Brands Drop Celebs But Keep Their Music in 2009 Grammy Ads
Los Angeles, CA, February 14, 2009 --(PR.com)-- First Ever GreenLight Ad Gauge of the 2009 Grammy Awards finds that Brands Turn Up the Volume on Contemporary and Iconic Music in their TV Spots.
GreenLight (www.greenlightrights.com), one of the world’s leading intellectual property services companies, today released the results of its inaugural GreenLight Ad Gauge of the 51st annual Grammy Awards.
The GreenLight Ad Gauge monitors TV advertising during the Grammys – the world’s biggest music event every year – as a barometer to identify trends in how brands are using music and celebrities in their TV commercials. To develop its first annual Ad Gauge, GreenLight reviewed the nationally telecast advertisements aired in the top U.S. markets during the 2007, 2008 and 2009 Grammy Awards.
The 2009 analysis reveals that brands are pulling back from high profile celebrity endorsement deals, but continue to collaborate more subtly with entertainers by using contemporary and iconic music in ads rather than traditional “jingles.”
Key findings from GreenLight’s analysis include:
· 25% - one in four - ads during this year’s Grammys featured contemporary or iconic music, the same as in 2008. Reworked covers of new and old hits alike were particularly popular.
· 7% of spots featured celebrity endorsements, down dramatically from 13% in 2008 and 21% in 2007.
· Only 2% of ads had their own jingle unrelated to any contemporary or iconic song, underscoring the decline of this one-time advertising mainstay.
· Despite the woes of the automotive industry, Ford’s Lincoln brand and official Grammy sponsor splashed out on five spots during the 2009 Grammys, all featuring contemporary music.
· Retail, automotive and consumer technology companies featured stars and their songs the most, while Fashion & Beauty saw a steep decline.
· Pharmaceuticals – the biggest advertisers in this year’s Grammys with nine spots – continued to avoid collaborating with the entertainment industry altogether.
“As a result of the global economic crisis, we’re seeing a shift by America’s top advertisers away from high profile celebrity endorsement deals and a move toward using music to maintain a cultural connection with consumers,” said David Reeder, Vice President, GreenLight. “Companies like Apple, Target and Absolut demonstrated in their Grammy spots that music when executed on brand increases awareness and relevancy of the brand and forges a deeper emotional bond with audiences.”
The Grammys – one of the highest rated TV specials each year – are generally watched by about 20 million viewers with 30 second ad slots costing $1 million or more. The 51st Annual Grammy Awards averaged a 12.8 rating/20 share, a 3% increase from last year.
Target, Absolut and Activision’s Guitar Hero were among the winners that used celebrity endorsement and music in their ads this year.
“Absolut’s use of the beloved “A Kiss To Build A Dream On” by Louis Armstrong was a perfect fit for their sophisticated, well-heeled consumers who pride themselves on being socially connected and conscious,” said Reeder.
Lincoln, CoverGirl and Wrigley’s were judged to be among the losers by GreenLight’s experts.
“Lincoln landed in no man’s land between their core demographic and the youth market they crave with a set of six ads featuring their ‘Project Rising Stars: Lincoln Video Music Challenge’," said Reeder.
Meanwhile, CoverGirl and Wrigley’s ads respectively featured long-time lovers Rihanna and Chris Brown, who were both no shows to the Grammys after Chris Brown turned himself in to L.A. police in connection with a domestic violence incident.
“It’s really a lost opportunity for Wrigley's brand, as while Wrigley’s image is unlikely to be too tarnished, today it's immersed in the wrong kind of buzz," said Reeder.
To download the complete GreenLight Ad Gauge of the 2009 Grammys, visit www.greenlightrights.com.
About GreenLight
GreenLight is one of the world’s leading Intellectual Property services companies. It helps clients handle talent negotiation, rights clearances and other licensing projects involving celebrities, feature film and TV clips, music, trademarks and more to create innovative products and advertising. It also represents the name, image and likeness rights to many of the world’s most iconic and recognized personas including Albert Einstein, The Wright Brothers and Steve McQueen. A Corbis company, GreenLight is headquartered in Los Angeles and, through the Corbis network, serves customers in more than 50 countries through 18 offices throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. For more information, visit www.greenlightrights.com.
###
For customers interested in learning more about GreenLight products and services:
United States: 1-866-884-5600
For GreenLight logos, press only:
http://www.greenlightrights.com/
For more information or images from Corbis/GreenLight, press only:
Dan Perlet
Director, Communications
GreenLight
+44.20.7644.7418
dan.perlet@corbis.com
Scott Baldwin
Senior Account Executive
Weber-Shandwick
+1.212.445.8107
sbaldwin@webershandwick.com
GreenLight (www.greenlightrights.com), one of the world’s leading intellectual property services companies, today released the results of its inaugural GreenLight Ad Gauge of the 51st annual Grammy Awards.
