Bands and Brands: The Relationship Between Bands and the Commercials They Soundtrack

A thesis submitted to the College of Communication and Information of Kent State University in

partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts

by

Ellen Kirtner

August, 2013 Thesis written by

Ellen Kirtner

B.S., Kent State University, 2012

M.A., Kent State University, 2013

Approved by

______

Bob Batchelor, Ph.D., Advisor

______

Thor Wasbotten, M.S., Director, School of Journalism and Mass Communication

______

Stanley T. Wearden, Ph.D., Dean, College of Communication and Information TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS...... iii

LIST OF FIGURES ...... iv

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ...... v

CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION...... 1

II. LITERATURE REVIEW...... 3 The Relationship Between Music and Television Advertising ...... 3 Licensing Meeting the Goal of the Advertiser...... 7 Licensing Meeting the Goals of the Artist...... 11 Key Successes in Aligning Goals ...... 18 Implications for the Fan...... 20 Cautions ...... 22 Elaboration Likelihood Model...... 23

III. RESEARCH QUESTIONS ...... 25

IV. METHODOLOGY ...... 26 Sample ...... 26 Case Study ...... 27 Textual Analysis ...... 29 Expert Interviews...... 31

V. CASE STUDY...... 32 The Existing Brand ...... 32 Goals and Objectives ...... 37 The Song...... 38 The Commercial ...... 39 The Context...... 49 The Campaign...... 53

VI. Findings ...... 57 Balancing Without Matching...... 57 Beneficial Non-Priority...... 58 Limits for an Indie-Label Artist...... 60

VII. Discussion ...... 63

REFERENCES ...... 66

! iii! List of Figures

Figure Page

1. Now, Now Press Photos…………………………………………………………….34

2. Now, Now Windows 8 Commercial :08……………….…………..………………..42

3. Now, Now Windows 8 Commercial :12…………….…………..…………………..43

4. Now, Now Windows 8 Commercial :14……………….………..…………………..44

5. Now, Now Windows 8 Commercial :15……………..…….………………………..45

6. Now, Now Windows 8 Commercial :18………………..……………….…………..46

7. Now, Now Windows 8 Commercial :20………………..….………………………..47

8. Now, Now Windows 8 Commercial :23……………….………………………..…..48

9. Best Coast Windows 8 Commercial :12……………...………………….……….…55

10. Lenka Windows 8 Commercial :14……………….…..….…………………………56

! iv! Acknowledgments

Many thanks to Dr. Batchelor, Professor Whaley, and Professor Shelton for their expertise and advice throughout the process of completing this project. I would also like to thank

Amber Wade and Jared Cogar for always being there for music industry chats and Bridget

Elchert and Kelsey Moulton for their constant encouragement at home. Thanks to my parents for always supporting me in all of my academic endeavors. !

! v! ! 1!

I.

Introduction

A 2012 South by Southwest panel of music supervisors and advertising executives called television commercials “the new radio.” These professionals were not the first to assert the title:

The music industry has been praising licensing as a promotions channel since the early 2000s.

With pre-recorded music taking the lead in building impactful brand experiences in television commercials, synchronization licenses for television commercials are being lauded as the cure to the high barriers to entry in today’s corporate radio environment.

The music industry’s problem, according to Donaton (2005), is not in its product: People are still consuming music through downloads, legal or otherwise. The issue, for Donaton, is promotion. Artists cannot take the traditional path from commercial radio to explosive popularity. Corporate radio stations stick to the well-researched playlists they are prescribed.

MTV, much more of a lifestyle network than music outlet, no longer acts as a channel for artists.

Music videos are only played on its second-tier channels.

Donaton (2005) explains that the music industry never had the appropriate marketing budgets for artists to begin with—they depended on radio to promote the songs for free. Without radio, they struggle to make the same impact. Licensing works for the music industry because it is a symbiotic relationship: Marketers want quality music to develop the brand identity reflected in commercials, and musicians want the licensing fees and promotion.

Licensing has become commonplace even for well-established artists, including those who are not particularly “commercial” bands. In 2007, Wilco licensed six songs from “Sky Blue

Sky,” and They Might Be Giants inked a $1 million deal to write songs for Dunkin Donuts. Of ! 2!

Montreal has licensed its tunes to T-Mobile, Subway, Outback Steakhouse and Nasdaq

(Goodman and Magnuson, 2008).

Beyond established acts, licensing is an established method to taking unknown songs to new audiences (DuBois 2012). From Moby’s early-2000s success licensing his entire album and jumping from electronic niche to mainstream, to fun.’s big break in a 2012 Chevrolet Super

Bowl ad (Zemler, 2012), certain cases suggest that commercials do serve as an increasingly important communication channel to new audiences.

“The benefit to artists today is often explained as a salve against the hard times being experienced by artists, both in terms of commercial radio lock-outs and the perceived threat of the twin evils of dubious consequence, piracy and downloading” (Klein, 2009, pg. 89).

With the positive views of licensing radiating from the trade press, artists are being told to follow this new channel to broader audiences and skyrocketing record sales. The current discussion, however, does not fully explore the necessary strategy before or after the synchronization. Case studies on successful licensing examples tend to stop with the sales reports following the synchronization: We have not fully explained the relationship between the brand of the band and the brand in the advertisement, nor particular strategies that may maximize the possible benefits from synchronization. As some scholars have begun to caution artists against the blind faith in music licensing as an industry panacea, the process deserves a closer look. In my project, I plan to take a post-modern approach to analyzing the licensing tactics that are becoming commonplace in up-and-coming acts’ plans for mainstream success. ! 3!

II.

Literature Review

The Relationship Between Music and Television Advertising

Music is a commodity (Klein, 2005), and as such, it has a complex relationship with brands and entities outside of its industry. Klein is one of the prominent voices in music synchronization from the perspective of the artist. She cites sociomusicologist and popular music culture specialist Frith to explain music’s relationship television and its advertisers. According to

Frith (2002), “The relationship of music and television is not organic but a matter of branding”

(p. 282). He explains that it is a circular relationship—the kind of television a viewer responds to is because of the music he or she respond to, and vice versa. Music creates the reality seen on television—music may make a situation feel mundane or important, or make the viewers themselves feel more knowledgeable of the situation they are viewing (Frith, 2002).

A single person picking up a record is not the only potential for a piece of recorded music; music also becomes an “input” for other media, such as radio, product endorsements and film soundtracks. This is a balancing act for certain genres: As popular rock music becomes

“omnipresent” in our culture, it threatens rock’s subversive, outsider role. Music must reconcile commercial needs with its needs to assert its legitimacy as art (Klein, 2005).

The rise of pre-recorded music.

Music in advertisements is not new. Jingles and original tunes for commercials have created meaning for brands for decades. Adapting actual popular music, as opposed to jingles and needledrops, began in the 1960s. Already popular tunes were licensed to reach the younger markets. This advertising tactic gained momentum slowly (Taylor, 2012). The symbiotic nature between brands and music extends much further. Using music to sell can be traced to the ! 4! beginning of radio broadcasting—and even before through examples like singer Jenny Lind being used to brand merchandise in the mid-nineteenth century (Meier, 2011).

Rock and pop music found popularity in advertising in the 1980s, as “new advertising strategies that sold lifestyles, rather than products helped television commercials become more interesting” (Taylor, 2012, p. 209). Klein (2005) describes song licensing in the 1980s and later as “ubiquitous in all moving-visual media industries” (p. 3). As the popularity of independent music increased in the 1990s, creative young advertising professionals found ways to bring lesser-known music into their work. Record labels caught on to the selling potential for their smaller artists. Taylor (2009) explains that the passage of the 1996 Communications Act set the perfect stage for the migration of up-and-coming songs from attempted radio play to television commercial synchronization. Because centralized ownership became the norm in radio, local DJs disappeared, along with the programming that would be most open to trying new music.

Advertising was considerably more open.

As early as the late 1990s, as the potential benefits of licensing began to outweigh concerns of “selling out” for some artists (Hanson, 1999). By the time of Moby’s major 2000 licensing successes, the trade press had begun treating music licensing in commercials as a cause for celebration (Klein, 2008b). By 2002, music industry “strategic marketing” positions, tasked solely with finding licensing placements for artists, were commonplace at labels (Taylor, 2012).

What once seemed so repulsively corporate quickly became a socially acceptable way to make a living as an artist. Kevin Barnes, founding member of Of Montreal explains: “When I first started Of Montreal, I probably would have been hesitant to do a commercial for Outback…In the indie world, there’s a holdover from the punk movement that says that any commercial ! 5! endeavor will taint your art. But if you care about the band, you won’t begrudge us a living” (as quoted in Goodman and Magnuson, 2008).

Advertisers views have changed, too, as advertising creatives are becoming the music industry’s A&R and talent scouts. According to DuBois (2012), many of these brands and advertisers are choosing to circumvent labels to get directly to the artist to get the music they want in their spots. In 2011, Coca-Cola even purchased Music Dealers, a company that connects up-and-coming artists with brands looking for music (Klein, 2008a).

While trade publication pieces on licensing as a means of promotion speak positively on the practice with anecdotal evidence, Klein (2008b) warns that neither sales nor increased popularity is guaranteed by a good commercial placement. Electronic music did succeed following Moby’s big licensing break, but few of the artists propelled to fame during that rush remain popular today. Many other artists never even experience the initial boom following a placement. “…More often than not, artists see little to no change in record sales and radio play.

Even for the artists and genres that did break into radio through advertising, the response was not permanent…” (Klein, 2008b, p. 473). Popular success stories offer some suggestions of the key ingredients for a successful licensing placement, but many uncertainties remain.

Branding with perfect pairs.

Though the more incremental measures of success in licensing have not been sufficiently defined, there are certain situations that exemplify the ideal marriage of music and advertising.

Communication researchers have determined that popular music is more likely to be paired with certain types of commercial content. This is understandable, as certain kinds of advertisers have better reason to use pre-recorded music, such as automobiles or audio listening devices and other products obviously related to music (Klein, 2008a). Other, less related products can still take ! 6! advantage of pre-recorded music if the product can be presented in a way that seems congruent with the feel of the song (Klein, 2008a). For example, Allan (2008) found prime-time commercials in his analysis that used popular music were most likely to be for food, audio/visual equipment, or automotive advertisements, while fast food and health and fitness were more likely to contain simple needledrop (Allan, 2008, p. 413). He also found commercials with popular music were most likely to be non-narrative dramatizations. He found 91% of the advertisements observed with music also contained a voiceover. Allan (2008) also found that commercials with popular music, as opposed to jingles or needledrop, were more likely to feature the music in the foreground, giving it a more primary role in the advertisement.

Needledrop tends to be a secondary background item.

Apple became the quintessential sync license specialist by the mid-2000s, as its simple, iconic iPod commercials broke records for the Ting Tings, CSS, Feist, and Chairlift, among others. Powers (2010) described Apple as the “Oprah Winfrey” of independent music (p. 285).

