Senior Account Executive

An article from Business Insider on “10 hit songs you only know because they were in commercials” got me thinking about other songs that get your toe tapping when the commercial starts.

A fantastic music choice in a commercial seals the brand’s identity. It can either be forgettable or take on a life of its own.

Here are a few songs I’ve discovered via commercials, and subsequently had to purchase from iTunes. Of course.

1.     Moby’s “We Are All Made of Stars,” featured in an Intel commercial. Moby is credited with making it ok for musicians to sell their music for commercial use. His music soared in popularity after he started licensing it for advertising.

2.     Young the Giant’s “My Body,” featured in a series of Michelob Ultra commercials. I don’t like beer, but I had to Soundhound this song.

3.     Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” for Chrysler. A brilliant commercial that married Motor City and Motown, employing a goose bump-inducing technique of saying, “We’re Detroit. We’re not pretty, but we’re tough and we’re smart and we make great American cars.” And by using just the hook from Eminem’s  already Oscar-winning “Lose Yourself,” supplemented by a gospel choir, they ensured broad appeal and a tease that you’d want to see and hear more.

What are some of your favorite songs borne of commercials?