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How would you feel about a PJ song used for endorsing a product?

Glorified_GGlorified_G Posts: 20
edited January 2009 in The Porch
I am teaching a class on the current state of music/rock at the university I work and would love your feedback (although I think I know what the overwhelming feeling will be).

How would you feel if Pearl Jam decided to allow a song to be used to endorse a product?

A: Never, no way . . . it is selling out!!!

B: Depends on the product? (I.e U2's Vertigo to help launch the IPod)

C: It's their music they can do whatever the hell they want with it and it will not change my opinion of the band.

I am sure this has been discussed at length in the past, so sorry for rehashing an old subject. Thanks!
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  • Kilgore_TroutKilgore_Trout Posts: 7,334
    i though wilco's VW commercials were decent... more tasteful than most... i got sick of the songs a bit faster though... in PJ's case i'd lean closer to NO WAY! but i guess i would reconsider based on the product and how well done it is... something eco-friendly could work

    or i could see them doing something for SHAMWOW... but those sell themselves... they dont need PJ
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  • CJMST3KCJMST3K Posts: 9,722
    Every time I hear "Happy Jack" I want to buy a Hummer.

    While I think that if it's a decent product that it's a great opportunity for a smaller band, a bigger band like PJ who has spoken out SO many times against it, it would be a 100% sell out move.

    I do see Rockband songs as different (as I think most of us would) because the song is the product.




    When I saw the verizon screens this past tour, I thought that was a bit odd. I think that PJ should mention what that sponsorship offset. Did it make the ticket prices cheaper? Who made money on that one?

    ...wish I could find the youtube of vedder chastising Jewel for her having a song used by a razor company, Intuition razor.
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  • libragirllibragirl Posts: 4,632
    I wouldn't make a difference to me.
    These cuts are leaving creases. Trace the scars to fit the pieces, to tell the story, you don't need to say a word.
  • jamie ukjamie uk Posts: 3,812
    I'd love to hear Even Flow on a Guinness advert or something.
    I came, I saw, I concurred.....
  • alphawolfalphawolf Posts: 646
    id be horrified
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  • JaneNYJaneNY Posts: 4,438
    Let's just say 1) I hope they don't 2) I doubt they'd ever do it, and 3) its their choice.
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  • justamjustam Posts: 21,409
    It'd be their decision, but it would kill the song for everyone. For example, when the Who played their song at their award show recently, all I heard was the opening for that TV show. This was a song I knew for years before, but it was KILLED as a song once it was played every week as a theme for a TV show.

    They can sell whatever they want, but that's what'll happen to the piece of music. So, hopefully, whatever they sell will be something they are already tired of.
    &&&&&&&&&&&&&&
  • youngsteryoungster Posts: 6,576
    No way! Besides, the band wouldn't go for anything like that. A company needs the band and label's permission to do that and my guess is that they would never go for it. On the other hand, something more up their alley, last year Eddie Vedder's "Rise" off ITW soundtrack was used in a commercial about cancer awareness. That's about all you'll see for advertising.
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  • Grateful JamGrateful Jam Posts: 81
    jamie uk wrote:
    I'd love to hear Even Flow on a Guinness advert or something.

    I agree. I mix PJ and Guinness all the time!
  • Vedder_Girl77Vedder_Girl77 Posts: 4,335
    If I recall correctly...on one of the 2003 Riot Act Tour Bootlegs...Eddie was saying (joking I'm sure) that the band turned down 5 million dollars from Viagra and Viagra wanted to use the song "Alive" in a commercial...He said something to the effect that they didn't want a little cock singing "I'm still alive"...funny but I'm sure this was a joke! Does anyone else remember hearing this?? I can't remember which concert this was?
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  • lucylespianlucylespian Posts: 2,403
    At this point, until they bring out a tab box set, I consider every one of the current rash of consumer products they are pumping out to be a suckful betrayal of people who are really about the music.
    Music is not a competetion.
  • openedforthesunopenedforthesun Posts: 54
    Um... Corduroy is in that PSA with Harrison Ford.
  • PJRock75PJRock75 Posts: 869
    My answer is A and I hope it never happens....I would like to think Ed would just ask himself, "What would Ian MacKaye do?"
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  • washedinblack91washedinblack91 Posts: 3,078
    if they liked a product or a company and endorsed the company and would like to be a part of it or help it in some way and that's how they do it, more power to them. i don't get the whole prejudice against it. i mean if they used "black" for a toner commercial, then yeah id be pretty pissed. but if they used it in a way that's meaningful to them (ie: using corduroy in that commercial) then i say let them do what they want.

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  • wolfbearwolfbear Posts: 3,965
    If it's something they believe in I'd have no trouble whatsoever. :)
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  • EchosNobodyHearsEchosNobodyHears Posts: 583
    the only part i would mind would be the fact that the song would get old real fast and become associated with the product forever. the song like a rock and those car commercials. you cant even listen to that song without wanting to change it cuz youve herd it a million times on the commercials.
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  • pdalowskypdalowsky Posts: 15,065
    I couldnt give a flying fuck, if PJ can make a few bob out of the deal then fair play to them....