Moore (2012) shared this insight from Andrew Charles Kahn, the in-house music supervisor at

Apple’s advertising agency during the time of the iconic ads: “You could especially see that with the big artists—getting your song in a ‘silhouette’ spot was basically a 30 second ad for whatever single you had coming out. And I think that’s also what made them so successful in introducing music to wider audiences.” Apple chose not to use distracting copy or other advertising techniques that might take away from the music. “They respected music and the use of music in their ads instead of putting it as an afterthought. They also respected their audience.” Apple was looking for music that was both unique and universally appealing, and Kahn said the music chosen would sell itself (Moore, 2012). ! 7!

As musicians become more comfortable licensing, and as pre-recorded music becomes more commonplace in advertisements, indie and alternative music continues to grow out of its traditional roles with technology and automobile advertisers: Household products and less flashy industries are looking to up-and-coming artists for quality music to connect with their audiences now, too (Beltrone, 2012).

Television advertising as opposed to other synchronization options.

Musicians will see both benefits and shortcomings to licensing music to television advertising as opposed to television programming or film, which is discussed further in some of the literature. Klein (2009) cautions that, while the licensing fees tend to be higher for commercials than for other work. it comes at an aesthetic price. Working with advertisers involves creative compromise, and the fact that the artist’s sound could be permanently tied to the advertising or brand message. Commercials also allow for creative uses of the licensed piece of music though, especially as commercials are increasingly considered art in themselves (Klein,

2009).

In branding scenarios, the bond between music and advertising remains strong because of the use of the emotional value of music. Meier (2011) explains that while music and advertising executives see consumers losing interest in paying for recorded music, that those consumers still connect with music on an emotional level. “All our evidence points to the issue that people like music more than ever. Nothing can replace it in terms of the emotional connection it makes,” one anonymous label executive told Meier (2011, p. 403).

Licensing Meeting the Goal of the Advertiser

With the increased need to break through the communication clutter, brands moved to create culture around their product—rather than just facts. Pre-recorded music provided this ! 8! culture: pre-made and ready to be plugged in to the branding message of choice. Because of the clearly defined benefits to the advertiser, music in commercials appears as a sustainable bond between the two industries. “The most direct use of music in order to sell a product or service is its placement in advertisements” (Klein, 2009, p. 18).

In Sounds Like Branding, Jakob Lusensky (2010) describes music as an absolutely essential component to any brand’s strategic efforts. Because of the current state of media saturation, Lusensky (2010) says music helps an organization strengthen brand equity and brand loyalty. Music can no longer be treated in an “ad-hoc fashion or as merely a tactical element.

Music has finally taken its place centre stage as a serious branding element” (Lusensky, 2010, p.

64). Sisario (2010) agrees that music is taking a prominent role in branding. Getting involved in the record industry is a means for brands “to infiltrate the lives of their customers on an even deeper cultural level” (Sisario 2010).

Klein (2009) warns that musicians being paid for the use of their song are not just being paid to create music. Rather, the musicians are being paid “to help sell and implicitly endorse its

[the brand’s] products” (Klein, 2009, p. 124). The advertiser is using the music—especially in the case of indie and indie-pop artists—to color the brand as cool, fun and hip (Sisario, 2010).

“Music is chosen not simply to appeal to a targeted demographic, but to signal to that demographic that the advertiser knows it” (Taylor, 2012, p. 229). Using original songs, brands hope to target directly “consumers ‘identities’ in a manner perceived as ‘authentic’” (Meier,

2011, p. 401).

Brand attitudes.

Independent and up-and-coming music became advertisers’ top picks because of the potential for cheaper licensing fees (Beltrone, 2012), as well as the potential for brands to take on ! 9! the character of the music and become more hip. Advertisers want to bring in music that their target audience finds cool, but is not necessarily popular with everyone yet (Taylor, 2012).

Music is used to build personal relevance to the viewer of the advertisement and to make them feel more involved in the spot (Allan, 2008). Taylor (2007) describes the viewer experience of these types of ads as the following: “…they are being invited to participate, to join the hip club.

They are shown scenes they can imagine themselves in” (p. 251). Once they join this “hip club,” they might find something else they like. Beltrone (2012) quotes a 2009 Deloitte survey that explains Millennials, whom advertisers are trying desperately to reach, strongly associate with the value of “discovery.” Because of this, helping a viewer find a new band through a commercial can help to foster a better relationship between viewer and advertiser (Beltrone,

2012).

Whether this “discovery” factor speaks to the intended audience or not, there seems to be a consensus that brands want to choose bands that will achieve greater record sales following the commercial because it gives them credibility as a tastemaker. The brand can pick a hit from an unknown artist, so to the consumer the product they sell must be hip, too (Powers, 2010). Powers

(2010) elaborates on this: “Music, then, has the capacity not only to create and sustain brand meaning but also to serve as a metaphor for brand activity itself” (p. 288).

Allan (2006) has completed much research in the area of music and advertising from the advertiser’s perspective, and he provides the following general sentiment on music in commercials: “While there is considerable amount of disagreement on the societal implications of the practice of using popular music in advertising, most agree on its potential,” (p. 435). He cites Hecker (1984) to explain how music, used appropriately, can add energy to the commercial that other additions to the content could not. Through his study, Allan (2008) found that ! 10! advertising with popular music was a “more effective stimulus of attention and memory than advertising without popular music,” both because of its ability to capture attention and its means of triggering memory (p. 440). In his 2006 study, Allan found songs with vocals gained more attention than those without, and he suggests that lyrics are of importance to the music’s success in delivering on the advertiser’s goals.

Song traits and congruity.

There is a considerable amount of literature guiding advertisers on how to best select the music that will fit the spot and its goals. Allan (2008) explored the primetime television commercials using pre-recorded music, and found that advertisers were most likely to choose a track that fits the action of the commercial, as opposed to the actual product being sold. In 1990,

Scott presented research on advertising and music, explaining the symbiotic function as it relates to the timeline of the commercial. There is never a moment where the music occurs without something else, whether an image, a voice-over, or both. The research from this time echoes much of what continues to be studied today, as advertisers try to understand exactly how the relationship between music and the commercial content impacts consumers.

Several sources from both the brand and band perspectives note the issue of congruity between the music and the commercial. Meier (2011) suggests that the transfer of affinity from one to the other happens best when both components relate to the audience’s culture or identity.

Oakes (2007) examined the effects of congruity between song content and advertising content from the marketer perspective, finding that “high congruity between musical genres and advertisements leads to more positive brand attitudes” (p. 45). He explores the means by which the musical selection led to more effective persuasion in terms of purchase intent, brand attitude, recall facilitation and affective response” (p. 38). Hung (2000) also explored the issue of ! 11! congruent and incongruent advertisements with music, finding “…music in congruent ads reduces ‘noise’ by reinforcing the connecting cultural context to communicate meanings.

However, music in incongruent ads helps enact an alternative contact that is meaningful to the viewer to communicate the ad message” (p. 25).

Neil Gillis, vice president of A&R and advertising at Warner-Chappell Music explained in an interview in Billboard (Bessman, 2003) that any genre of music can help a brand reach a wider audience, “as long as it serves the ultimate message well.” Brands do have to concern themselves with matching traits, much as bands do—otherwise, there is the potential for a negative response, like the backlash Pepsi faced for its use of Ludacris in its 2003 campaign

(Klein, 2008).

Licensing Meeting the Goals of the Artist

The bulk of the current literature explaining the benefits musicians reap from selling songs for advertisements comes from trade publications. From the early 2000s through the present, Billboard, Advertising Age and other industry publications have examined the successes of music licensing as a musician’s tool through popular case studies. In 2012, several journalists explored this topic; all have generally agreed on a strongly positive view of the practice, including Fixmer (2012) and Lipshutz (2012).

In terms of scholarly work, Dr. Bethany Klein is the predominant voice on music industry issues relating to the synchronization of pre-recorded music, and she has clearly explained both the potential benefits and problems facing artists who choose this form of promotion. Meier quotes Klein in her work, paying particular attention to Klein’s description of the current characterization of the advertising industry as “playing hero to the damsel-in-distress of the struggling artist” and the “champion” of unheard acts (Klein, 2009, p. 60). ! 12!

According to Donaton (2005, p. 15), record labels now consider advertisers to be

“partners in distributing and gaining exposure for new releases, helping to combat the impact of online piracy on CD sales.” At its most basic, licensing to television advertising will at least provide the synchronization fees as income to the artist. Gabe McDonough, vice president and music director at Leo Burnett, described bands seeking income to Beltrone (2012): “Somebody’s got to pay the bills…In 2012, brands are one of the few entities in human culture that are willing to pony up.” It is the goal that, additionally, the music and the commercial visuals will forge some kind of bond in the mind of the consumer, as the simultaneously delivered messages add additional layers to each other (Klein, 2009). “It is now the case that musicians can try to attach themselves to brands for qualities that they desire instead of the other way around,” (Taylor,

2012, p. 228).

The television commercial industry has been called the “new radio” so frequently because of the music supervisors’ freedoms from the selection restraints felt by the corporate- dominated radio industry (Taylor, 2012). Many of the commercial-featured artists could not get access to the traditional radio channels to new audiences, so licensing opportunities serve as a feasible alternative (Klein, 2005). For this to work successfully, audiences need to buy in to the characterization of spot. Klein (2005) outlined the variables that she found to be most important to an individual’s view of a spot: whether it respects or threatens authenticity, whether it benefits the band, what product is being advertised, how creative the ad is, and whether all of this respects the meaning of the song. Even with these topics in mind, “there is no magic formula to predict whether a usage will be considered appropriate or a threat” (Klein, 2005, p. 13).

Aesthetics. ! 13!

The brand aesthetic of the spot is frequently cited as an artist objection to a licensing agreement (Beltrone, 2012). Because the advertisements add an additional layer onto the meaning listeners find in a song from its lyrics and sounds (Klein, 2009), bands must consider what meanings the advertiser’s message will contribute to the meanings of the music and lyrics.

Advertisers alone cannot change how a person interprets a piece of music, but, with the addition of visuals and other sensory data, advertisers can “take advantage of listener habits, predispositions, and potential responses” (Klein, 2009, p.100). Klein (2005) explains that shots that are without “creative edge” can approach “transparent and insensitive commerce,” as did one Applebee’s ad that changed lyrics from a Turtles song and synced it with shots of shrimp and steak dishes (p. 4).

Jenn Lanchart of Beggars Group, as quoted in Klein (2009), explains how Cat Powers relies on the actual commercial visuals to determine if the spot will meet her aesthetic standards.

