Advertising agencies got really lazy and through research realized that instead of spending mucho dollars creating original jingles for clients, and spending millions making them memorable to consumers. such as McDonald's "two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun" and "You deserve a break today", they could piggyback on the success of hit records and started obtaining the rights to hits. 

And it worked! 

Every time I hear the Carly Simon's hit "Anticipation" now, I think of Heinz Ketchup.  But it was happening back in the 1950's.  The Four lads adapted their hit "Standing On The Corner" for Ford.  There are many more examples, but the real use of hit songs started in the 1960's and never stopped.

Terry O'Reilly, who was my boss for awhile and a longtime friend, was doing some research for his CBC radio show "Under The Influence" and asked me what I knew about the Turtles campaign jingle "Mmmmmm, I love Turtles".  I knew the singer of that jingle, Gail Dahms, as I'd hired her for a commercial for one of my clients.  I also sent Terry a copy of the original song that the ad agency adapted, which was called "I Love Onions" by Susan Christie on Columbia Records
.  
Terry did not know that jingle came from that song.

And to be fair to Terry, who is an encyclopedia on advertising, it was a relatively obscure song since it only reached number 63 on the Billboard singles chart back in 1966. 

But hey, adapting hit songs brings in additional income for the writer or writers of the original song as well as the publishers, so it's not all bad.

Last edited by Doug Thompson (August 23, 2021 2:37 pm)

mace wrote:

I am sure Bob Seger was paid well by General Motors for the use of some of his music in their advertisements. However, every time I hear "Like A Rock" I think of Chevy Trucks. More recently, when I hear Ratt's "Round & Round" GEICO pops into my head. I also think of Cadillac when I hear Led Zeppelin's "Rock and Roll" I am sure there are other examples.

Interesting that you mentioned Like a Rock which I heard on the radio yesterday.  Almost never hear that song anymore,  but you always hear Old Time Rock and Roll, Night Moves and We've Got Tonight .  Guess Like a Rock, Still the Same and Ramblin Gamblin Man doesn't test well with the "listeners".  So sad..