Feist's "1 2 3 4" has been one of my favorites from The Reminder since the album was first released, but now I'm growing a little tired of it. Why? Oh, that iPod Nano commercial I see every time I turn on the television. Commercials have made previous favorites a little annoying too — it was an AT&T commercial that finally put me over the edge on Peter Bjorn & John's "Young Folks."
But not everyone feels the way I do. Last week, Yahoo reported that searches on the song and on Feist had jumped hugely since the commercial started to air and people wanted to know more about the mesmerizing song. So I'm wondering: How do you feel about songs in commercials? Do you ever discover new music that way, or do the constant airings of the tunes just grate on your nerves?
Principles
Yoox
Tod's
That ipod nano commerical is actually how I found out about Feist's music. Ha ha, I'm actually listening to it right now.
1AAh! I've been wondering who does that song on the Nano commercial! Thanks for saving me from having to google the lyrics! LOL
2Commercials can make or break songs. Once you've seen the commerical too many times a person usually goes "I never want to hear this again".
3I like it most of the time--however I agree with mizlynz--they killed Jet's "Cold Hearted b*tch" for me after they played it to death in their ipod commercials. Before that it was one of my favorite workout songs.
Even itunes has a special collection of "songs from commercials" so that you can easily find those songs that might not be so obvious.
4the song from the lacoste touch of pink perfume ad drives me insane!! and it seems they just re-record it wiith a new singer evrry time they re-release it!! aaaagh!!
*deep breath*
5I was just thinking about how Feist's song is stuck in my head. Great promotion for Feist and for the iPod Nano. Overall,I don't mind music laden commercials; most are clever and certainly memorable.
6I like them when used properly. If it feels like the company is reaching too far, then it's just embarrassing. The itunes commercials often turn me on to new music. And oddly enough, I enjoy Feist's 1-2-3-4 better when watching the commercial. When I first listened to her cd, that song wasn't even one that I liked.
7I often search for and wind up buying the songs from iTunes commercials. They're responsible for turning me on to The Fratellis.
8in japan, they show the name of the song at the bottom of the screen in pretty much every commercial. the top song in the country when i was there a few years ago was a big, grandiose ballad from a commercial. it's pretty intriguing, and could be really handy when you really want to know what the song is.
and i heart me some feist.
9I love it because they use GOOD songs! I fell in love with The Polyphonic Spree and The Fratellis thanks to the ipod commercials. If they were playing crap, it would be another story!
10I love the new ipod nano commercial and in general I love when they put music in commercials. There are exceptions though, like the new JCpenny's commercial. The music for that commercial is so annoying.
11I can barely listen to Feist PERIOD at this point without wanting to shove a sharpened pencil in my ear.
Same for Peter Bjorn and John.
I dig good music being used in commercials. Unfortunately, they do get played out more quickly though as a side effect. Thats just the way the cookie crumbles.
12The first times I'm like "Sweet song! This ad is so cute." Liek that Telus one with the fish "All I wanna do is talk to you..." I used to lvoe it, but now...I can't stand it!!!
13I had heard Feists song long before on perezhilton....its a really cute video too.
14If it wasn't for the Victoria's Secret commercials I would have never discovered Portishead.
15I hadn't heard of Feist before that commercial came out, but now I've downloaded the whole album. It's funny, but it's not the first time that I've gone, "Hey that's a really good song" and googled it after hearing it in a commercial.
161234 was my favorite song before the nano commercial; now I'm a little sick of it.
17Songs in commercials can be really great for hearing new music. But, I hate it when old songs are used for commercials in ways that cheapen the song. For example, the Target add that use "Hello Goodbye" by The Beatles. They changed the wording so it sounds like the song is saying "Hello, GoodBUY". That REALLY annoys me.
18it's great because i have found some really good music through commercials but... they always make me hate the songs that i love that are provided in commercials.
19I always find new music because of commercials, it's great as long as the commercials aren't played a thousand times a day.
20I only hate them when they are a song that's specifically produced for the commercial. There was an M&M song a couple years ago that I went NUTS trying to find, only to find out that it was a song made for the commercial and I couldn't get my ears on it! BOO! I like the Target commercial's music; Old Navy and The Gap, and iStuff.
21They're okay but after awhile when you hear it for the 1000th time I begin to hate it.
22I think it's a really good way to hear new music.
23My flatmate heard that Ipod Feist advert and now she has the song as her ringtone.
i hate it. it REALLY annoys me the way beatles songs are put into commercials, especially when you KNOW the remaining beatles/family members are against the commericalization of their songs.