Klein (2009) continues to describe how musicians are most likely to accept licensing spots that feel like music videos. “‘Artistic’ commercials keep it from seeming like the advertisers are taking something from the music” (Klein, 2009, p. 41). Kahn (as quoted in Moore, 2012) said that the success or failure of a synch tends to relate to the artist’s desperation to get licensed:

When bands are desperate for the money and say yes, no matter the aesthetics, the commercial placements may not fit properly. Kahn, as a music supervisor, says he appreciates when a band turns down a placement offer if it does not fit with the band’s image or taste.

For some, the final destination of the music is not of much concern as long as it makes its synchronization. One iconic case of mismatched styles is the use of Iggy Pop’s “Lust for Life” in a Royal Caribbean spot. While the song is heavy and deals with themes of heroine addiction, the advertisement played the song off as a cheerful vacation anthem—and Iggy Pop was okay with ! 14! it. According to Klein (2009), Iggy Pop was just happy the song was out receiving public attention. Klein (2009) explains that it becomes important to evaluate the risk of audiences hearing the song out of context versus never hearing it at all.

Authenticity.

In particular for the indie and alternative up-and-comers, the appearance of authenticity is an important cue for the potential listener. Authenticity becomes the measure by which popular music as fine art can be distinguished from popular music as a sales pitch. Different artists have different levels of authenticity to begin with, and certain artists have more potential to have their authenticities threatened (Klein, 2005). We are now in a time where Willie Nelson would appear in a Chipotle commercial (Morrison, 2012). There is certainly less stigma attached to synchronization licensing for commercials than there was in the 1960s (Klein, 2005). Audiences accept that musicians need alternate sources of funding. Musicians are becoming better focused on being both an artist and a businessperson, and the concept of “selling out” does not have much impact on today’s licensing argument for executives in the music industry (Meier, 2011).

Still, bands have to be aware of the actions they choose and the potential for things to appear “excessively commercial” (Klein, 2009, p. 15). Taylor (2012) writes that, currently, more so than ever before, advertising exerts considerable influence over popular music production.

Artists must consider this, while also respecting that fans expect bands to “stay true” as they find success (Klein, 2009, p.126). Klein (2008a) describes the current view on “selling out” as more nuanced than before, with more focus on the details of the advertising than on the action of advertising itself.

Balancing promotions, income, and authenticity can be an issue in licensing to television commercials, as exemplified by cases such as The Shins’ “New Slang” in a McDonalds ad. ! 15!

Though the public reception to the same song’s subsequent placement in the film “Garden State” did not inspire any hard feelings, fans were outraged at the idea of The Shins’ work being aligned with the business goals of McDonalds (Klein, 2009). Wilco also faced opposition for its work with Volkswagen in 2007. After previously licensing work for film and television programming, the band signed up for a series of commercials featuring songs from their record

“Sky Blue Sky.” Wilco felt okay going with VW, a brand that had respected artists in the past.

The band’s fans, however, were extremely offended by the spots, and took to the Web to voice their discontent. Wilco ended up sharing a response on their own website to try to explain their rationale to the outraged fans (Butler, 2007). Band of Horses reversed a licensing deal and canceled future plans with Walmart after they faced a similar fan backlash in 2007 (Moran,

2008).

Reach.

Licensing is a valued promotional tactic because it creates reach. As Goodman and

Magnuson (2008) suggest, rock band Spoon are not measuring the success of their record in terms of units pushed—they are measuring instead by the number of successful synchronization licenses and the translation to filled seats in venues. Tony McGuinness, director of marketing at

Warner Brothers (as quoted in Simpson, 2000) explained that while radio is still the best medium to push songs to the public, if a consumer hears a song in a television commercial multiple times a day, and then hears it again on the radio, it is more likely they will remember it and want to purchase it.

Klein (2009) suggests a few additional functions the advertiser can serve to help boost the artist’s promotional reach. First, she suggests giving credit on the advertiser’s website: If listeners cannot figure out what song they heard, they won’t be able to contribute to that artist’s ! 16! future success. Alternatively, the advertiser could give credit to the artist directly in the spot.

This is a great way to ensure viewers catch the artist—but it can also imply endorsement—so artists should navigate this carefully (Klein, 2009).

Kahn (as quoted in Moore, 2012) believes a good commercial placement is a key way to get in front of new audiences—if the commercial is given the sufficient push. This involves knowing how much media time the advertiser is buying and how long the spot will run, as well as whether they plan to use the content online.

The artist or team may also be responsible for part of the reach of the advertisement and its sales-driving potential. For example, when the Dirty Vegas’s track “Days Go By” was featured in a Mitsubishi ad in 2002, Capitol Records had to revamp its entire promotions plan for the band. Dirty Vegas was originally slated to get the push of a major club campaign, but the

Mitsubishi commercial put the band in front of a huge new audience that then requested the song on traditional radio (“The Newest Soundtrack,” 2003).

Compensation and sales.

At the bottom line, musicians and their management are hoping to see sales as a result of the synchronized content. For several of key cases of licensed tracks, Billboard and SoundScan data suggest the direct relationship between the synchronization and sales. For example,

Wiseguys, who licensed a song to Mitsubishi, saw their record make Billboard’s Hot 100 for twelve weeks in a row in 2002, directly following the commercial, while the record had been out since 1999 (Taylor, 2007). Donaton (2005) further suggests that the developments in licensing songs for advertisements reflect a larger trend in the music industry of transitioning from an album market to a market just selling single songs. Meier (2011) expands on that concept, ! 17! describing today’s “omnivorous” consumer. The consumer here is defined not by what genres they consume—because they like many—but by the channels they use to consume music.

For those artists who own the masters and have songwriting credits on their work, licensing can add up to substantial earnings. Carol Sue Baker of Ocean Park Music Group (as quoted in Goodman & Magnuson, 2008) said that many of her artists have greater earning potential in licensing than they do in record sales.

The popularity of commercial licensing as a promotions method, however, has threatened licensing’s future as a stable means of income. Kahn (as quoted in Moore, 2012) suggests that because brands know the promotional value they are offering to bands, it will become more and more difficult for bands to ask for high synchronization licensing fees.

The impact of growth.

Several sources suggest that, while artists at all levels engage in this kind of licensing, the process is much more suited to the up-and-coming artist than to the established one. Donaton discusses this as he explores examples of electronic artists breaking through Mistubishi commercials. Taylor (2007) echoes this sentiment in his description of the broader takeover by electronic music. The size of the band impacts personal and fan perceptions of the spot. It also affects how much the band could possibly gain by the spot. Examples suggest this notion is applicable across other genres as well.

The Black Keys’ drummer, Patrick Carney, explained how the duo’s changing levels of success dictated their views on licensing Black Keys material. While at first the band rejected offers to use their work, they soon realized as an unknown and unheard band, it was a poor choice to turn down the opportunities. Songs from “Brothers” were used many times in commercials, television programming, and movies, but now that the band has reached a high ! 18! level of success, they have decided to scale back. “‘When no one’s buying your records, it’s easy to justify selling a song,’ says Carney. ‘But once you start selling records, you can’t really justify having two songs in Cadlillac commercials. It looks greedy. And it is greedy. This whole music thing should be about music.’” (as quoted in Hiatt, 2012).

Key Successes in Aligning Goals

Popular music and advertising are able to work well together in the right circumstances because they both exist together as a cultural hybrid (Klein, 2009). There are a few key examples repeated throughout the literature that point to musicians and brands aligning in a way that benefited both parties. Klein advocates a meeting of objectives, where both parties concede to some level of artistic intent. “The tension intrinsic to partnerships between popular music and advertising can be partially relieved by melding the intent and characteristics of the advertiser with an artistic form and consequently emphasizing the similarities between the cultural goals of pop music and the cultural goals of advertising” (Klein, 2009, p. 41).

Moby.

Many trade writers and academic researchers consider Moby to be the singular artist to make licensing to television commercials a respectable and beneficial tactic for promoting a record. Every song on Moby’s 2000 release, “Play,” was licensed for commercial use, with many tracks licensed several times over. Tracks from “Play” were used in more than 100 licenses, creating more than $1 million in income and contributing to the record’s multi-platinum status

(Taylor, 2012). At the time, electronic music was not widely consumed by the pop music world, but radio listeners began to ask for the songs they heard on television, and electronic music found its place in top 40. These licenses also set the tone for other unheard electronic artists, like

Dirty Vegas and Wiseguys, who would also find success in licensing (Taylor, 2012). ! 19!

Nick Drake and Volkswagen.

Taylor (2012) gives Volkswagen and with Nick Drake credit for the trend of using new and interesting licensed music in advertising, rather than Moby. The Nick Drake began differently: His song, “Pink Moon,” was licensed to Volkswagen posthumously by his estate.

The campaign was created to help Volkswagen make a comeback in time for its New Beetle.

There were five spots in total, each of which featured a different little-known artist’s song

(Taylor, 2012). Drake’s “Pink Moon” was selected after one of the ad agency creatives brought in Nick Drake’s record from his personal collection. The commercial itself had an artsy feel, so it connected with “Pink Moon” as an “aesthetic success” (Klein, 2009, p. 46). According to Taylor

(2012), the commercial’s director, Jonathan Dayton (“Little Miss Sunshine”) felt the song was something that the characters in the commercial would actually be listening to. For Volkswagen, this pairing brought them “sales, brand loyalty, and brand buzz” (Taylor, 2012, p. 213).

The advertisement was released online before television, which, according to Klein

(2009), suggests Volkswagen wanted consumers to connect with the advertisement more than the car. Klein writes that the desire for an audience to connect with the video piece itself “implies art” (2009, p. 48). Prior to the “Pink Moon” use, synchronizations were likely to include only the instrumentals of the song, but this spot also included Drake’s vocals. Nick Drake’s team also integrated the VW campaign into record sale strategy, attaching “As featured in the VW ad” stickers to his record. Soundscan data showed a 600% increase in sales following the VW spot

(Klein, 2009, p. 45). The spot “revived the singer’s dormant catalog” (Klein, 2005, p. 3).

The brand attitudes developed with this technique also have the potential to translate to sales for the advertisers. In Volkswagen’s case, the campaign including the “Pink Moon’ spot resulted in increased sales, increased brand loyalty, and increased brand buzz (Taylor, 2007). ! 20!

Volkswagen remains one of the major advertisers to break indie bands—it found success again with Grizzly Bear in its 2010 Super Bowl ad. The song used in the ad went on to sell 225,000 copies (Lipshutz, 2012).

Feist and Apple.

Powers calls the marriage of Feist and Apple for the 2008 iPod commercials an

“exquisite union” (2010, p. 285). The delicate, poppy sound of Feist’s “1-2-3-4” carried the cheerful, fun attitude the simple ad required. The track was edited in a way that featured each part of the song, both verses and choruses, in the 30-second spot, giving it an added communicative boost (Powers, 2010). The spot also included a portion of Feist’s actual music video for the track, directed by Patrick Daughters. It was the first time Apple had used preexisting artist video in a spot (Paoletta, 2007). Following the commercial, Feist’s work jumped “triple-digit percentages” on SoundScan, with single sales up 586%, and YouTube views up to 8 million that same year (Powers, 2010, p. 285).

