wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

Soundcheck asked Josh Rabinowitz, senior vice president and director of music at Grey Group, for a list of the best in music and branding in 2008. And because Josh works so fast, he gave us two! (See above: He apparently can’t even sit still for a headshot.)

In 2008, the worlds of music and branding produced several noteworthy partnerships, as well as some incredibly cool track usages for broadcast TV and Web advertisements. Sadly for the music industry, the branding equation wasn’t the savior that they had wished for – yet. But as the music industry continues to change from a recording-based trade, to a digital- and media-led business, branding will be a vital way for those who create and produce music to actually make money from it.

Here is my Top-5 list of newsworthy branded music initiatives. (It will be followed by my Top-5 track choices for 2008)

1. TAG Records
In April, Procter & Gamble Co., the world’s largest marketer, partnered with the record label Island Def Jam Music Group to launch a record label tied to its TAG men’s deodorant and body spray. Jermaine Dupri, the Atlanta-based rapper and music producer, was named president of TAG Records. Is this highly-hyped initiative trying to boldly go where no brands have gone before? Check out the TAG website.

2. Chris Brown “Forever” Single, or should I say Jingle?
Chris Brown’s Top-10 hit “Forever” was actually an extension of a jingle done for Wrigley’s, an updated re-do of the “classic” Doublemint jingle from the 1960’s. Fans of the hit were bewildered when they heard Brown sing/croon the lyrics “Double your pleasure, double your fun.” But it all made sense (and cents) when the jingle hit the airwaves months after the single’s Jive records March release. Here’s the ad.

3. Groove Armada and Bacardi
In March, Groove Armada and Bacardi struck a partnership, which saw the British “electronica” act issue their forthcoming tracks through the drink’s brand and perform live at various Bacardi-branded events, which took place across 25 dates and five continents throughout the year. Apparently, the band’s members, Andy Cato and Tom Findlay, have been drawing a salary from the liquor brand. Not a bad way for a band that was hip ten years ago to stay afloat in today’s challenging music business.

4. “Love Song” Sarah Bareilles, Hit Song!
“Love Song” was the Grammy-nominated first single released from Sara Bareilles’ 2007 album Little Voice. It is rumored that the tune was written as an unashamed retort toward her record label Epic for requesting that she write a “marketable love song.” Ironically, or not, the label did little to make it a marketable love song – but a Rhapsody commercial pushed it up, and it finally cracked the Billboard Hot 100 in January of this year, jumping to No. 9, where it stayed for four non-consecutive weeks before peaking at No. 4. The single was recently certified 2x Platinum by the RIAA. Watch the video here.

5. Will.i.am’s Viral Music Video “Yes We Can”
In January, producer and artist Will.i.am teamed with director Jesse Dylan (son of Bob Dylan) to release a music video called “Yes We Can.” The Bob Marley-like anthem turns the Illinois senator’s Jan. 8 New Hampshire primary-night address into lyrics performed by Will.i.am, as well as almost 40 other actors, celebrities and athletes, including John Legend, Kate Walsh, Aisha Tyler, Amber Valletta, Taryn Manning, Nicole Scherzinger, Common, Scarlett Johansson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Herbie Hancock and Nick Cannon. Here we have an example of great music reverberating through passionate artists with a strong message – maybe the most important message of our time. Now that’s branding!

Top 5 Tracks

1. “New Soul”, Yael Naim (Apple)
Israeli born, Yael Naim’s track “New Soul” became a global smash because of it’s use in the Apple Macbook Air Ad. Not only did Billboard Magazine claim that getting your song into an Apple Ad is the best of their top-100 ways to get “Maximum Exposure”, but the track’s simple refrain, coupled with Naim’s French-Tunisian-and-Isralei Tinged English vox, and backed by her out of tune piano vamp, tattooed the song in millions of consumer-come-fans frontal cortexes. It is rumored that the song was discovered by Mr. Steve Jobs himself.

2. “Star Spangled Banner”, Marvin Gaye, Nike
If like me, you watched Marvin Gaye sing the national anthem at the NBA All-Star Game in LA on TV in 1983, you were so floored/moved/stirred/etc. that you tried to find a copy of it but to no avail. Not until a Gaye Box Set came out in the early nineties, on audio cassette only, were you able to hear it. Thank goodness for YouTube, and thanks to Nike’s Spot “United We Rise” for tapping into that magic of Marvin, who at that LA performance was armed with only a first generation drum machine (programmed the day before by Gordon Banks), and connecting it with the spirit of the Redeem Team (aka US Olympic Basketball Team). Not the greatest of Nike ads, but certainly one the greatest rendition of the Star Spangled Banner ever done.

3. “Journey”, Michael Montes/Sacred Noise, Canon
Canon did a crazy cool advert called “Journey” where the producers accumulated 70,000 photographic images from its Rebel One Camera, and created a beautiful :30 narrative of a child’s football journey. The soundtrack was composed by Michael Montes of Sacred Noise. Not only was the piano track soulful, spiritual, and mesmerizing, but tens of thousands of people have watched as various enthusiasts demonstrated how to play the piece on Youtube. Sonically iconic.

4. “Space Oddity”, Cat Power, Lincoln
Cat Power’s cover of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” used in the Lincoln MKS ad may not be the penultimate version of the classic song (Seau Jorge’s bonus track version on the “Life Aquatic…” film soundtrack may arguably be the best), but man does it grab your attention. When she bends the words “tom” and “grade”, as the triplets “to-o-om” and ”gra-ay-ade”, this unique styling certainly makes the song her own (dare I say sui generis?), and thus in this case, Lincoln-MKS-ownable as well. I guess the car guys had enough money back then to convince her to record the song specifically for the ad.

If you do not see the video please install the latest flash player.

5. Oren Lavie, “Her Morning Elegance”, Chevrolet
Oren Lavie’s Song “Her Morning Elegance” was a great choice by Chevy Malibu in their spot entitled “Baby”. His voice conjures up memories of Nick Drake to some (whose song “Pink Moon,” in my opinion, is still the best use of an existing master on an ad ever). Apparently Lavie didn’t own a car when Chevy licensed the tune. Wonder if he does now?