Eight commercials to watch for during the Big Game
by Luke Taylor
February 04, 2018
When the Super Bowl is on television, the advertisements that air during station breaks often get as much attention as the game itself. Here are eight commercials The Current's listeners may find of particular interest, based on the music featured in them.
Pepsi: Kesha feat. Eagles of Death Metal - "Dancing Feet"
This advertisement highlights the longevity of the Pepsi taste. The music under is "Dancing Feet," sung by Kesha, and it features the unmistakable, fuzzed-out guitar sound of Eagles of Death Metal.
NBC Winter Olympics: James Brown - "The Boss"
As the carrying network of the Super Bowl, NBC can forward-promote its own content. In this example, promoting NBC's coverage of the Winter Olympics, Team USA figure skater Nathan Chen is seen while a powerful James Brown tune plays under.
On a semi-related note, fans of the New England Patriots in particular might like to read about the night James Brown saved Boston.
Dodge Ram pickup trucks: The Tennessee Kids - "Thank God I'm A Country Boy" (John Denver cover)
Visually, this commercial is interesting to local listeners of The Current because it contains several clips of Minneapolis scenes — in particular, its roads, bridges and highways — on which we see the advertised vehicle driving.
The featured music is performed by the Tennessee Kids — Justin Timberlake's backing band, minus Justin. Timberlake and the Tennessee Kids will perform the 2018 Super Bowl Halftime Show.
NBC Winter Olympics: Ray Charles - "America The Beautiful"
In this NBC promotion of its Winter Olympics coverage, we see the story of Team USA snowboarder Chloe Kim through the lens of her supportive father as Ray Charles performs his emotional rendition of "America The Beautiful." Check out even more music by Ray Charles in this playlist assembled by local musician Mark Mallman.
https://youtu.be/aI6xTbFkZ2o
Squarespace: Will Powers - "Adventures in Success"
This commercial promoting website services features Keanu Reeves ostensibly standing on a the seat of a moving motorcycle (do not attempt), traversing the desert as a funky dance track plays under the action. The track is called "Adventures in Success," and it was released in 1983 by Will Powers … who is actually photographer, filmmaker and music agent Lynn Goldsmith (no relation to Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith of Dawes). Lynn Goldsmith co-wrote the song with Sting, and her album (as Will Powers), Dancing for Mental Health, featured a number of other well-known collaborators, including Nile Rodgers, Carly Simon, Todd Rundgren and Steve Winwood.
Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan for Amazon Prime Video: Devlin feat. Ed Sheeran - "Watchtower (All Along The)"
John Krasinski plays Clancy's action hero in this new series for Amazon Prime. The promo for it features a circular musical mashup: Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower" is covered by Devlin, featuring Ed Sheeran, and including samples of Jimi Hendrix's own cover of Dylan's song.
The most recent Dylan-related news to come out of Minnesota involves Echo Helstrom, Bob Dylan's (né Robert Zimmerman's) high school friend who likely inspired Dylan's 1963 song, "Girl From the North Country." Helstrom died in January of this year at age 75.
Lexus 500 F Sport: Run the Jewels - "Legend Has It"
Chadwick Boseman, star of the new Marvel film, Black Panther, is also the star of this advertisement for the upmarket automobile. But Lexus, Boseman and Marvel aren't the only ones who will benefit from this commercial: Run the Jewels' song "Legend Has It" features in the ad, including the part of the song where a chorus of voices chant, "R-T-J! R-T-J!"
Check out the music El-P and Killer Mike of Run the Jewels enjoy with this Theft of the Dial, recorded in our studio last March.
NBC Television: Jennifer Lopez & TV Stars - "Let's Go Crazy"
This image spot for NBC Television features Jennifer Lopez and other personalities from NBC programs performing a cover of Prince's "Let's Go Crazy." During NBC's broadcast of the Super Bowl Halftime Show, performer Justin Timberlake is expected to pay tribute to the music of Prince. Watch for Jay Gabler's recap later this evening.
Prince himself performed the Super Bowl Halftime Show in 2007.
Resources
2018 Super Bowl - official site