Feist’s name never appears in the spot, but consumers were able to easily find her music through searches monitored by Nielsen BuzzMetrics. Following the commercial, searches for

“1234,” “iPod,” and other related keywords were used to track large increases in discussion about the spot, Feist and the iPod Nano (Paoletta, 2007). Apple continued to use Feist-like female-led indie music in its advertisements, suggesting Apple also recognized how beneficial that style of advertisement could be for both Apple and the musician (Powers, 2010).

Implications for the Fan

“Companies and products may appear to recede behind entertaining or artistic content, but their clear commercial goals persist. This is as much a reality for the advertising creatives producing the spots and the musicians licensing to them as for the viewers” (Klein, 2009, p. 57). ! 21!

For the fan or casual music listener, the marriage of audio and visual creates changes in meaning which could create dissonance in the consumer’s mind between the meaning he or she has already established for that piece of music (Klein, 2009).

Pinson (2011) explains the power of image and brand for a musician, and how outside factors can quickly contribute to the listener’s perceptions of the musician’s work. Listeners can begin to associate music to a particular “object, emotion, place, experience, smell, or even taste”

(Pinson, 2011, p.179). Pinson references Cook in her explanation, as his work elaborates on how we make meaning from music. “…Music may give the appearance of going directly from the heart to the heart, to borrow Beethoven’s famous words, but in reality no musical style is unmediated. To put it another way, music is the discourse that passes itself off as nature; it participates in the construction of meaning, but disguises its meanings as effects. Here is the source of it singular efficacy as a hidden persuader” (Cook, 1994, p.38).

In her discussion of music and commercials as a “cultural hybrid,” Anna Lisa Tota

(2001) offers an alternative to the view that a commercial context could change the viewer’s sentiment of a piece of music permanently. She suggests that the “hybridization” is not necessarily irreversible—while a “successful” advertisement will alter the meaning of the music and tie it to the product, it is possible for a piece of music to move across different cultural texts and create meaning for multiple spots or uses (p. 119). She explains that the viewer develops this dual meaning indirectly: They view the commercial and process each piece, eventually inherently considering the commercial’s product as an additional component of the piece.

“While we can block out obvious marketing stimuli, it is much more difficult to block out music’s emotional cues” (Powers, 2010, p. 297). ! 22!

Cautions

Meier (2011) expresses concern over the strong integration between music as cultural content and as a business product. “Today, popular music is aggressively deployed across audio- visual mediascapes and commercial spaces constructed by brands” (Meier, 2011, p. 399). Where once listeners expected a wider gap between music, an art form, and commercial content, the distance has narrowed substantially. Meier (2011) explains the potential ethical dilemmas for the musician created by this overlap: The artist must balance his interest in making art with his interest in making money from his work. The relationship between advertising and music seems to bend to the needs of the advertiser, as most of the current research explores music for branding purposes rather than the other way around. Meier (2011) explained this unbalance in practice.

Examining the “reasons to attend” the Billboard & Adweek Music & Advertising Conference, she found that a majority of them focused on the brand’s perspective, giving advice on how musicians can make their music more accessible to those brands.

Creating brand partnerships, even just at the synchronization licensing level, opens doors for further collaborations, some of which concern industry insiders. For example, Kahn (as quoted in Moore, 2012) discusses how more intense branding deals, such as product placement in music videos or corporate labels (like those of Converse or Mountain Dew) could lead to a compromised sound. While he does not advise completely against these tactics, he simply notes that musicians need to take care to remain true to themselves.

It is important to note that not all scholars agree with the overwhelming praise music licensing has received from advertising and music industry professionals over the past two decades. Care should be taken to not only look at the rare success stories, but at the less-than- ! 23! stellar performances as well. Klein’s work clearly explains the many reasons licensing is a successful tool, while also giving due credit to the data suggesting licensing is not a cure-all.

The turn to advertising is partly a reaction to dilemmas currently being confronted

by the radio and music industries, yet the advertising industry comes with its own

set of problems for recording artists and music culture. Like early sponsors of

cultural radio programs, who were ‘seen as patrons of the arts’ (Barnouw 40),

advertisers are praised for distributing music that might otherwise go unheard.

However, the relationship is not equally beneficial and the use of popular music in

advertising threatens to empower commercial entities while devaluing cultural

forms. (Klein, 2008a, p. 2)

Elaboration Likelihood Model

I will be examining the Now, Now commercial from the perspective of the Elaboration

Likelihood Model. This model will support my pursuit of subtle influences in the relationship between the artist’s piece of music and the content of the advertisement. The elaboration likelihood model explains that persuasion of a consumer happens in two ways: peripherally and directly. Petty, Cacioppo, and Schumann created the elaboration likelihood model in 1983. The model explains that in high involvement situations, consumers put “active effort” into gathering information and making decisions about the persuasive elements of the advertisement. If they are really engaged in the content, they will actively judge the persuasive messaging. Conversely, when consumers are putting forth little energy for advertising processing, they are impacted more by “unsought information,” like background music and the mood of the advertisement itself (Lantos and Cranton, 2012, p. 32). Clow and Baack (2005) explain that these peripheral ! 24! cues can also include actors or the setting of the commercial. The viewer’s positive or negative perceptions of these cues are then transferred to the product in the advertisement.

From the advertiser’s perspective, much of the literature on music licensing and commercials references the way music in a commercial can impact whether viewers see the brand as cool, hip or fun. Those additions to the feelings surrounding the brand add up to benefits worth the licensing fee, something explained well by the peripheral route of the elaboration likelihood model. The peripheral route is also relevant to the musician’s perspective:

The viewer could be persuaded about the musician by the context and mood of the advertisement under the same peripheral view. Because of this, I will be examining the commercial for its subtle positive or negative connotations and the ways they may impact the viewer’s processing of his or her opinion of the song. ! 25!

III.

Research Questions

With the existing knowledge and commentary from both academia and trade publications, I approached this project with the goal of building a greater understanding of music licensing as a practice for small-scale musicians. My project addresses the following questions:

• How does Now, Now’s Windows 8 commercial integrate with the band’s existing brand and

the brand of the product? How does the relationship affect Now, Now’s branding efforts?

• How can Now, Now determine the success of its licensing efforts? How do these measures

relate to existing best practices?

• How does licensing fit in with Now, Now’s public relations and marketing efforts?

! 26!

IV.

Methodology

A case study methodology was used to examine music licensing from the perspective of the up-and-coming artist, using the in-depth analysis of one artist’s marketing strategy to build a comprehensive view of the practice in context. The artist’s sole music licensing placement was analyzed to understand the influences of the song on the promotional content and vice versa. The case study also involved an analysis of the artist’s marketing efforts surrounding the commercial, including traditional media relations and social media tactics. To better understand the tactics and the objectives they served, interviews with two key members of the band’s team served to build additional context.

Sample

I selected Minneapolis, MN-based indie-pop band Now, Now for this case study. The band was featured in its first international television spot in October 2012. The only previous commercial licensing experience for the trio was for a local Minnesota news station promotional video. The band, signed to Trans-Records (owned by Death Cab for Cutie’s Chris Walla), released its first full-length record, “Threads,” on March 8, 2012. The fourth track and first single for the record, “Dead Oaks,” was featured in one of the launch spots for the new Windows

8.

According to Daymon and Holloway (2011), two important criteria to consider in selecting a case study sample are accessibility and ability to properly display the ideas and concepts to be tested. I have selected Now, Now and their Windows 8 commercial because of the availability of appropriate information and the specific traits exhibited by the spot. My analysis ! 27! requires access to the commercials used, to the band’s marketing materials both before and after the commercial aired, and to the team behind the band’s promotion and management.

This sample is ideal because the Now, Now Windows 8 spot includes a portion of the band’s song with vocals and lyrics, which has been noted as a defining factor in some advertising industry analyses on licensing and advertising goals. It also features images and video of the band members, another topic addressed in previous research on bands and television commercials. This sample was also selected because of the industry represented in the synchronization licensing example: Technology companies and indie music have proven a successful pair in the past, giving some benchmark for success in licensing to this market. The context of the greater Windows 8 campaign also provides sufficient points of comparison, as

Best Coast and Lenka also contributed songs and their image to similar commercials, all released at the same time.

In several of the previously examined cases (Moby, fun.), the successful track made the transition from commercial to corporate top 40 radio as part of its path to success. In my examination, I wanted to isolate measures of success beyond corporate radio airplay. Now

Now’s “Dead Oaks” was pushed as a single for the band, but did not make it to corporate radio.

Because the spot was not one of the commonly studied anomalies, I was better able to understand the anticipated and final consequences observed by the band’s team.

Case Study

Using case study allowed me to understand music licensing as it functions in the whole of the artist’s strategy, rather than examining multiple licensing scenarios on a more superficial level. According to Daymon and Halloway (2011), case study involves an intensive examination of one instance of a communication event from multiple perspectives, all within its social ! 28! context. Babbie (2011) defines a case study as “the expert examination of a single instance of some social phenomenon” (p. 329). I would not have been able to understand the full relationship between band and brand without an examination of the entire contextual communication situation in Now, Now’s licensing deal. “…The case study method allows investigators to retain the holistic and meaningful characteristics of real-life events—such as individual life cycles, organizational and managerial processes, neighborhood change, international relations, and the maturation of industries” (Yin, 2003, p. 2).

Daymon and Holloway (2011) explain that the case study method is suited to compiling a variety of detailed data from several different sources surrounding a specific case. My study involved a variety of data from different perspectives of the same commercial licensing spot, and, as such, using case study provided a means to synthesize the data into a clear discussion on the tactic. “…The case study’s unique strength is its ability to deal with a full variety of evidence—documents, artifacts, interviews, and observations—beyond what might be available in conventional historical studies” (Yin, 2003, p. 8). The case study accesses all of these pieces of evidence without manipulating any of the involved parties or situations. According to Yin

(2003), case study is best suited for “how” and “why” research questions, which makes my interest in developing a better understanding of how bands relate to the brands who use their music an applicable endeavor for this method.

“…The case study, like the experiment, does not represent a ‘sample,’ and in doing a case study, your goal will be to expand and generalize theories (analytic generalization) and not to enumerate frequencies (statistical generalization).” (Yin, 2003, p. 10). In my analysis of Now,

Now’s case, I plan to evaluate both perspectives of music licensing for television commercials: the view of the commercial as the music industry problem-solver and the view of the commercial ! 29! licensing as a marginal promotional tactic and viable source of revenue for an artist. Most existing data on this promotional strategy has examined unusually successful instances, such as those perfect pairs referenced in the literature review. My case study questioned the existing positive viewpoints with a study of an exception to the trade-publication-pushed rules.

