First time in my life I was not a proud fan of this band...

Gardenparty

The way i see it is the Target deal is already over. PJ sold them 1 million copies of BS (rumored at $5ea) and provided them with some tools to use in marketing the record. This was a one album deal

it's like a one night stand and Pearl Jams "walk of shame" is the commercial.

we've all been there

theoceansmademe

Evacuation Rules wrote:

I agree that the video/commercial is cheesy. It feels like something Bon Jovi or Nickelback would do. But I'm just talking about the style/cinematography, not the "sell out" factor.

I believe Cameron Crowe shot that and I think he has made a few movies, could be wrong.

The commerical simply states where you can find the album, it's not like they are trying to sell a Chevy with it.

That day may come, but this is a promotional tool so I see nothing wrong with it.

SomethingCreative

They are trying to beat the record labels...commercials and little publicity and plugging the album at shows are necessary.

starmap3333

you're cheesy

MAS

Gardenparty wrote:

it's like a one night stand and Pearl Jams "walk of shame" is the commercial.

Well put....

CopTheRiotAct

MAS wrote:

Evacuation Rules wrote:

I agree that the video/commercial is cheesy. It feels like something Bon Jovi or Nickelback would do. But I'm just talking about the style/cinematography, not the "sell out" factor.

For me it was a little of both...Just having Pearl Jam associated with some retail chain was weird.
Didn't seem llike them, know what I mean?

I dont think PJ the fanbase they used to be able to say "fuck you" to everything anymore. Their records sales will drop everytime between records.

Although saying that I dont like the ad either. If the performance for the ad was real, i would have liked it better, even with a target logo. I think its annoying that they made a fake crowd. etc.

They could have just used footage shot like LATG DVD. But from an 09 show.. would have looked better too.

MrBadWolf

It is all how you look at it. I guess you could view it as a "sellout" but it would be pretty ignorant. The band owns themselves and that is simply not the case with any major act or band. I see it as them rising above the machine using it, and truthfully everyone in America has access to target. Its totally funny, this is one band that has never danced like monkeys on a string and yet gets harped on by sixties burnouts looking superficially at them as "sellouts". . It ain't the 60's no mo peeps!

Evacuation Rules

MAS wrote:

Evacuation Rules wrote:

I agree that the video/commercial is cheesy. It feels like something Bon Jovi or Nickelback would do. But I'm just talking about the style/cinematography, not the "sell out" factor.

For me it was a little of both...Just having Pearl Jam associated with some retail chain was weird.
Didn't seem llike them, know what I mean?

Well I remember the commercials for "Yield", so it's a not a totally foreign thing to me. I just think the combination of the song (super poppy) and the in-your-face cinematography makes for a super-corny experience.

MAS

SomethingCreative wrote:

They are trying to beat the record labels...commercials and little publicity and plugging the album at shows are necessary.

Isn't pearl Jam at the stage of their career where they don't have to chase down the $$ anymore?
That should be at the beginning, no?

drsluggo

theoceansmademe wrote:

Evacuation Rules wrote:

I agree that the video/commercial is cheesy. It feels like something Bon Jovi or Nickelback would do. But I'm just talking about the style/cinematography, not the "sell out" factor.

I believe Cameron Crowe shot that and I think he has made a few movies, could be wrong.

Just because you make a movie doesn't mean that you can make a commercial, let alone make a good movie. I make movies too, but I don't wear pants and the critics just don't get it. It doesn't mean I can make a commercial or music video that isn't beyond cheesy

slightofjeff

It really isn't nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be. It's like eight seconds long. Really not a big deal.

purple_chick79

Vedd Hedd wrote:

purple_chick79 wrote:

blahblahblahblahblah

Don't like it, don't watch it, don't listen to it, it's this thing we have here called FREEDOM OF CHOICE.

Unreal.

Agreed.

And we needed yet another thread about it.

I KNOW! I didn't even come on here when I saw the commerical. I can just imagine everyone getting their panties in a twist.

Um, let's see, these guys have a career, they need to make money like many of us (all I would think) and without advertising themselves, how would people other than the privelaged ones in the fanclub know about a new album?

OH and Cameron Crowe did the video, do you people know who he is???

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001081/

Not to shabby if you ask me, but hell, what do I know, I liked the video.

SomethingCreative

MAS wrote:

SomethingCreative wrote:

They are trying to beat the record labels...commercials and little publicity and plugging the album at shows are necessary.

