Advertising Shortcuts: Cheating Songs

Clorox Fashionably Clean : Featuring : Thao – Bag Of Hammers

I fall for it every time. There is no denying the fact that it is cheating, but I still fall for it: A commercial rolls onto the screen and it carries a friend of mine along with it, and I’m hooked. I connect. Advertising that works is all about connecting. People don’t really want to be sold anything, but they do want to feel like they are a part of something larger than themselves. A vibe. A coolness. So, being a people, I fall into this trap when a clever advertiser borrows an artist’s hard-earned cool for a commercial.

This is how my thinking goes:

“(gasp) How did they know about that song? It’s such a cool/indie/obscure/totally-not-radio-friendly-omagodiloveit song! And someone at Clorox likes it, too! Clorox gets me! They understand me! I love Clorox!”

Rational? There is not an ounce of lucidity in that stream of consciousness. It wears off, eventually, but now I have a new affinity for the product when I’m shopping. Employing cool songs for instant connection is one of my favorite advertising shortcuts. Here is a collection of a few well-flaired cheating song commercials that are currently airing in living rooms across America: …

“New Lobby” Courtyard by Marriott : Featuring : Throw Me The Statue – Lolita

GE Today: Healthymagination : Featuring : Joshua Radin – Brand New Day

Summer Costs Less at Walmart : Featuring : Zee Avi – Bitter Heart

Parking Garage Honda Insight : Featuring : Rabbit! – Together

Miller Chill’s Summer Serenade : Featuring : The Dodos – Fools

And the spot that sparked my desire to become a professional persuader:

Nike “Revolution” : Featuring : Beatles – Revolution