What was the first pop tune snagged for advertising?

[danceswithcats]

The other day, I heard The New Seekers 'I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing' for the first time in many years, and recalled Coke using the melody with altered lyrics for a 1971 ad program.

Then I pondered-what was the first time a pop tune was used in this manner?

Over to you, triviaholics! :D

[AuntiePam]

My money's on Anticipation, for a ketchup commercial. I don't have a cite, and I don't remember when it first aired, just that I was surprised to hear a "real" song, and not a jingle.

I was surprised again when Chevy started using Like a Rock, but that might be way more recent.

I was gonna say the Alka Seltzer song, but I think that was a case where the commercial came first, then the recording.

[monkeyfist]

this article is about that very same thing. Salesnoise: Music and Advertising (http://www.stayfreemagazine.org/archives/15/salesnoise.html)

According to it,

1908
The song "In My Merry Oldsmobile" by Johnny Marks becomes a popular anthem of the emerging car culture. Recognizing its sales potential, the Oldsmobile Motor Company uses the song in its advertising and promotion.

This appears to be the first use of a previously existing song of popular culture that was then used in advertising.

[Mr. Blue Sky]

"I'd Like to Teach the World To Sing" and "No Matter What Shape (your stomach's in)" we're taken from the ads.

Also, the Carpenter's "We've Only Just Begun" was adapted from a bank commercial in 1970.

[Exapno Mapcase]

1908
The song "In My Merry Oldsmobile" by Johnny Marks becomes a popular anthem of the emerging car culture. Recognizing its sales potential, the Oldsmobile Motor Company uses the song in its advertising and promotion.

Mapcase's Second Law: Everything is older than you think it is.

[BobT]

What about political advertising? I would think that political candidates, especially in the U.S., used popular songs in their campaigns.

[Johnny L.A.]

Well, I can't beat the 1908 cite; but...

Buckle Down Winsocki was used in a PSA to inform people about the advantages of seat belts. (Buckle up for safety, buckle up!)

Suzuki riffed on Get Happy. (Forget your troubles, c'mon Suzuki...)

Janice Joplin's Let The Good Times Roll featured in Kawasaki's ads. (Kawasaki lets the good times roll...)

[danceswithcats]

Carly released her 'Anticipation' album in 1971 such that the Hunt's commercial was produced later.

Are you alleging that these pop songs came from ad tunes, Mr. Blue Sky? :confused:

[Mr. Blue Sky]

Are you alleging that these pop songs came from ad tunes, Mr. Blue Sky? :confused:

Well, the ones I mentioned. Cite? Joel Whitburn's "Top Pop Singles 1955-1996 (8th edition)"

[Dewey Finn]

Here (http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ccmphtml/colaadv.html)'s a Library of Congress webpage detailing the origin of the Coca-Cola jingle, "I'd Like to Teach the World To Sing," which was written by the advertising company.

[Dewey Finn]

And here (http://www.braniffinternational.org/people/mary_wells.htm)'s another webpage that tells the story of "No matter what shape your stomach's in," which confirms Mr. Blue Sky's assertion that the the song was first a commercial jingle.

[E-Sabbath]

I believe the Fifth Dimension song, Up, Up, and Away, was originally a bank jingle. Don't ask me where I remember this from, though.

[Mr. Blue Sky]

I believe the Fifth Dimension song, Up, Up, and Away, was originally a bank jingle. Don't ask me where I remember this from, though.

It was inspired by a friend's ballon company (http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=33:jzx1z83aoyi3) and laters used in TWA ads.

[danceswithcats]

OK-we've established that some pop tunes were really ad jingles first. Thanks for the enlightenment-I would have called them the other way around.

What's the answer to my OP?

[Mr. Blue Sky]

What's the answer to my OP?


The winner so far appears to be the Oldsmobile ad.

[Dewey Finn]

Some websites I found described the Stephen Foster song "Oh! Susanna" as the unofficial anthem of the California Gold Rush. Does that count?

[RealityChuck]

Perhaps. The song dates from 1905, but when did Oldsmobile start using it in its ads?

[Mr. Blue Sky]

Perhaps. The song dates from 1905, but when did Oldsmobile start using it in its ads?

According to Exapno's post, 1908.

