Commercials
"The Beatles position
is that they don't sing jingles to peddle sneakers, beer, pantyhose or anything
else. Their position is that they wrote and recorded these songs as
artists and not as pitchmen for any product." -Apple's attorney's
statement July 18, 1987
"If it's allowed to happen,
every Beatles song ever recorded is going to be advertising women's underwear
and sausages. We've got to put a stop to it in order to set a precedent.
Otherwise it's going to be a free-for-all. It's one thing you're dead,
but we're still around! They don't have any respect for the fact that we
wrote and recorded those songs, and it was our lives." -George Harrison
November 1987
"But the most difficult
question is whether you should use songs for commercials. I haven't
made up my mind. Generally, I don't like it, particularly with the Beatles
stuff. When twenty years have passed maybe we'll move into the realm
where it's okay to do it." Paul McCartney February 1988
Several
Beatles songs have appeared in commercials over the past two decades.
Many Beatle fans have mixed feelings about this. But regardless of
your stand on the matter, the fact is that Beatles songs are being used to
sell products. Here is a beginning of what I remember hearing.
1985: The first
Beatles song was used in a commercial, "Help" (sung by the Beatles themselves)
was used in a commercial for Ford. After this, Apple stated that actual
recordings of the Beatles should not be used for commercials.
1987: The Beatles
single version of "Revolution" (once again the version recorded by the Beatles
themselves) was used as part of a $7 million campaign to sell Nike shoes.
Nike reportedly paid $250,000 to Capitol Records. Apple records sued
the company, and the versions of the songs recorded by the Beatles can no
longer be used to sell products. However, while this was in court,
Nike continued to run the "Revolution" ad until 1988. They said that
it was a successful ad, and sale rose. <This
information was taken out of the book Beatlesongs by William J. Dowlding.
Published in 1989 by Fireside page 208>
1992:
- John Lennon's recording
of "Instant Karma" was used in a Nike commercial.
- "Beautiful Boy"
was used in a commercial in Japan for the Shiseido firm's Dungaree cosmetic
products. Sean Lennon was in this ad
1997:
- John Lennon's
recording of "Love" was used to sell Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo
1999:
- John's recording
of "Instant Karma" was used in a commercial in Britain selling Walkers Chips.
- Mtv used "Revolution
#9" for commercial for their Video Music Awards show, which was shown on
9-9-99
2000
- "Come Together"
is used by the Nortel Network.
- "Getting Better"
is used in commercial for Philips electronics
- KMOV channel 4
in St. Louis used THE BEATLES (umm..isn't this illegal?) recording of "Good
day Sunshine" to promote their weather on the news. It shows a cartoon
sun sort of following all of the meteorologists around.
- The Beatles 1 Cd
and cassette have a commercial selling the product while showing various
Beatles clips
2001
- "With a little help
from my friends" (as sung by Joe Cocker) is used by Gateway computers (yikes..the
type I own!) in advertising how at Gateway they are your friends.
- There is a commercial
for Best Buy (that is shown in California and maybe other places) where customers
are seen on two different occasions listing to Beatles 1.
- Wingspan Cd had
a commerical selling the disc through an 800 number
- Paul's album "Driving
Rain" also had a commerical selling the album through an 800 number, as well
as being on a Tower Record commerical.
2002
- "Taxman" is used
for a commerical for H & R Block tax company
- "When I'm 64" is used in an All State commercial
- "All together now" is used in a Yellow Submarineish
cell phone commerical
- In a commerical for Best Buy, a couple at the end
say "all Jerry is saying is give close out a chance."
Ringo
Starr commercials
We have seen Ringo in many commercials over the years:
- Ringo's first commercial was aired in Japan
in the 70's. It was for "Simple Life Leisure Suits" This commercial
showed Ringo running into strange creatures in his Leisure Suit while singing
to the jingle.
- Ringo's first US commercials were in 1987 for
Sun Classic Wine Coolers. There were several radio spots, tv commercials,
posters, billboards, and lots of other ads for this beverage.
- Ringo and his daughter were in several Oldsmobile
commercials in the late 80's. I remember one where "Beatlemania" is
acted out, only the ladies are older.
-
- In 1995, Ringo is seen in a commercial talking about a reunion with
the lads. In the end, it is not the Beatles, but 3 of the Monkees,
eating their pizza crust first for Pizza Hut's stuffed crust pizza.
- Also in 1995, at the same time the Pizza Hut commercial was shown,
Ringo appeared in a credit card commercial. A lot of people
are looking at art on a wall, and Ringo comes by and shows off his in his
wallet...his credit card, with the same art work as what was on the wall.
- I really don't know much about this commercial and ad campaign in
Japan, since I didn't see it. But many Beatle fans know that the word
Ringo means "Apple" in Japanese. And so Ringo did a commercial
and ads for some Japanese Apple juice in the 1990's.
- In 2000, right before the Super Bowl, Ringo was seen in a Charles
Schwabb commercial for investments. He helps a band come up with
some very intelligent rhyming words.
http://www.oocities.org/Starshyne9