    I hate all this 'they are selling out bullshit', this is their job, and they need to make cash, good luck to them
  • sagapo1sagapo1 Posts: 186
    It's hard to say.
    The Nissan commercials always have The Who, or a great band playing -- as the car is flying through cones on some crash course, the visual is always cool -- and the music is great. I always think to myself "whoever made that commercial has a great taste in music."
    But I hate The Who being overused for TV shows. Not good.
    I once saw a surfing documentary, this guy was cruising down this wave and they were playing "Go", that was perfect.
    I guess my answer would be...The band should be very selective. Minimal use of their music for any area other than pure, personal, listening pleasure.
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  • Boston LouBoston Lou Posts: 280
    i feel like the band would be The Who part 2


    seriously... anyone else find it odd that Sean Penn talked about not selling out at the VH1 thing

    yet Baba is the theme song for 32 shows and 44 movies?
  • 3crookedhearts3crookedhearts Posts: 72
    I would've loved them to have used "Bushleager" in the "W" trailers. Actually kind of an underrated film. I guess I'd group film stuff in the same way I'd group the rock band stuff, though.
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  • A satellite forever orbitingA satellite forever orbiting Posts: 1,888
    D) who cares?

    some people take this stuff way too seriously.
    If nothing is everything, I'll have it all
  • CJMST3KCJMST3K Posts: 9,722
    Lucifer wrote:
    i feel like the band would be The Who part 2


    seriously... anyone else find it odd that Sean Penn talked about not selling out at the VH1 thing

    yet Baba is the theme song for 32 shows and 44 movies?



    Yeah, I got a big chuckle when Sean said that.

    But, really, did The Who sell out?

    20070604_who-sell-out.jpg
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  • It_Wasnt_My_SurfaceIt_Wasnt_My_Surface Posts: 851
    I would love to see a Mr. Clean commercial using Dirty Frank as a cartoon Dust Bunny
  • PJ Fan est. 1990PJ Fan est. 1990 Posts: 1,788
    i'd feel both A, B, and C.

    A...because i hate how people only know bands from certain things and then when you ask if a person is a fan of a band you ask them what are their favorite songs and they say the one that's from the Commercial or from Guitar Hero/Rock Band...it get's us mad cause when you ask them about the other songs, they don't know them...also, songs on commercials and from GH and RB get overplayed WAAAYYYY too much

    B...Eddie Vedder did let Stand Up to Cancer use Rise from the ITW soundtrack...if it's for a good cause PSA type deal then i'm ok with it...and obviously, it's ok if the product is the band's own album...

    C...each band has their own right to do what they want...and especially in this economy we can understand when they need a little cash from selling copyrights...if a band (such as PJ) were to decide to let an ad agency use their song, i'll be a little upset...but that wont let me from listening and enjoying that band...i might just skip that one song that is on the commercial/GH/RB cause of the overuse (refer to A)
  • 12345AGNST112345AGNST1 Posts: 4,906
    Funny..... I had a dream last night about them "selling out" because of this thread.

    Their new website basically had ads on it for Fox (the channel) and bunch of weird ad things you can click and interact with....(wtf)

    Also they released a dvd of their mansfield night 2 show and I remember watching it in my dream. Before Given To Fly where ed dedicated the song tome someone (that could've been the MSG 2 show but oh well) a waterfall that was the entire width of the stage poured in front of them and it had blue yellow and green lights where it was pouring from making the water light up. It was sick as hell and right when the waterfall stopped they broke into given to fly.

    wierd dream...
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  • Sharon_Hearts_PJSharon_Hearts_PJ Posts: 1,383
    openedforthesun wrote:
    Um... Corduroy is in that PSA with Harrison Ford.
    But a PSA isn't quite the same as shilling a product. In fact, it's not at all the same.
    *Rock and/or Roll!*
  • CommyCommy Posts: 4,984
    the second an artist endorses a product anything they say after is bullshit. they've sold their moral integrity.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDW_Hj2K0wo
  • A satellite forever orbitingA satellite forever orbiting Posts: 1,888
    CJMST3K wrote:
    Lucifer wrote:
    i feel like the band would be The Who part 2


    seriously... anyone else find it odd that Sean Penn talked about not selling out at the VH1 thing

    yet Baba is the theme song for 32 shows and 44 movies?



    Yeah, I got a big chuckle when Sean said that.

    But, really, did The Who sell out?

    20070604_who-sell-out.jpg

    the who wrote songs for coca cola before they were huge, so they sold out before they even made it big.
    If nothing is everything, I'll have it all
  • FaithfultoyouFaithfultoyou Posts: 40
    I'd love to see a tampon commercial with an angry woman screaming at some dude
    (Song playing in background ...of course)
    "IT'S MY BLOOOOOOOOD'
    allow me
    "ugggh, gross"
  • JP180351JP180351 Posts: 14
    Maybe if it was an original song written specifically for something the band really supported, like some new clean energy product or such, it would be o.k. but to take one of their exisitng arrangements and distort the meaning by associating it with some purely commercial venture wouldn't be cool.

    I think Ed's 'All the way" is a good example, even though the Cubs aren't a 'product' but a franchise.
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