Ads Using Alternative Music to Grab Trendy Youth

By DIANE SEO

May 7, 1998 12 AM PT

Until recently, Crystal Method’s music mostly has played in smoky dance clubs, alternative radio stations and concerts and on stereos of Gen Xers who favor pulsating electronic sounds.

But now, the Los Angeles-based duo’s hard-driving music has broken through the consciousness of a much larger audience, with tunes from last year’s “Vegas” album appearing in the latest commercials for Mazda and the Gap.

Although album sales haven’t risen dramatically since the high-profile spots appeared, Outpost/Geffen Records is betting the group’s next single will connect with a much broader audience when it is released next month.

“People will recognize their sounds from the commercials, and that could put them in a bigger, more mainstream circle,” said Stefanie Lees, the group’s publicist.

When launching a new artist, record companies typically lobby radio stations, MTV and VH-1. But increasingly, there’s another outlet on their lists: advertising agencies.

In recent months, advertisers have seized on a trend to use electronic, techno and other alternative music in their commercials. Along with Mazda and the Gap, the latest spots from Volkswagen, Swatch and BMW and upcoming ads for MasterCard feature cutting-edge music from artists not widely known in the United States.

Advertisers are experimenting with edgy, unique sounds as a way to appeal to hip young consumers and avoid the hefty costs of licensing music that already has topped U.S. charts. Licensing fees vary, but music from lesser-known artists generally costs less than a song such as the Rolling Stones’ “Start Me Up,” for which Microsoft reportedly paid at least $4 million to use in its Windows 95 commercials.

Many companies--including Burger King and Motorola, which recently launched an ad campaign featuring the Rolling Stones song “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”--still rely on well-recognized tunes to sell their products. But top-notch advertisers such as Volkswagen and Nike have proven that alternative music can work, and their success has inspired others to tap their own up-and-coming artists.

Michael Rutka, creative director at W.B. Doner, the ad agency that produced the Mazda Miata spots, said Crystal Method was selected because the band’s high-tech dance beat reflects the image of the car.

“The Miata is not a car for everyone,” Rutka said.

For their part, record executives are turning to advertisers because it’s become increasingly difficult to get radio stations, MTV and VH-1 to play music by new artists. Some artists still decline advertisers’ offers, but more are recognizing the positive impact a prime-time TV appearance can have on their careers. (The Verve, for instance, saw its song “Bitter Sweet Symphony” explode in popularity after Nike featured it in a spot during this year’s Super Bowl.)

“If a song gets played on a national ad, the reach is tremendous,” said Dan Nathanson, vice president of strategic marketing at Warner Bros. Records. “Advertisers have gone from being followers to taking leadership roles in breaking new music. Last year, they played a lot of music of the ‘70s. Now they’re trying to be cutting-edge and experimenting with new music.”

Meanwhile, radio stations have become more followers than leaders, choosing to play established performers over newcomers, said Vicky Germaise, senior vice president of marketing at Atlantic Records.

“It’s more and more difficult to break an artist through traditional means, so you’ve got to look outside and go to products that hit the same demographics,” she said.

Record labels generally want to link their artists to fashion and beauty brands, sporting goods, sporty cars and other products favored by youthful, sophisticated audiences who like alternative music.

Artists tend to get the most payoff when they’re attached to a catchy commercial for a brand or product with an already-hip image, such as VW or Nike. When the synergy is there, sales of both the product and the music can take off.

But advertisers know they run the risk of turning off consumers if they use cutting-edge music that doesn’t match their products. Meanwhile, record labels have to be careful not to place their artists in poorly produced commercials.

Despite the risks, deals flourish.

When selecting music for last year’s Volkswagen campaign, advertising copywriter Lance Jensen tapped his favorite college song--a goofy single from the German band Trio that began, “Da Da Da.” Although the song made the European charts when it originally was released in 1982, it never attracted a large following in the United States.

But after the commercial aired, radio stations across the country were swamped with callers demanding to know the identity of the band.

The minimalist pop group’s label, Mercury Records, jumped at the chance to reissue the now-defunct band’s album and ended up selling 300,000 copies in the United States.

Jensen, who works at Arnold Communications in Boston, again raided his own CD collection when choosing music for this year’s high-profile Volkswagen Beetle commercials.

This time, he selected British alternative bands Hurricane #1, Spiritualized, Fluke, Stereo Lab and the Orb for the quirky spots. With song titles such as “Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space,” and “Little Fluffy Clouds,” the music is drawing attention.

Although none of the bands have achieved the success of the Verve, VW spokesperson Tony Fouladpour said the company has been bombarded with inquiries about the music. To accommodate consumers, the car maker has listed musical credits on its Web site.

Jensen said he picked the music, not as a way to promote some of his favorite bands, but because it matched the spirit of the Beetle.

“The music carries an emotional vibe that’s good for the spot,” he said.

This summer, another Mercury Records artist will be featured in MasterCard commercials airing during the World Cup. French composer Eric Levi, known as Era, already has sold 2.5 million albums in Europe. But he has yet to break through in the United States with his ethereal pop music using vocals, harp and a 60-member choir.

Not all artists have gotten breaks from their commercial appearances, however.

BMW used music from techno artist Paul Robb in its latest ad campaign. Although BMW has seen its sales rise since the ads launched last year, sales of Robb’s previous CDs have not gone up.

Part of the reason could be that Robb created music specifically for the ad campaign, which means people can’t buy the fast-paced BMW song. But Andy Messenger, president of Mess Hall, which produced the music for the BMW spot, believes people had a hard time tracing the music to Robb because he wasn’t promoted as part of the commercial.

Swatch, on the other hand, has helped promote British artist Midge Ure, whose music was featured in the latest commercials. It sells Ure’s CD in Swatch stores.

After the Swatch spots ran in Europe, Ure became a big hit in Italy, Switzerland and Germany. Ure hasn’t yet broken through in the United States, where Swatch ads began appearing this spring.

Carlo Giordanetti, Swatch’s vice president of marketing in the United States, said the watch company chose Ure because it wanted an artist that isn’t considered mainstream.

“It marries well with the Swatch philosophy,” he said. “We’re not about establishment. We’re more about discovering new things.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

New Grooves

Advertisers increasingly are using cutting-edge bands in their commercials in an effort to reach hip young consumers.

Volkswagen Golf

Band: Trio (now defunct)

Label: Mercury Records

Song: “Da Da Da I Don’t Love You You Don’t Love Me Aha Aha Aha”

Type of music: Techno minimalist (originally released in 1982; reissued in 1997)

Mazda Miata

Band: Crystal Method

Label: Outpost/Geffen Records