"In this sticky web that we're all in, behaving decently is no small task." -- Novelist Stacey D'Erasmo

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Mad Men Love Baby Boomers

     I saw an ad on TV the other day for Lenscrafters Featherwates that features the song "Up on the Roof" and made me think once again of how often our advertisers hark back to the 1950s, '60s and '70s for their background music. It just makes you think:  even in our youth-obsessed culture we Baby Boomers are still relevant!

     Actually, one of my first blog posts, The '60s Live Forever in Ads in Nov. 2010, focused on this very phenomenon. But there's lots more to report on since then.

     An ad for the 2014 Chevy Impala features Frank Sinatra's 1964 song "Fly Me to the Moon."

     Stevie Wonder's 1972 tune "Superstition" provides the background music for a Bud Light commercial.

     Target went back even further, to 1958 and Connie Francis singing "Fallin'" for an ad about a line of clothes.

     AT&T rounded up several oldies, from John Denver to Creedence Clearwater Revival for their Road Music 4G ad.

     Or, how about this R-rated ad for Carl's Junior and Hardee's charboiled fish sandwich with Bobby Darin singing his 1959 version of "Beyond the Sea" ... and, oh yeah, featuring supermodel Nina Agdal.

     Mercedes Benz used the Rolling Stones "Sympathy for the Devil" in its 2013 Superbowl ad.

     And then there's this ad, for the Budweiser Clydesdales, which ran during the 2013 Superbowl. I'm sure you'll recognize Stevie Nicks and her 1975 hit "Landslide."


8 comments:

DJan said...

Amazing, isn't it? The time when I was growing up seems to have been the Golden Age for music. :-)

schmidleysscribblins.wordpress.com said...

Those advertisers know how to suck you in. Fortunately, I don't know most of these songs, so they can't get to me. Also, we mute the TV when a commercial is on. Dianne

stephen Hayes said...

Up on the Roof has always been one of my favorite songs and I did notice it on a commercial recently. I guess a sure sign that you're old is when your music is used to hawk merchandise.

Douglas said...

It's no surprise to me, I have been observing this for at least a decade. I know why they target us; we are the ones with money left (well, more of us than other demographics) and "they" want it, or at least some of it. Was it Carl's Junior which did that Paris Hilton ad where she washed a car and ate a burger? Why, yes, yes, it was...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9P1TTJrho58
But it didn't take you back withe music (though it was an old song: "I love Paris" updated.

Anonymous said...

My fav advertising song is a Ray Charles gem: "Hit The Road Jack! And Don't You Come back No More, No more".

Hum it next time you get a superficial urge to buy something you don't need nor want. Works everytime.

Olga said...

After watching a priest who did not even know my brother in law mangle his funeal service, I decided I woud definitely plan my own service in advance. It will definitely involve a sound track of my life. With luck (?) I could live long enough to include some classic RAP. Sorry to take your post in this morbid direction.

avenueroo said...

Songs in "Goodfellas"

Joanna Jenkins said...

I hadn't really thought about it before but now that I do, you're absolutely right. Nice to know at least our music is still relevant to marketers.