Earlier I posted about the value of music, television, and online synergy. In retrospect, I failed to capture all sides of the story. Among the brands, musicians, and internet entrepreneurs are of course, the ad men (and women). I neglected to represent the role of the advertising executive. Luckily, the “This Note’s For You” panel gave the advertising world an hour long soapbox to express their side of the business.

The discussion kicked off with a rendition of Neil Young’s “This Note’s For You”, an anti-commercialism anthem which gave even more weight to the term “sellout”. The song proved to be a bit dated given that many artists are now “selling in”. The panelists began by showing clips of their respective spots, then went on to describe the process of finding and obtaining music.

Using new music is a way for companies to refresh the brand, and helps to introduce a new product into the marketplace. Advertising executives use numerous methods to find material for their clients. Sometimes they reach out to supervising companies who maintain catalogs for multiple publishers. They may hire established composers like Phillip Glass or Johnny Greenwood (of Radiohead fame). They may even spend 8-10 weeks listening to hundreds, even thousands, of submissions from artists and record companies. The goal is to find the perfect part of a song that fits with the spot. Perfect execution can successfully launch a product, add credibility for the agency, and create new revenue streams for the artist.

The execution, however, is a complex project. The first obstacle is to meet the demands of the client. Ryan Fitch of Saatchi & Saatchi shared an anecdote about one client who noticed a faint trombone sound on a track, and demanded it be removed because it sounded “too farty”. What may seem like minutiae is commonplace among clients who are very protective of their brand. The artist then has to be notified of the change that will be made, and this undoubtedly causes problems because their artistic integrity is at stake. But it’s important for the band to know that when they license the music, they are allowing their work to be reconfigured for a 30 second commercial. Yet it pays to look at the big picture. Eric Johnson (Young & Rubicam) talked of the great success it was for indie group Matt & Kim to license the song “Daylight” for a Bacardi spot. Once the commercial aired, the band saw increased blog presence, a surge in iTunes downloads of the single, and ironically, a new sponsor for their tour. Companies have recognized the value of these groups, and some have even started their own labels.

I look forward to seeing and hearing the new spots from an innovative company like PepsiCo. With so many products set to launch, I know that we will do the work necessary to find great new music, and in turn refresh our brands, and the world.