Ad Songs (and questionable soundtrack choices) Of The Year

This comes from a MediaPost story, by Charlie Moran, published 12/15/08.

1. SAUL WILLIAMS: "LIST OF DEMANDS"
NIKE SPARQ TRAINING



2. SANTOGOLD: "CREATOR"
BUD LIGHT LIME



3. YAEL NAIM: "NEW SOUL"
APPLE MACBOOK AIR



4. ENNIO MORRICONE (BANDINI REMIX): "L'ESTASI DELL'ORO (THE ECSTASY OF GOLD)"
NIKE



5. LIARS: "CLEAR ISLAND"
TIMEX IRONMAN

- can't find the video

6. THE KINKS: "EVERYONE'S A STAR"
TARGET/CONVERSE



7. ROBERT PLANT AND ALISON KRAUSS: "KILLING THE BLUES"
JCPENNEY'S AMERICAN LIFE





8. RUBY SUNS: "OH MOJAVE"
MICROSOFT

- can't find the commercial

9. VASHTI BUNYAN: "TRAIN SONG"
REEBOK

- can't find the commercial

10. CLOUD CULT: "LUCKY TODAY"
ESURANCE.COM
It's a music video! It's an ad! It's a music videad! It's the band Cloud Cult, fully animated in a TV spot for Esurance, but there isn't a sales pitch to be found. The Minneapolis psychedelic-pop band had traditionally shunned marketers, but the DTC insurance company won them over with some hard-fought green credentials. The result is a charming spot that not only fits in with the visual style of the band, but also features one of Cloud Cult's best songs.



MOST QUESTIONABLE AD SONGS

1. "SAVED BY ZERO"
TOYOTA

2. WILL.I.AM: "ONE MORE CHANCE"
BLACKBERRY
This isn't technically an ad, but when a "music video" contains this many gratuitous BlackBerry product shots, it counts in our book. The Will.i.am clip for "One More Chance" even contains a meta ad for the smartphone, as in a literal outdoor bus stop ad that the Black-Eyed Peas front man seems invisibly tethered to for most of the first minute -- roughly all you need to see before you can switch it off.

Can't embed - view here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsZ67wZeGVk

3. FIVE FOR FIGHTING: "WORLD"
SEARS

4. THE PUSSYCAT DOLLS
BALLY TOTAL FITNESS
At this point in their careers, The Pussycat Dolls have become one of those groups that seem to have more fans in the marketing world than the real world. The group's new album was a commercial and critical Hindenburg, and we're not sure who's more out of touch: marketers who think the ladies still have a handle on pop music or prospective Bally's members who would want to mold themselves in the Dolls' image.



5. THREE DOORS DOWN, "IT'S NOT MY TIME"
COKE'S MY COKE FEST

6. MADONNA: "4 MINUTES (TO SAVE THE WORLD)"
SUNSILK

7. FRANKIE VALLI: "CAN'T TAKE MY EYES OFF OF YOU"
JOHN MCCAIN

8. JET: "ARE YOU GONNA BE MY GIRL"
BUDWEISER


9. THE TING TINGS: "SHUT UP AND LET ME GO"
APPLE IPOD

10. VARIOUS: "LOVE REVOLUTION"
KOHL'S