Textual Analysis

A textual analysis of the content of the Now, Now/Windows 8 commercial spot acted as a central component of my study, with the visuals synchronized with the band’s original music acting as the central text. “Documents—also called ‘texts’—consist of words and images in written, printed, visual, multi-media and digital forms. They may be naturally occurring, recorded without the intervention of a researcher or produced by research participants at the request of the researcher” (Daymon & Holloway, 2011, p. 277). Audio-visual content provides insight into the culture of a market or an organization, as well as historical perspectives on communication techniques used, according to Daymon and Holloway (2011).

To create sufficient context in which to consider the commercial and the band’s brand, I also examined key marketing materials and online content related to the band. This focused mostly on press coverage, promotional images and artwork and social media interactions.

Documents such as these act as a quality source of data because they endure time and allow for a distinct historical view—researchers examining documents can trace communication practices as well as audience responses over any period of time (Daymon & Holloway, 2011). This is key to my research as I attempted to address the concept of commercial licensing as part of the whole of the artist’s strategy. Through these additional texts, I built more solid understanding of the changes and developments in the band’s communication strategies as I addressed brand ! 30! personality and identity of the band both pre- and post-commercial. My method for this analysis was based in Thomas Mickey’s cultural studies approach to a critical theory of public relations.

Deconstructing, as defined by Mickey (2002), is “to see ideas that rest under the surface of the material we have produced—to peel away the layers that are in front of us but often hidden until we look” (p. 1). He has applied this method to the analysis of many public relations cases, as outlined in Deconstructing Public Relations: Public Relations Criticism. His method of analyzing public relations tactics as cultural constructions acted as an important reference point for my research, as I similarly looked beneath the commercial and branding materials to understand the underlying messages about the band.

“The text can be looked at from its production by communication professionals, like journalists and writers, and also from the view of consumption by the audience. Who decides on the words, music, and imagery of the text? How is it promoted and disseminated in the culture?

Finally, how does the audience member consume the product? All of these questions are critical to understanding the meaning of the text for the culture” (Mickey, 2002, p. 11). Mickey references Stern (1996) and her work in analyzing advertising through textual analysis in his discussion of this postmodern approach to public relations. Stern’s method involved

“identification of the signs and symbols in the ad; construction of its meaning; and finally, deconstruction, or to make hidden assumptions over and to give voice to silent, cultural influences” (Mickey, 2002, p. 53). According to Mickey, Stern suggests that looking at what the text does not say is of equal importance to what the text does say.

The textual analysis of the collection of related texts complemented the data collected through expert interviews to create a more comprehensive case study. According to Daymon &

Holloway (2011), using documents as a data source in addition to primary data collection from ! 31! focus groups or interviews will allow the researcher to “counteract some of the possible biases of other methods” (p. 280).

Expert Interviews

Expert interviews with Now, Now’s publicist and a representative from the band’s label allowed me to better understand the strategy driving the commercial licensing spot for the band and the additional communication tactics studied. I selected these individuals because of their deep understanding of the band’s brand and the strategy behind the band’s promotion and their ability to comment on objectives and results of such licensing deals.

As case studies are analyses within the social boundaries of the topic studied, interviews gave me the social structure needed to create a well-rounded study. According to Daymon and

Holloway (2011), because of the subjective data gathered through interviews, the information is already built into the respondents’ social contexts. Daymon and Holloway also explain that interviews provide perspectives and perceptions, as well as meanings, feelings, ideas and intentions, and I found the two members of Now, Now’s team who participated in this study did openly provide additional meaning about the commercial. ! 32!

V.

Case Study

The Existing Brand

Now, Now is a Minneapolis-based three-piece band signed to Chris Walla’s Trans

Records. The band formed in the early 2000’s as “Now, Now Every Children,” but the name was shortened in 2010 to “Now, Now” in attempt to present a more grown up image. The band’s lead vocalist and songwriter Cacie Dalager explained the name change to Spin: “We felt like we needed to disconnect ourselves from any childish image we had. It was a way of starting over and simplifying things for us” (Gaston, 2010). The band’s transition in name also brought about a transition in style: pop-tinged electronic indie has given way for a more organic sound. The band’s work can be classified as “indie,” though its clear reference to pop roots make it an approachable breed of independent music.

The band released two EPs and its first full-length, “Cars,” with Minneapolis label

Afternoon Records under the “Now, Now Every Children” moniker. Following the “Now, Now” transition, the band signed to the predominantly punk label No Sleep Records to release its third

EP, “Neighbors.” Throughout its career, the band has toured extensively, opening for such groups as Motion City Soundtrack, hellogoodbye, Fake Problems, and The Naked and Famous.

The band dresses in the hipster basics: tight jeans, sneakers, button-up tops, vintage glasses, and beanies. Dressed in subdued colors, the band’s apparel and personal style seems an afterthought to the music the trio creates. The members’ dress complements the music they create without overshadowing the band’s sound.

Now, Now’s brand is a delicate balance between the image of three fun-loving friends reflected in much of their behavior, and the sad, sleepless themes presented in the band’s ! 33! recorded work and promotional imaging. The dichotomy is clear, but the band displays both sides of its brand in a fairly equitable manner. Interviews gathered from before the release of the record through the time following the commercial’s release present the band in both its images:

They speak openly about the personal struggles that manifested themselves in the music and lyrics of “Threads,” but they seem equally comfortable joking around and having fun.

This dichotomy is also apparent in the images the band chooses to share in its promotional tactics. The band’s official press photos are split: one features sad, somber faces in front of a dark blue tint, while the other is more spontaneous and fun. Hale appears to be cackling as Dalager and Abott smirk on either side. The cover of “Threads,” the band’s most recent record, accentuates the dark side with just a hint of light. The center of the cover looks like a full moon, reminiscent of the sleeplessness that echoes in a majority of the record’s tracks.

Within the circle, there is a lightness shadowed only by a tree and a hillside—the lightness here is much like the smirks and smiles in the second promotional picture of the group. In its repeated and fairly equitable representation of both brand identities, Now, Now is able to create an authentic, unified image. ! 34!

Figure 1. Now, Now press photos. Now, Now’s photos as provided online by its publicity representative, Big Hassle (“Now, Now | Big Hassle,” 2013).

In addition to the use of imagery and sound, Now, Now’s brand is also affected by the band’s outward behavior. The band’s dedication to a DIY approach to music appears to be an important part of its brand, as it appears in several of the interviews examined. Prior to signing with Trans, the band worked with other labels, but always recorded the music themselves in one band member’s basement. The band is also proactive in its own social media marketing. The members participate on the band’s social media platforms, using appropriately customized voices on each medium and communicating directly with fans. Facebook serves as the most business- ! 35! oriented medium. Here, the band posts updates on merchandise, tours, and the band members’ other projects. The Facebook page also receives a feed from one of the bands’ more personal media: Instagram. Through Instagram, fans see the band on the road, living life. Much like the way the Windows 8 spot gives a slice of life of the band in a fun sense, the Instagram account gives a slice of life on the road. The account is far less business oriented, and seems mostly used to give fans a glimpse into what Now, Now experiences every day. The band’s Twitter account is a balance between the two styles: The account features news updates on the band’s career, but it also includes more conversational posts from the members and conversations between the band and its fans. Through its social media presence, the band shows its openness and its desire to connect with its fans. This reinforcement of the DIY/community aspect of the band’s brand is helpful in establishing Now, Now as more relatable group of people than the recordings alone might suggest.

The nature of the band’s image seems to be an extension of the business philosophy of those at the helm of its label. A representative from Trans explained he did not believe a brand strategy was the key to a successful music career. Rather than investing energy in developing the perfect marketing strategy, the artist should focus on putting out a quality product (label representative, personal communication, May 24, 2013). The product Now, Now creates has evolved over time—the band, once called “Now, Now Every Children,” shed half of its name as it transitioned into the fresh sound it cultivated on the “Neighbors” EP and “Threads.” As far as product goes, the image most closely associated with the band and its current name is that of a hard-working trio who has paid its dues, opening for popular indie bands on a variety of tours, while slowly molding its sound into maturity. ! 36!

In an interview with the A.V. Club, lead vocalist and songwriter Cacie Dalager explained the band’s approach to growth and success, something that seemed to be echoed by its team in their approach to licensing deals:

We have no interest in being rapidly successful and then quickly forgotten about.

Brad and I started this band when we were 18, six years ago, so we’re naturally

very protective of it. We want it to be something that can last for a really long

time. That means thinking very carefully about what you sign up for as a band. We

never want to jump at opportunities too quickly without thinking about the

ramifications they might have over the long term. Ideally, this will be a lifelong

career for us. (Dalager, quoted in Van Alstyne, 2012)

As I will explain further, Now, Now’s Windows 8 spot presented a strong parallel to the complex brand Now, Now presents in its other promotional tactics. The only piece missing in the spot from Now, Now’s publicist’s key messages is the emphasis on Now, Now’s work with

Death Cab for Cutie’s Chris Walla and Trans Records. If fans only knew one thing about Now,

Now, it seems the team would want them to be aware of the great work the band puts out and the creative strides they have made since they began working together. The band has gone from recording music in the basement to working with one of the biggest names in indie music. Walla took Now, Now onto Trans’ roster after he became a fan personally of the band’s music, and his admiration lends some credibility to Now, Now’s work.

For us on this last album, we were really trying to get across to people just how

far they’ve come in recording this record since Brad and Cacie first started

playing together in high school. They’ve been together making music for a long

time, and a few years ago Jess joined the band before they even made their second ! 37!

full-length. So, I guess the message we were trying to get across was…maybe

there were people out there who had heard the first album, and, you know, there

was definitely a lot of growth between that one and this one, and we didn’t want

anybody that didn’t like that record to not give this one a chance. (publicist,

personal communication, April 24, 2013)

Goals and Objectives

Interviews with Now, Now’s publicist and label manager provided some insight on the goals for the band and its involvement in commercial music licensing. Most important to note is that neither Now, Now’s label nor publicist expects any major results just from any of their artists’ involvement with commercial licensing. While the band’s label representative did seem to expect at least a little domestic buzz from the commercial, he explained that his focus for his artists is product. Before become concerned with marketing, artists should be certain the product they create is capable of building buzz on its own. “The only thing that matters is if you have a good product. If you have a good product, then you’ve got to work on word-of-mouth. You need something that’s good enough where someone’s going to tell their friend to check this out. That’s it. If you have something good enough where people will tell their friends, ‘Check this out,’ you can get something going” (label representative, personal communication, May 24, 2013).

! 38!

