The Silver Lining

Nothing is less creative than being derivative! But while Madison Avenue was killing rock 'n' roll, a handful of agencies bucked the trend by using the same formula to break new ground in the Bill Backer tradition. Vinny Picardi of Deutsch LA reversed the formula, for example. His Mitsubishi campaign turned unknown songs into hits! Dirty Vegas' Days Go By might have slipped through the cracks had it not been featured in a Mitsubishi Eclipse commercial. That spot boosted the obscure song onto the music charts and helped it nab a Grammy nomination for Best Dance Recording. Scott Shannon, the morning DJ and program director for New York's WPLJ, heard it on TV and said, "Hey, what's that?"

Volkswagen caught the bug too, putting an unheard-of musician named Ben Neill in its commercials. Neill calls it, "A real convergence between a brand, ad agency, and record company." Neill has made music industry history by becoming the first person to put out an original collection of ten songs written for commercials, aptly titled Automotive. His producers at Six Degree Records claim the VW spots are pushing CD sales, and Volkswagen is considering selling the CD at its dealerships.