The GreenLight Ad Gauge monitors TV advertising during the Grammys – the world’s biggest music event every year – as a barometer to identify trends in how brands are using music and celebrities in their TV commercials. To develop its first annual Ad Gauge, GreenLight reviewed the nationally telecast advertisements aired in the top U.S. markets during the 2007, 2008 and 2009 Grammy Awards.
The 2009 analysis reveals that brands are pulling back from high profile celebrity endorsement deals, but continue to collaborate more subtly with entertainers by using contemporary and iconic music in ads rather than traditional “jingles.”
Key findings from GreenLight’s analysis include:
· 25% - one in four - ads during this year’s Grammys featured contemporary or iconic music, the same as in 2008. Reworked covers of new and old hits alike were particularly popular.
· 7% of spots featured celebrity endorsements, down dramatically from 13% in 2008 and 21% in 2007.
· Only 2% of ads had their own jingle unrelated to any contemporary or iconic song, underscoring the decline of this one-time advertising mainstay.
· Despite the woes of the automotive industry, Ford’s Lincoln brand and official Grammy sponsor splashed out on five spots during the 2009 Grammys, all featuring contemporary music.
· Retail, automotive and consumer technology companies featured stars and their songs the most, while Fashion & Beauty saw a steep decline.
· Pharmaceuticals – the biggest advertisers in this year’s Grammys with nine spots – continued to avoid collaborating with the entertainment industry altogether.
“As a result of the global economic crisis, we’re seeing a shift by America’s top advertisers away from high profile celebrity endorsement deals and a move toward using music to maintain a cultural connection with consumers,” said David Reeder, Vice President, GreenLight. “Companies like Apple, Target and Absolut demonstrated in their Grammy spots that music when executed on brand increases awareness and relevancy of the brand and forges a deeper emotional bond with audiences.”
The Grammys – one of the highest rated TV specials each year – are generally watched by about 20 million viewers with 30 second ad slots costing $1 million or more. The 51st Annual Grammy Awards averaged a 12.8 rating/20 share, a 3% increase from last year.
Target, Absolut and Activision’s Guitar Hero were among the winners that used celebrity endorsement and music in their ads this year.
“Absolut’s use of the beloved “A Kiss To Build A Dream On” by Louis Armstrong was a perfect fit for their sophisticated, well-heeled consumers who pride themselves on being socially connected and conscious,” said Reeder.
Lincoln, CoverGirl and Wrigley’s were judged to be among the losers by GreenLight’s experts.
“Lincoln landed in no man’s land between their core demographic and the youth market they crave with a set of six ads featuring their ‘Project Rising Stars: Lincoln Video Music Challenge’," said Reeder.
Meanwhile, CoverGirl and Wrigley’s ads respectively featured long-time lovers Rihanna and Chris Brown, who were both no shows to the Grammys after Chris Brown turned himself in to L.A. police in connection with a domestic violence incident.
“It’s really a lost opportunity for Wrigley's brand, as while Wrigley’s image is unlikely to be too tarnished, today it's immersed in the wrong kind of buzz," said Reeder.
To download the complete GreenLight Ad Gauge of the 2009 Grammys, visit www.greenlightrights.com.
About GreenLight
GreenLight is one of the world’s leading Intellectual Property services companies. It helps clients handle talent negotiation, rights clearances and other licensing projects involving celebrities, feature film and TV clips, music, trademarks and more to create innovative products and advertising. It also represents the name, image and likeness rights to many of the world’s most iconic and recognized personas including Albert Einstein, The Wright Brothers and Steve McQueen. A Corbis company, GreenLight is headquartered in Los Angeles and, through the Corbis network, serves customers in more than 50 countries through 18 offices throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. For more information, visit www.greenlightrights.com.
###
For customers interested in learning more about GreenLight products and services:
United States: 1-866-884-5600
For GreenLight logos, press only:
http://www.greenlightrights.com/
For more information or images from Corbis/GreenLight, press only:
Dan Perlet
Director, Communications
GreenLight
+44.20.7644.7418
dan.perlet@corbis.com
Scott Baldwin
Senior Account Executive
Weber-Shandwick
+1.212.445.8107
sbaldwin@webershandwick.com
Contact
Corbis Corporation
Scott Baldwin
212-445-8334
www.corbis.com
Scott Baldwin
212-445-8334
www.corbis.com
Contact
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