Through extensive touring and grassroots work, Now, Now had already built a base for success, so efforts on this album cycle focused mostly on propelling the band beyond what it had done on its own. The publicity goal during this period of Now, Now’s career was to get features in new publications, both traditional and online, and to help the band blossom beyond its strong existing fanbase:

Measures of success, for me, are …Especially with a band who’s already had a

couple of records, I really, really like to get them beyond whoever has already

covered them and become a fan of theirs. They had a strong fanbase of their own

via the EPs and the one full-length they had already released. They, even as a

young band, kind of developed a grassroots fanbase on their own, just putting out

music themselves on Myspace. So they had a strong fanbase there, but it kind of

stopped at a certain point. (publicist)

The Song

“Dead Oaks,” the track featured in the Windows 8 spot, was the first official single for the record “Threads.” The song, along with the record as a whole, reflects loss, longing, sleeplessness, and concern. Dalager explained the concept of the record in an interview with

Interview Magazine: “…trying to feel connected and feeling disconnect. Just trying to get back to a feeling that you once had, or just wanting to see how something felt before whatever events happened” (quoted in Kaplan, 2012). The song is a mere one minute and 41 seconds, and its structure does not stick to any traditional verse-chorus-verse kind of style. Rather, the song builds slowly from a simple strumming from an acoustic guitar and soft voice to a fuller mix of drums, guitar, and harmonized vocals as the opening verse fades into a repeated chorus-like ! 39! section. The full instrumentation and quicker tempo is somewhat of a departure from the slower pace of much of “Threads.” This gives the track a sense of superficial optimism not found elsewhere on the record.

The tension in the song builds as the instruments join in. With the drums, the vocals begin, repeating three times: “Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, I’ve been up, oh, oh, oh, I don’t sleep enough, and oh, oh, I know we don’t talk as much but I can hear you still.” The harmonies continue as the repeated section fades into the final stanza, one of the lines that stays with the listener as the song ends: “…I know we don’t talk as much but I can hear your voice on the phone when you’re up all alone in your room, ‘cause I am up too.” The song then slips back to the same strumming guitars used to open the piece, fading out. As explained by Powers (2010), music has a unique ability to connect with listeners on an emotional level. Even in its optimistic music arrangement, the song still builds an association between the listener and the songwriter’s sadness.

Dalager explained a bit of the song’s background in an August 2012 interview for Coup

De Main Magazine. “‘Dead Oaks was the first song I wrote after recording our last full-length in

2008. So it’s been around for a while. I don’t think we ever really intended for it to end up on anything haha. I was reaching for something when that was written. That song feels kind of desperate and pleading to me. Which is how most of our songs are I think” (quoted in Graves,

2012).

The Commercial

The commercial features 30 seconds of “Dead Oaks,” using the most instrumentally rich sections of the song to complement a fast-paced introduction to the new Windows 8 operating system. The concept pulls snapshots of both the band and the software in action to create a cohesive advertisement that clearly introduces audiences to both components of the commercial. ! 40!

The imagery of the spot does not connect viewers with the visuals for the physical release of

“Threads.” Rather, it provides a more well-rounded view of the band and its work, potentially opening them up to fans who were deterred by the dark, woeful imagery used to introduce casual listeners to the record.

Of the commercial, Now, Now’s publicist explained: “It shows them on the road, it shows them playing, it shows them interacting with their fans on Twitter, and that’s definitely true to how they interact with their fans…I think it showed them doing things they would normally be doing when they’re on the road.” My analysis confirmed the commercial as a solid representation of the brand Now, Now and its team have built.

While the song itself is more somber than the peppy commercial, it still works. The song is not perfectly suited to the situation in the way Nick Drake’s “Pink Moon” fit the ambiance of the Volkswagen commercial, but the quick strumming guitar tends to mask the more serious themes of the song to the viewer.

As a whole, the commercial functions well as a means to bring Now, Now into Windows’ world without forcing the two to appear interdependent. Much like Feist’s appearance on the screen on a video iPod, Now, Now’s work and likeness fit well into the setting Windows created here. Windows’ reputation may not be as hip or cool as Apple’s, but Windows uses demonstrations in the commercial to emphasize its product’s relevance to a younger crowd.

Given the focus on social media platforms and applications that give users the opportunity to get creative on their Windows 8 devices, Now, Now’s integration into the spot seems to fit. To use

Now, Now’s indie look and sound to sell the same old computer would be an inauthentic application of the band, but this use allows both the band and brand to complement without relying on each other. ! 41!

To better understand the full interaction of Now, Now and the Windows 8 brand, I have isolated several key scenes for in-depth examination. The commercial frequently intermingles live action with demos of various Windows 8 features, all of which make some reference to the band. Many of these references are extremely subtle and probably left unnoticed by most who see the commercial. Still, from the Minneapolis weather on the weather app to the note about band practice at Cacie [Dalager]’s house, this commercial is quietly dedicated to Now, Now.

For the following examination, I used an approach rooted in deconstruction and the elaboration likelihood model. I understood that the commercial was not a direct call-to-action sale, and, as such, I could examine the peripheral imagery and subtle style choices to understand the spot in a more detailed way. Deconstruction also provided a means to break down the associations between Now, Now and Windows to better understand how that relationships was established and maintained through the 30-second spot. ! 42!

Following the opening Windows logo shot, the commercial begins with a look at the tablet. One live shot of the band is turned over to show one of the trio’s most commonly used press photos. The photo, as discussed in the examination of the band’s existing brand, is a quality representation of the sound of the band’s work. As the commercial transitions from the tablet shot, the audience finds the band on the road, with Abbott driving and Dalager smiling from the passenger seat. Rather than sharing direct shots of the band members’ faces, viewers only see

Abbott’s hair, with Dalager’s face visible only through the passenger-side mirror. The audience is invited to the fun, but does not see it all—much like the way fans see only some of the band’s jovial nature as it conflicts with the serious tone of the band’s music.

Figure 2. Now, Now Windows 8 Commercial :08. At the eight-second mark of the spot, vocalist

Cacie Dalager is shown smiling in the passenger seat of a vehicle in video on a Windows 8 tablet

(“Windows 8: Now, Now—YouTube,” 2012).

After the brief look into the van with Abbott and Dalager, the commercial returns to the tablet view, this time with an illustration of a man with headphones, with the lyrics “Oh, Oh” ! 43! appearing in time. This is the first of two uses of lyrics on screen in the 30-second spot. The illustration has no great connection to the band or its brand, but the colors used—the grayish- blue hues with a splash of red—are at least marginally complementary to the vibe of “Threads.”

Figure 3. Now, Now Windows 8 Commercial :12. At the 12-second mark, the “Fresh Paint” feature of the Windows 8 tablet is used to create art based on the “Oh, oh” vocals of the song

“Dead Oaks” (“Windows 8: Now, Now—YouTube,” 2012).

Integrating existing marketing materials for the band, such as the promotional photographs placed in different screenshots of the device, is helpful in two ways. The use of the photos help the band’s promotional reach by giving potential new fans a taste of the band’s brand, and something they can find again online if they so choose to find them once the commercial ends. The selection of the two photos used also directly correlates to the brand dichotomy the band has integrated into all it does. The first photo shown ties most directly to

Now, Now’s dark, gloomy musical personality. The background is mysterious, reminiscent of the feel of “Threads.” ! 44!

Later in the commercial, following the “Fresh Paint” demo, a second photo is used as part of the quickly scrolling social screens on the Windows 8 tablet. The second selected press photo features a more upbeat vibe and a cleaner background. The Now, Now reflected in this shot is the side of the band that banters on stage and interacts with fans on Twitter, as opposed to the more solemn version of the band seen in the earlier photo. In just the selection of these two photos, the commercial is building a perfect mirror of the band’s dichotomous brand.

Figure 4. Now, Now Windows 8 Commercial :14. At the fourteen-second mark, a lighthearted press photo of Now, Now is used as some of the social fodder for the Windows 8 customized tablet homepage (“Windows 8: Now, Now—YouTube,” 2012).

The section of the commercial with the greatest potential for direct contribution to the band’s marketing efforts was the social media timeline demo. The only issue, as I noted, was the way the quick pace of the commercial limits the amount of the more subtle content the viewer can absorb. In this section alone, the viewer sees the band’s name in one post, the cover of

“Threads” in another, and a still frame from a live performance. The type is small and it is ! 45! unlikely the viewer would even realize Now, Now was the band’s name, but this section shows great potential as a means to increase the value to the artist as Klein (2009) prescribes.

Figure 5. Now, Now Windows 8 Commercal :15. At the halfway point of the commercial, a demonstration of the “What’s new” social feature on the Windows 8 tablet features several mentions of the band, including live performance video, the “Threads” album artwork, and the band’s name (“Windows 8: Now, Now—YouTube,” 2012).

The second use of the song’s lyrics appeared in the detail shots of the social media timeline. Each post on the timeline contained highlighted words that added up to the full section:

“hear your voice on the phone.” The use of “Dead Oaks” lyrics in the social media snippets was a fantastic touch, and was clearly reminiscent of a best practice commercial from 2011: Apple’s iPod commercial featuring Grouplove’s “Tongue Tied.” The commercial, arguably a stepping- stone in Grouplove’s path to top 40 radio, featured “Tongue Tied” lyrics on the screen of an iPod touch (“oh yeahhhh”), while showing the iPod touch users having a fantastic time playing games, ! 46! texting, tweeting, and taking photos while mouthing along the words to the song. Windows used this best practice wisely in its Now, Now spot. The social emphasis was also relevant to Now,

Now’s brand: The trio has put considerable effort into building a community with fans on its web properties. The bridge between Windows and Now, Now is at its strongest at this point in the spot.

Figure 6. Now, Now Windows 8 Commercial :18. During this section of the commercial, lyrics from “Dead Oaks” were used as part of the social media chatter demonstrated on the Windows 8 software, coordinated with the music (“Windows 8: Now, Now—YouTube,” 2012).

As the social media demo ends, the viewer is transported back to the commercial’s outdoor setting. All three members of the band are running, smiling, and clearly having a great time in a vibrant green field. This section focuses closely on the personal brand of the members and their positive personalities, rather than tying it to the brand of the music. For those who could not get past the gloom of much of “Threads,” perhaps seeing the band in a different light could help reintroduce them and encourage them to give the record another try. True to the ! 47! personal styles the band members exude in their ever day lives and on stage, the band is donning basic tank tops, jeans, and shorts. Much like how Trans has focused on putting out a good product before marketing, Now, Now seems much more focused on music than on apparel. The band is clearly hip and cool in this 30-second spot: On-trend sneakers and skinny jeans help them fit right in with the hipster crowd. Still, the bands’ style comes second to the fun the members are having in the field and the jam session they are having at :23.

Figure 7. Now, Now Windows 8 Commercial :20. Following the Windows 8 tablet demonstration, the commercial follows all three members of Now, Now as they run through a backyard (“Windows 8: Now, Now—YouTube,” 2012). ! 48!

