack in trailers for the show.

This appearance, along with other notable acts and songs such as Snow Patrol's "Chasing Cars," marked the coming of age of shows like "Grey's Anatomy," "The OC," "Gossip Girl" and others as one of the highest-profile methods for bands to gain exposure. Now The Fray are back with ABC in a partnership that pushes the boundaries of these tie-ins to new levels. From a report in Billboard:

In a commercial break from the tense elevator confrontations of the Nov. 20 episode of "Grey's Anatomy," a one-minute promo with scenes from the upcoming season of ABC's "Lost" will premiere the Fray's new single, "You Found Me," as well as parts of the music video. Viewers will be directed to abc.com, where they can find a three-minute version of the clip as well as a link to iTunes; there they can buy the single, which will be released to radio the next day.

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Luke Bryan Is Your New Drinking Buddy

Country Musician's Single to Be Sold Alongside Miller Lite in Stores

Posted by Charlie Moran on 11.18.08 @ 04:27 PM

Luke Bryan is a young, inoffensive country musician who sings about exactly two things: getting drunk and being kuntry. Unlike his peers, he's handsome in a suburban way, and his most popular ballad is perhaps the most touching conflation of God and automobiles since "Plastic Jesus."

He's the guy who slept through astronomy in the back of your lecture hall with his cowboy hat over his head, but he was always willing to tap the keg for you and save you from looking like a wuss in front of your girlfriend. Now, Bryan can accompany even more guys in their alcoholic pursuits, because Miller Lite has arranged to have his single, "All My Friends Say," sold alongside the low-cal brew in stores for the next year.

Does Every Brand Have a Sound?

SFS Blogger Returns Home With Overview From Experts on the West Coast

Posted by Mike Tunnicliffe on 11.18.08 @ 02:35 PM

After a globe-trotting couple of weeks, the full SFS team is finally back together in New York. I've just returned from NARIP's "Bands, Brands & Beyond Expo" in Los Angeles, where I presented at the keynote. The National Association of Recording Industry Professionals confab was a well-attended and well-designed event with a large contingent of industry leaders and an impressive line of speakers, some of whose comments I've noted below: