Commercials and Music: Each Can Improve or Hinder the Other

Have you ever noticed how we can love a familiar and favorite song, only to hear it being (over-)used in a commercial? I usually find myself hating the song in the end.

A perfect example of this is the new hit song by American Idol winner, Phillip Phillips, “Home”. I saw him perform this same song as the newly announced winner and loved it.

Now, though, it’s the new song for Tim Horton’s commercials and I’ve become so tired of it because of overexposure.

On the other hand, though, it’s interesting how we can hear a song we’ve never heard before used in other commercials and we immediately like it, in some cases seeking out information on the song and the singer.

Such was the case for me with the Feist music being used in commercials for the iPod Nano a couple years ago. I took such a liking to it that I researched who the singer was online and her music is now in my music library.

Another one is the music used in the Tommy Hilfiger Christmas commercial last year and now again this year. Personally, I hate the actual commercial but I was intrigued with the music. Mark had seen the video for the song “All Night Disco Party by the original artists, the “Brakes” and showed it to me (see below). It’s so adorable!