The commercial closes with Now, Now engaging in what seems to be its key focus as a band: playing live music. In a November 2012 interview with Muzik Discovery, Hale explained that their approach to ”Threads” had been far more focused on the live show. They did not want to include things on the record the three of them could not recreate in a live setting, as they had previously done with sample on a MacBook. This view of just the three band members playing in a dark room was therefore a nearly perfect representation of the current state of Now, Now’s work.

Figure 8. Now, Now Windows 8 Commercial :23. The commercial closes with shots of the band performing “Dead Oaks” in a dimly lit room (“Windows 8: Now, Now—YouTube,” 2012). ! 49!

The Context

“Dead Oaks” was also given a video treatment in February 2012, approximately eight months before its feature in the Windows 8 spot. The music video is comparable to the Windows spot in its seemingly off-the-cuff shots of the band in its natural state. The music video is a bit darker than its commercial counterpart, but both offer glimpses of smiles and fun that the music itself would not suggest.

The band’s second full-length record and first with its shortened name, “Threads,” was released on March 6, 2012. The band made its television performance debut during the time period of the commercials release, appearing on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on November 7,

2012.. The band performed “Thread,” rather than “Dead Oaks.” Now Now’s publicist explained that while commercial licensing is no promotional panacea, it can provide a quality talking point when pitching bands for things like late night TV spots (personal communication, April 24,

2013). Based on the publicist interview and the frequent mention of the Jimmy Fallon appearance in Now, Now’s press coverage during this time, it seems the TV performance served as a more important promotional tool than the commercial.

Reach.

The Windows 8 spot did appear in the United States, but was far more prominent in international markets. As Kahn mentioned in Moore (2012), a key to building success from a licensing deal is confirming sufficient reach to new audiences. Knowing how much media time will be used, how long the spot will run, and whether the content will be used online is extremely important in determining the ways the spot may help the artist’s campaign. Now, Now’s label representative explained that the Windows spot was pitched to them as a big, wide-reaching campaign, and as such they accepted a lower licensing rate than they might have otherwise ! 50!

(personal communication, May 24, 2013). Unfortunately, the reach did not quite live up to the label’s hoped-for magnitude. “If it’s a big commercial, it can be really helpful” (publicist, personal communication, April 24, 2013). Had the commercial seen a wider release in the United

States, as opposed to its airing in South Africa and New Zealand, it may have yielded greater results. As Now, Now’s publicist explained, the blockbuster commercials mentioned in the press today are generally spots that have been given the push of major TV buys:

I tend to work with more indie bands that aren’t necessarily leaning as

mainstream pop. Even, I think, with people who do work with those bands or

work with bands who are highly licensable, it’s not something that happens either

unless you have a license with like an Apple or some other iconic brand that a lot

of people respect and you have a commercial that gets played all the time. Or

maybe you have a commercial that’s like part of the Super Bowl or something and

becomes really important, then it really does matter. (publicist, personal

communication, April 24, 2013)

Business implications.

Now, Now’s label, Trans, is was founded by Death Cab for Cutie guitarist and well- known indie record producer Chris Walla, a household name in the indie community. While this does give some brand power behind the work Now, Now is releasing, it is clear Trans functions as a legitimate independent label. Trans even uses a simple Tumblr layout for its website rather than a flashy, interactive page. In terms of business implications, Now, Now’s licensing experience proved helpful mainly as a source of income. This was the only anticipated benefit for the team—anything else would have simply been an additional perk. Now, Now’s label representative explained: ! 51!

I don’t think most [licensing] use is that much marketing value. I think that that’s

pretty overblown unless you catch that magic one. But we’re a small label, and

being able to make $10,000 here, $2,000 there—that’s a big deal—because that

pays for a publicist; that pays for a band’s plane tickets to England; that pays for

an advertisement. And that’s how we fund it. (label representative, personal

communication, May 24, 2013)

Public relations implications.

In this specific case, and for most of his clients, Now, Now’s publicist explained that commercial licensing is not an extremely important tactic. It can most commonly serve as a potential bullet point in an email pitch, among other notable recent achievements. In some scenarios, the publicist would not even want to mention the licensing. He did not suggest it would not be a serious turn-off for most publications, but it would not necessarily help the band’s cause with indie publications who care little for such mainstream media achievements. In a best-case publicity scenario, the commercial would act as an unmentioned reminder for the writer. Perhaps after ignoring a few press releases on the band, they hear the song in the commercial, their interest is piqued, and they decide to look into this band that they feel like they have vaguely heard of. “…Maybe they read something and had a preconception about what it’s going to sound like and whether or not they would be into it, they could be turned off by a band’s image, but then hear the song in a vacuum and really like it and go back and say ‘oh, I didn’t even know that’s what these guys sounded like’” (publicist, personal communication, April 24,

2013). Perhaps if the commercial had a wider release, this type of strategy could have been better implemented for U.S. press. ! 52!

The online coverage from music and culture magazine The FADER was the most outstanding piece of press coverage during this time according to Now, Now’s publicist

(personal communication, April 24, 2013). FADER describes itself on its Facebook page as “the definitive voice of emerging music and the lifestyle that surrounds it” (“The FADER,” n.d.).

Now, Now’s dreamy, indie sound is not exactly Fader’s usual fare—fans of the magazine are more predisposed to underground hip-hop and dance beats—but the band was picked up for a praise-filled piece that introduced them to a new market of potential fans. An important piece in expanding the band’s fan base, yet no mention of the commercial. The band’s appearance on

Jimmy Fallon is mentioned, however, again suggesting on-air performances as a more important promotional tactic than a commercial. The Jimmy Fallon feature was the only prominent mainstream traditional media coverage in the time period studied. It seemed the commercial did have some effect in building Now, Now’s case for such a feature:

If it’s like a battle between two bands, that are kind of on the same level same

amount of Facebook fans, same this and that, and the booker likes them equally as

well, a band that has a commercial that’s running on TV is going to get the upper

hand and is going to look better because they’re going to want to book a band that

more people have heard of because they seem more relevant. I think in a lot of

ways when you get into mainstream publications people are just looking to connect

the dots. They want to cover a band or they want to book a band that has some

radio play, has some features in a magazine, has a commercial with a brand that’s

getting a lot of play. (publicist, personal communication, April 24, 2013) ! 53!

Social media marketing implications.

As explained by Klein (2009), the online component of a commercial licensing deal can augment reach. Now, Now is fairly active online, and as such, had considerable potential to capitalize on the online version of the spot. Unfortunately, the spot itself was not pushed very seriously on Windows’ online real estate. The Windows 8 spot provided some social media fodder and conversation starters with fans of the band during the first week or so of its availability online, but it otherwise was of little consequence to the band’s online presence.

Several comments on the YouTube video did include notes from fans who had heard of Now,

Now only because of the commercial. The description for the spot provided good information on the band, and did not conflict with any of the branding established through the visuals of the spot itself. The description reads: “Up and coming artist ‘Now, Now’ shares a slice of their adventures through Windows 8. ‘Dead Oaks’ performed by Now, Now. Courtesy of Trans

Records. By Arrangement with Bank Robber Music.” As shown by the positive comments on new fans’ discovery of the band, having the video available in this online space was beneficial, but it was not enough to be a complete game-changer for the spot.

Outside of YouTube, the only time Windows seemed to promote the spot was through its

Malaysian Twitter account. A November 23, 2012 tweet read: “Check out #Windows8 through the eyes of @nownowband. RT if you love this band and Windows 8!” with a link to the

YouTube spot. Unfortunately, the tweet only received two retweets and one favorite.

The Campaign

Now, Now is among three female-led bands in this Windows 8 campaign. In addition to the “Dead Oaks” spot, Lenka contributed her song “Everything At Once” to a UK Windows spot, and Best Coast was featured in a third spot with their song “The Only Place.” Given the ! 54! differing locations, reach comparison does not yield helpful results, but an examination of the content does provide a means of discussing Windows’ relationship with the musical artists it features.

Best Coast

Best Coast appeared in a US Windows spot with “The Only Place.” This spot worked extremely well as an introduction to Best Coast’s personal brand, and the spot also had the domestic reach Now, Now’s spot was lacking. The song appropriately comments on Best Coast’s affinity for the West Coast, and the video matches closely with bright, crisp shots of summer fun.

The commercial shows the bands name in a much more prominent scene than in Now, Now’s case, as well as the lead vocalist/songwriters name, Bethany Cosentino. Giving the artist’s name such a strong feature seems to follow one suggestion from Klein (2009) for artists looking to make the most of a licensing deal: Mention the name so fans can more easily follow up on the interest the commercial creates. Of the three commercials, Best Coast’s stands out as the most successful for the artist. It looked more like a Best Coast commercial than one for a new

Windows operating system. Now, Now’s commercial seemed a perfect match for the band, but the Best Coast commercial showed what is possible for the musician when artist visibility is prioritized above product shots and complementary co-branding. ! 55!

Figure 9. Best Coast Windows 8 Commercial :12. At the 12-second mark of the Best Coast

Windows 8 spot, the commercial clearly features the bands name with a live shot of the band, unlike the Now, Now spot (“Best Coast: Windows 8,” 2012).

Lenka.

Lenka’s spot plays most true to the established best practices from the iconic Feist Apple spot. Lenka’s UK Windows 8 commercial features clips from the official video for “Everything at Once,” in addition to lyric pull-outs much like the Now, Now spot. Unlike Now, Now’s commercial, Lenka does not appear in the video in any way other than her costumed music video—the only context in which the audience sees her is in the branded world she has created. It seems almost a direct tribute to the Feist spot of 2008: Feist presented her music video on the screen of an iPod for the Apple spot, sharing her music and her personal brand with a huge audience. This Windows 8 spot functions in the same way, but it unfortunately does not tie the artist to the Windows brand like Feist did with Apple or like Now, Now and Best Coast with ! 56!

Windows. The visually striking Lenka video seemed almost too overwhelming to allow the audience to enjoy the song or take in the sales messaging from Windows.

Figure 10. Lenka Windows 8 Commercial :14. Lenka’s UK-based Windows 8 spot exclusively featured portions of the artist’s own music video (“Windows 8: Lenka - Everything at Once (TV spot) | Microsoft,” 2012). ! 57!

VI.

Findings

Balancing Without Matching

Applying the elaboration likelihood model and examining the commercial for its subtle imagery gave a clear view of the balance between Now, Now’s brand and Windows’ brand.

Now, Now’s spot stands out among its licensing cohorts as a clear example of a commercial with a positive balance between artist and content. The commercial also builds upon the band’s existing brand through subtle personality suggestions explained by the elaboration likelihood model. Rather than selling us directly, the context sells us. The vibe of the spot—the indie-styled cinematography, the grassy landscape, the splashes of user-friendly technology—build a perception of hip, trendy fun for the viewer. That perception is passed from the Windows tablet to the band just as easily as the band’s style was shared with Windows. While the reach of the commercial perhaps limited the potential brand assistance this well-connected commercial could have offered, it remains clear that the commercial was a successful co-branding effort.

