Advertising in Music, or "It's Been A Hard Day's Night, I Need a Pepsi"

So, if you haven't already seen it, there's this video circulating the internet of a couple who, for their entrance on their wedding day, choreographed an elaborate dance, involving all the bride's mates and groomsmen, and set to Chris Brown's "Forever." You can watch it here if you're interested, it's pretty cute.

While watching this video, I was struck by one of the lines in the song, "Because we've only got one night, double your pleasure, double your fun." Where have I heard that before...oh yeah...



It's a Wrigley's slogan. Chris Brown put a Wrigley's slogan in the middle of his song's chorus, as if it was just any old lyric. But of course, it's not. It's advertising. And what really bugs me, is that I like this song. It's catchy, it's upbeat, it's got some good, spacey, techno noises in there (that's pretty much my criteria) but I can't really enjoy the song, because when it gets to that line, I just feel dirty for listening to it. I think it's because when I listen to music, I want to hear music. I don't want to be told to buy something. Now, Chris Brown also did an ad for Wrigley's, based on this song (he was recently dropped as a spokesperson after he got into legal trouble for taking it upon himself to beat the tar out of his girlfriend. Nice.) seen below.



This ad doesn't bother me. It doesn't. It's unapologetically a commercial, I know when I watch it that I'm being sold something. And art and commerce have met before, and they certainly will again, but what really gets my goat about this one instance is that it goes beyond product placement. It's taking a pop song, and advertising within it. Pop stars do ads. I get that. But putting it in your actual product? Are you that low? Do you care that little about your own music, that you will literally sell space mid-song? Oh, and check out 0:11 in this video...

That signature foil wrapping...the shot of him putting the gum in his mouth...gross.

Pop music has been a cash cow for some time now. That's old news. But I still say it's a sad day for popular music when a song, which is supposed to be artwork and creative expression, is written and distributed for the entire purpose of selling chewing gum. Chris Brown, you were already a giant douche. But you've now graduated to "colossal douche who reigns as king of all douches in Douchania, the country populated only by douches."