[Exapno Mapcase]

According to Exapno's post, 1908.
Thanks, but credit goes to Monkeyfist.

[monkeyfist]

actually, credit should go to Carrie McLaren, author of the article that I linked to. And also to google, for directing me to the website. But, I'd also like to thank my mom for her always believing in me, and my beautiful wife for being so understanding durring all these late nights away from her, I love you honey. To my daughter, I love you for calling me your hero, and inspiring me to make good on that by making the world a better place for you.

[Bryan Ekers]

But, I'd also like to thank my mom for her always believing in me, and my beautiful wife ...

Geez, it's a cite, not an Oscar.

[neofishboy]

Man...I remember when it was just me and a couple of friends who were into monkeyfist's cites. Then he got all popular and corporate an' shit.

What happened to you, man? You totally sold out....

[CalMeacham]

There were others before 1971. I recall hearing that the 1960s international hit "Volare" was used in Italy as an advertising jingle"Fumare" for, I think, cigarettes.

[Tuckerfan]

Buick wanted to use the Doors Light My Fire, either in the late 1960s or very early 1970s (it was prior to Jim's death).

[danceswithcats]

Harry Nilsson's "Me and My Arrow" from the 1971 album/movie "The Point" was used in an ad campaign by Chrysler for the Plymouth Arrow-I'd like to see a cite for the turn of the century mentions.

[monkeyfist]

danceswithcats said:
I'd like to see a cite for the turn of the century mentions.

The 1908 cite is as follows:
Salesnoise: music and advertising (http://www.stayfreemagazine.org/archives/15/salesnoise.html)

This was posted already. It was the third post.

[RealityChuck]

According to Exapno's post, 1908.How? There was no radio in 1908. The phrase may have been used in print ads in 1908, but the OP says "in this manner," which I take to mean the song actually being played.

Commercial radio came into existance around 1920. Did Oldsmobile use the song at that point?

[Tuckerfan]

How? There was no radio in 1908. The phrase may have been used in print ads in 1908, but the OP says "in this manner," which I take to mean the song actually being played.

Commercial radio came into existance around 1920. Did Oldsmobile use the song at that point?
I've seen Oldsmobile magazine ads from that era which used the song title in the ads.

[RealityChuck]

But the OP was asking for a pop tune used "in this manner" (i.e., performed for advertising purposes). Further, singing advertising in the radio took a few years to develop.

According to this (http://www.mwotrc.com/rr2005_02/expert.htm), the song "Brighten The Corner Where You Are" was used to advertise Gold Dust Washing Powder in the early 20s. However, that wasn't strictly an ad -- it was the show's theme song, and was tied in with the sponsor by the announcer.

It also looks like musical commercials were rare in the 1920s -- all the examples I see are theme songs with references to the sponsor added. Many sources say that the Happiness Boys' Interwoven Socks jingle in 1929 was an actual advertising song. It was an original composition, "How do you do, everyone, how do you do," the the Happiness Boys had sung for years, with lyrics added to promote Interwoven, so they fit the criteria in the OP.

I can't find any reference to Oldsmobile on Google hits for old time radio ads.

[monkeyfist]

1908
The song "In My Merry Oldsmobile" by Johnny Marks becomes a popular anthem of the emerging car culture. Recognizing its sales potential, the Oldsmobile Motor Company uses the song in its advertising and promotion.
The song was aparently used in advertising and promotion. I don't know why I think this, but I get that feeling. :smack:

The OP wanted to know what was the first popular song used by company to then promote their product. This was a popular song and then it was used by the company to sell their product. Whether they used it in print add, which I assume they did, and also in live promotional events, which I also assume they did, they used the pop song to promote their product. The fact that all this happened before commercial radio is even more interesting, because it illustrates the strong connection between popular music and advertising.

OP:
and recalled Coke using the melody with altered lyrics for a 1971 ad program.

Then I pondered-what was the first time a pop tune was used in this manner?QUOTE]

later the OP writes:
[QUOTE]Harry Nilsson's "Me and My Arrow" from the 1971 album/movie "The Point" was used in an ad campaign by Chrysler for the Plymouth Arrow

I took this to mean an existing pop song used in an ad program or ad campaign, but then again, maybe that's just me... :rolleyes: The OP does not mention radio in any of their posts.