I remember when jingles were written specifically for products; Barry Manilow was king of that until he became famous for other things. Sometimes they still write some original stuff – like “Fly Me Away” by Annie Little for this Kindle commercial. But more often nowadays commercials seem to feature contemporary music. I hear a few seconds of song that sounds great and then I’m off to chase it down. What is ironic is that I often do not remember the product that was advertised with the music I seek. Call me a nerd (or whatever today’s vernacular is for “nerd”), but I get a little thrill from the victory at the end of the hunt. Though I must not be the only one because there is an entire website devoted to the information, called Adtunes.
My iPod is filled with lots of random songs from groups – like “Hey Soul Sister” by Train – that I discovered on a commercial in heavy rotation. I am aware that many, many people feel that putting real music into advertising is selling out. Some of my own family members roll their eyes when the Plain White Ts start to play, but I love that simple little song.
So maybe I am just lazy, but I find it an entertaining way to hear new things. My ordinary days are usually quite busy – too busy to spend time researching new artists. It is extraordinary that the music gets served to me in little doses, and that I willingly take the bait. And while we’re on the subject, I will just say that MP3 players in general are extraordinary, too. Never before this invention was it so easy to hear an entire playlist of only songs that I love. Extraordinary.
One Extraordinary Thing in Every Ordinary Day 