24I hate that Fecking song, if i even start to hear the 1,2,3,4...i run and mute it or turn it off. Bjork rip off if you ask me. I hate music in songs, when they put "unbelievable" by EMF in a friggin Cheese commercial and titled it "crumbelievable" i knew that they couldnt rip the 80's off more!
25I like how they bring new music, but then the market gets bombarded with the song and it kills it. For instance, I can’t listen to the Zed Zeppelin song because it reminds me of car commercials.
26Love Feist, love that Cat Power song in the jewelry commercial, love the Carly Simon-James Taylor duet in the perfume ad...nope, they don't bother me a bit...
27I'm tiring a bit of '1 2 3 4' but I will say the advert is a good one.
28I love finding out about music through commercials, hate having music I already love be played to death.
29They do get annoying after a while.
30It used to piss me right off, but now I don't mind some, they seem to fit the commercial.
31I guess I would rather they use a decent "real" song, than an idiotic jingle.
I was just thinking yesterday that if that darn Mini Wheat doesn't shut up soon, I'm going to stab my ears!
I am sure several people have already said this, BUT, it's like a bad and a good thing. It gives the artist exposure and lets you hear a new sound or band, however, if you already like the song you are going to hate it now that it's main stream or mass-music.
I personally love it for the advertising effect it has.
32Volkswagen commercials always have unique, peaceful songs. Whenever I see their commercials I always think "I've got to download that off iTunes!" I just like how the song never overpowers their product, but it makes you sit up and notice.
33The kinds of tunes that annoy me are from comedy shows when they make up a song and then sing it in a way that sticks in your subconscious!!! I saw MADTV today and had that very thing happen!!!! I really hate that i can't rid myself of this cheesy one line song!!!
34I agree the commercials have introduced me to music I might not have listened to, so I'm okay with the risk of hearing it too much!
35The key for a commercial using popular music is that it needs to fit, and it needs to be extremely creative. I absolutely love it when it's done right! The iPod Nano with Video commercial does a well enough job of selling the product while showcasing Feist, but with the advertising bucks put into it it's hard to see the commercial less than three times in one hour. It is easy to get sick of (though, I haven't. I still sway in appreciation).
Look at Old Navy's advertisements, which are getting the same ardent marketing push. The advert features Ingrid Michaelson's "The Way I Am" which can get just as tired and annoying as "1234." Yet, the commercial is overlooked (probably because Old Navy lacks the "i" prefix in its sweaters). And, from what I've seen, no one seems to be sick of the song or the commercial.
The only time I ever get sick of music in a commercial is when it's absolutely obtrusive and doesn't fit, or when the ad isn't particularly interesting. This is the case for that (worst commercial EVER...I prefer the Head On commercials over this) carl's jr advert, "flat buns" (which I think is collectively hated by anyone who doesn't resemble one of the schmucks in the commercial). Or Heineken's recent commercials which feature a bottle and the pussycat dolls, or a dancing robot with a keg in her stomach and some egenric techno beat playing.
How often can we stare at a tiny video of Leslie Feist and others dancing which an iPod is switched around. It was a nice commercial but does not have staying power. Apple managed to evolve the iPod commercial into video from silhouette, but failed to give the commercial siblings that would keep it fresh. I don't think anyone complained about the old iPod commercials back when it was just an animated silhouette and funky music playing, simply because the consumer had options. It wasn't just The Ceasars' "Jerk it Out" every single time!
36I'm so glad you posted this! My husband recently asked who was singing that song, when we saw the commercial for the millionth time. Now I can tell him who it is.
37I don't mind it at all. I DO learn about new music that way.
38I have been wondering about the nano commercial! Most of the time I enjoy te songs on commercials, like I still love Hello-goodbye which is in the Target commercials. I always get caught singing along =)
39I love them. I don't watch commercials a lot so it is nice to hear new songs. :]
40It can be annoying, and I used to get tired of songs in commercials pretty quickly, but thanks to my DVR, I barely ever watch 'em now!
41I love them, but that Ipod song I despise. Her voice is treacherous.
42I love most of them, mostly he ones Apple airs. I really like Feist's song 1,2,3,4.
43it makes me sad when songs i like are in commercials - its like if they are too popular then i stop liking them a bit, plus those two songs you mentioned seem to be everywhere! i feel like i listen to them enough so i don't bother playing the albums as much.
44This commercial/song is a completely different reaction from one I would normally have. At first, I could NOT stand that song. Then it grew on me and I searched it. Now, I love it! I kept replaying the video on YouTube and searched the lyrics so I could figure out what she was saying. I also needed to figure out if it was Bjork!!!
I like it!!!
45I love that song, I hear it on this site as well!
46I love that song, I hear it on this site as well!
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