Isn't pearl Jam at the stage of their career where they don't have to chase down the $$ anymore?
That should be at the beginning, no?

Guess what...it costs money to make an album. To make it and mass distribute it without the help of a record label costs an incredible amount of money. I'm not saying Pearl Jam doesn't have the money to do it, but you can't honestly expect them to spend that much money doing it themselves and then not even fucking try to push the album.

potnik

MAS wrote:

SomethingCreative wrote:

They are trying to beat the record labels...commercials and little publicity and plugging the album at shows are necessary.

Isn't pearl Jam at the stage of their career where they don't have to chase down the $$ anymore?
That should be at the beginning, no?

They probably don't need to make any more money, but they are also trying to show bands that things can be done differently. As to being associated with a retail chain how is it any different then when they were under Sony and they sold their album at all the big boxes?

I find it odd how they make an exclusive with one retail chain and they apparently sold out, how else will they get the album out there. For whatever reasons they thought it made more sense to work with one company rather then all of them. They have to some how inform people where the album is being sold, not everyone follows the band and knows that they have an exclusive with Target.

It is just a commercial promoting their album, it doesn't have at the end that you should get some sprite and toilet paper while at the store.

MAS

Guess what...it costs money to make an album. To make it and mass distribute it without the help of a record label costs an incredible amount of money. I'm not saying Pearl Jam doesn't have the money to do it, but you can't honestly expect them to spend that much money doing it themselves and then not even fucking try to push the album.[/quote]

I understand that, but even before, when they were under a label they never resorted to this. Thay never pushed the album, they never had to, and I think they still don,t.

Geoff

why isn't anyone complaining about "The Fixer" or "Got Some" being played at the breaks of football games? seems to me that its a promotion. hmmmmmmm that doesn't count though because they aren't trying to sell a football. :roll:

and as far as selling out, that is crap. do the members of PJ have other jobs and do the music on the side? no, the music is their job. why not promote what makes their livelihood a success? for fucks sake, they released the album on their own label!
indie is selling out too though, i guess. i mean they used to have a record label and now they strayed from it and did their own thing so there you have it.

AndySlash

MAS wrote:

I understand that, but even before, when they were under a label they never resorted to this. Thay never pushed the album, they never had to, and I think they still don,t.

The label did the work for them.

Who's supposed to do the work now?

You can't release an album and do no work for it. Just ask Axl Rose how that strategy worked out for him.

drsluggo

purple_chick79 wrote:

OH and Cameron Crowe did the video, do you people know who he is???

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001081/

Not to shabby if you ask me, but hell, what do I know, I liked the video.

And once again...

If you think PJ has sold out with doing a Target exclusive deal so they get 2.5X more money and thus a commercial to promote it, than the fact that Cameron Crowe directed it won't matter.

Second, Cameron Crowe directs movies which doesn't mean he's going to be able to direct a good music video. It doesn't even mean he's going to direct every movie well.

I don't really care so much to argue whether or not they have gone against what they used to preach upon, but I really do not like the direction of the video. The screens in the background are beyond cheesy and the likelihood is that they were put there so they could sub in some nice Target logos in the background later on. And it makes me dizzy - its got the feel of a teeny-bopper type band to me.

but to each their own - I just dont get why a lot of people's instant response to criticism of the commercial for Target is 'Hey- its Cameron Crowe. You DO know who he is right? He's like... a FAMOUS director and he like knows how to use like a lot of video equipment.'

MAS

AndySlash wrote:

MAS wrote:

I understand that, but even before, when they were under a label they never resorted to this. Thay never pushed the album, they never had to, and I think they still don,t.

The label did the work for them.

Who's supposed to do the work now?

You can't release an album and do no work for it. Just ask Axl Rose how that strategy worked out for him.

ok, That I get. But I just can't remember any serious promotion that the labels used to do, or had to do.

daryl jam

MAS wrote:

What was always so cool about this band was that they did things on their own terms, without any real promotion. Especially not by jumping into bed with a huge co. like Target. Why didn't thay use this marketing ploy for No Code, Yield, Binaural, or any other album for that matter? It just put a bad taste in my mouth....

Yeah..it sucks how they have made this album widely available across america as well as vinyl at a realistic price, while offering a cool shirt to help feed the poor. i hate it when bands do that. jesus.