Comparing that spot to the other two in the Windows campaign and to existing best practices noted in the literature, I found the spot to be one of the best examples of a successful compromise. Both sides seemed to win, band and brand, without any glaring concessions in the final creative content.

Now, Now’s publicist explained the very rare situations where a commercial licensing deal would be a bad idea for a band: When the product is something that the band is fundamentally against (personal communication, April 24, 2013). For example, a band known for its social activism probably would not want to sell its music for a commercial for an mega- corporation known for its lack of corporate social responsibility. For Now, Now, this Windows ! 58! spot made sense: The band uses computers onstage as part of its performance and is active in the social space, so it made sense to tie the band’s name to a computer company. In a live setting, the audience might notice the band using a Macbook rather than a Windows product, but this discrepancy is not enough to ruin the authentic bond created between the band and brand through balanced imagining. As mentioned previously, Hale sees the band decreasing its dependency on digital loops and tracking in its live show in favor of a more organic live sound. While the

MacBook is still used, its importance is diminishing—one will note it did not appear in the live performance setting of the commercial. Those fans who have followed the band from its “Now,

Now Every Children” days may be confused by the discrepancy, but new fans are unlikely to notice. Most importantly, the technology angle helps balance the band with the brand: It is not essential for the bands’ technology usage to completely match the spot to create an effective co- branding.

Beneficial Non-Priority

Some existing literature warns of the potential to scar an artist’s brand by tying his or her art to a commercial. This did not appear to be a major concern for the Now, Now team in its approach to the band’s brand and the Windows spot. Both members of the band’s team would have been against pairing the band with a product they were ethically or morally opposed to, but they otherwise had no concern about the commercialization of the band’s art. In today’s music industry, this kind of practice is simply necessity. As the label representative put it: “…Unless you feel like you’re really being ripped off, most bands say yes. This is not 1981 with people being upset about the Rolling Stones taking tour sponsorships; this is people trying to survive and make a living doing this” (personal communication, May 24, 2013). ! 59!

The real perceived threat seemed to be the wasted efforts on a tactic that would yield very little without sufficient resources for the commercial’s follow-up. The team emphasized that deals like this are directly beneficial to musicians in the way they finance future music, but they do not otherwise guarantee any kind of future success. Both the publicist and the label representative would not dissuade bands from putting their music in commercials, but neither would call them the panacea that some current trade stories would lead us to believe. In RQ2, I asked about the potential measures of success for a spot. It seems the limited expectations for the spot may also limit the measures. The team in this case watched sales and press coverage, but did not find the need to focus too directly on the licensing spot’s effects alone. Much like Goodman and Magnuson (2008) found with the measurement of rock band Spoon’s success, Now, Now’s label would have deemed the commercial a marketing success, as opposed to a simple financial success, if it could have been tied to an increase in filled seats at shows and CD purchases. Trans does monitor the sales around licensing deals, but it did not seem they expected much to happen.

Rather than acting as the center of an organized promotional push, Now, Now’s spot acted as a complementary piece of the promotional puzzle, of essentially equal importance as tour date announcements, music videos, and other small news items. A stronger domestic reach would have most likely magnified the effect of the spot and the tactics it was combined with. For example, it may have provided a stronger argument for a late night TV spot or blog feature—but it would not have changed its order in the hierarchy. Good music and good PR would still come first, with a commercial spot supporting that effort. The trade press would suggest it as a front- runner in promotional tactics, but this case suggested otherwise. ! 60!

Limits for an Indie-Label Artist

The anticipated and observed consequences of Now, Now’s licensing were minimal: The team seemed to expect little from the commercial due to the spot’s limited airings in the United

States and the team’s practical view of the commercial licensing practice. As anticipated, little seemed to result from the commercial’s existence. The available resources directly affect the potential benefits of a spot. Because of this, the practice of licensing for commercials is of different value for major label artists than for indies.

Popular licensing success stories—Feist, Passion Pit, Alex Clare—tend to zero in on the commercial’s content and the artistic merits as a reason for success. While this certainly plays a role, the most important component of these licensing efforts seems to be the major label team that was able to align all the pieces and parts of the campaign into a unified effort. Feist had

Cherrytree/Interscope for “The Reminder,” which provided a seemingly clear and concise brand strategy for the record at the time of its promotion and placement. Now, Now’s publicist similarly referenced Phoenix’s increase in fame following its feature in a Cadillac commercial.

He was quick to note that the success was not due to the commercial alone. “Beyond any other things they had going for them—great label, great album, great press, some radio play as well—I think that really just catapulted them or was the icing on the cake that helped them reach another level” (publicist, personal communication, April 24, 2013).

Trans was a step up in resources from what Now, Now was previously working with, especially in terms of the recording process. The label also has Chris Walla’s name behind it, and he and Death Cab for Cutie are some of the best-known individuals in the indie world. I imagined that name recognition and power alone would augment the potential reach beyond the levels expected for indie artists licensing for commercials. The case suggests, however, that the ! 61! amount of resources and labor is actually the most important variable in licensing’s marketing potential.

This case also presents the importance of understanding the limits for an indie label in the global music market. Because Now, Now’s commercial aired mostly in South Africa, Australia, and other non-U.S. markets, the band was getting a boost in locations it was not prepared to follow up with. Now, Now’s publicist explained a band needs to be cautious in approaching press coverage abroad: The band should not waste press coverage when it has no tour plans in the area because it will limit the amount of outlets willing to write about them when they do arrive in that country later:

Until you’re ready to go over there and you have a vested interest in getting press

over there, one, it’s a lot of work to try to get somebody in England interested in a

band if there’s no chance they’re going to come on tour anytime in the next year,

and you also don’t want to get a bunch of attention for a record or have some

things written and then have some time in-between when you kind of do get out

over there—then your chance for press is gone because they already covered you

and now you really need it because your record is available. (publicist, personal

communication, April 24, 2013)

Because Now, Now is working with a well-established indie label, the band’s records are sold abroad, but that was not enough to make the exposure through the commercial worth it in the areas in aired. As explained in the analysis of the commercial as a beneficial non-priority, a licensing spot provides the most value as a component of a greater campaign. That remains true both for domestic markets and abroad. The Internet has opened musicians up to a huge international market: Fans can discover and listen to artists from all over the world. However, ! 62! just being available online is not enough for a band to successfully enter a new international market, even with a commercial licensing spot. ! 63!

VII.

Discussion

This study serves as a starting point for additional necessary exploration on music licensing in television commercials. Most importantly, using the Now, Now case provided an opportunity to understand a non-blockbuster commercial: The branding was successful, but the reach was not able to create a Feist or Moby-sized splash with mainstream music consumers.

Both interview respondents involved in the case supported the idea of music licensing.

Deconstruction and the Elaboration Likelihood Model served as helpful means to examine the spot, and these methods could serve as a helpful starting point for future commercial examinations. The commercial itself was a near perfect example of how a brand can successfully co-op an artist’s hip indie vibe while still leaving the artist’s brand completely intact. However, it is clear from this case that even a fantastic commercial cannot create much impact if it is not accompanied by the proper follow-up.

The team seemed to remain extremely practical about the whole deal, so it was not a surprise to them that a cool commercial seen mostly by international television audiences and domestic YouTube viewers did little to impact sales following the spot. The team reflected a better understanding of the limitations of such tactics than I found mentioned in the existing trade publications’ stories on the matter. Licensing can absolutely be a quick marketing fix, but only if the band has the funds and proper team to create a major marketing push behind that commercial. Much like the Dirty Vegas example, where the team dropped its existing marketing plans in favor for one that focused on the licensed song and found success, an artist needs to build upon a licensing spot, rather than expecting the spot to build a buzz on its own. Keeping a broader view of the practice with all team members in the major label represented makes the ! 64! practice seem less miraculous and headline-worthy, but it does not reduce the importance of the practice for artists attempting to make money in today’s moderately unstable music industry. It will not fix everything, but it is unlikely to ruin an artist, either.

Exploring the means by which smaller indie labels can build major-label-sized complementary campaigns for their bands’ commercial spots would be a practical area of study to follow what I have started here. With the economic troubles that have yet to wane for the music industry, another golden age of major labels seems unlikely. Can bands on indie labels have an expectation of building major-label-level complementary campaigns for their licensing endeavors, or should the industry perspective shift to something more congruent with Now,

Now’s team’s take on the issue? Now, Now’s publicist explained how to make the most of the situation for publicity, but that is only one piece to the larger campaign puzzle. Further exploration is required to understand how limited resources can be used to turn a commercial licensing spot into a big promotional ripple. It would also necessitate confirming this practice is consistently helpful for true up-and-coming artists who have yet to receive any major label funds or support.

With this greater understanding of the business implications of licensing, it will be important for future research to address fan responses. I have presented a means to better explore the strategic business effects of commercial licensing—which involves fan implications so far as the brand image the band projected over the given period of time—but the long-term consequences remain unknown. Given the lack of perceived impact from the band’s team, I would not predict any future fan-related consequences for Now, Now, positive or negative. Still, it may be worth considering for other cases. The literature cautioned artists on maintaining authenticity and the meaning of “indie” for its fans. Those possible consequences seemed ! 65! secondary to Now, Now’s team, even though authenticity does seem to be an important component of Now, Now’s brand. Were Now, Now a more pop-oriented group, perhaps there would be more concern for the sell-out potential. “Dead Oaks” is catchy and well written, but it does not sound like the next big radio hit. The Windows spot is a fantastic slice-of-life glimpse of Now, Now with a perky, indie backdrop, but it did push the band or song in the same way fun.’s “We Are Young” exploded out of their 2012 Chevrolet Super Bowl spot. The spot seemed more effective as a slow-and-steady introduction to new fans.

While this study has confirmed the cause for doubt for commercial licensing as a guaranteed promotional tactic, I did not find any reason to rule the practice out. If nothing else, a band will have the chance to make money to support its uncertain career. Fans may choose to download instead of purchasing music and may not come out to support at shows, but licensing can provide a certain paycheck once the deal is made. Now, Now provided an example of the best-case scenario as far as branding and co-branding is concerned, and it serves as a great example of the kind of placement bands should look for in their deals. It also exemplifies some possible shortcomings: It is clear the potential benefits of the commercial were dramatically decreased by the limited airplay in the United States and the airplay in countries where the band did not have a strong foothold. Bands have no control over the media buy for any spot, and, as such, it becomes imperative to approach such deals with fairly low expectations. Perhaps the spot will run in high volume for two years like the U.K. spot that built a huge buzz for the Dandy

Warhols (label representative, personal communication, May 24, 2013), or maybe the campaign will fizzle out like the Windows example did. This study did not provide any simple answers to these uncertainties, but it did provide encouragement to continue studying the practice and developing more concrete best practices. ! 66!

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