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Product placement in music videos

TWO VIDEOS .RO

Two recently launched Romanian music videos caught my attention, both for the same reason: they are promoting large consumer products. Both in an ostentatious and aggressive manner. There’s no ‘product placement’ icon/info at the beginning/end/during the videos.

HI-Q - LUNI

The latest video of Hi-Q, a Romanian pop group, is promoting one of the recently presented products by Milka Romania, their Crispello.

The confirmation comes from the Facebook page of Milka Romania.

VAMA - PERFECT FARA TINE

The latest video of VAMA, a Romanian alternative rock band, is promoting four different products:

1. Pizza Guseppe by Dr. Oetker Romania,
2. SEAT Leon by Seat Romania - promo material on Facebook/SEAT Romania,
3. Ursus Cooler by SABMiller Romania - promo material on Facebook/Ursus,
4. AQUA Carpatica by Carpathian Springs - promo material on Facebook/AQUA Carpatica

SO…

1. Are these music videos or video ads with a given soundtrack?
2. Is it product placement in music videos ethical and moral, as long as its commercial purposes are not declared?
3. Can these music videos be associated with art or they’re pure commercial products, part of a wide commercial mechanism?
4. Having this type of connections with corporations, do these bands keep their credibility? Can they have any social role in a non-commercial environment?
5. How much is too much when it comes to subordination of (pop) art to diverse commercial interests?

RELATED

The EU has clear rules regarding product placement in TV productions:

”…viewers must be clearly informed about the existence of product placement therefore product placement should be appropriately identified at the start and at the end of the programme and when programme resumes after an advertising break.”

More > ec.europa.eu
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”Gaga’s product placement has reached a new order, but how might pop have looked if such blatant commercial opportunism had always been the norm?”

More > guardian.co.uk/lady-gaga-telephone-product-placement
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”…the action almost obscures the fact that the video advertises a product: N*ft Vodka. There’s no call-to-action in the video, but early on, the main character picks up a canister of the Russian premium vodka and uses it to clean his wounds.”

More > mashable.com/biting-elbows-vodka-ad/
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Case Study - ROI for Brand Integration/Product Placement in a Music Video by Sean Paul

YouTube Romania

WHAT & WHEN

1. On 6^th of March 2013 UCMR-ADA, the “Romanian Musical Performing And Mechanical Rights Society”, signed a contract with Google Ireland Limited which allows UCMR-ADA to collect royalties for its members for the YouTube plays of their musical productions.

2. On 25^th of April 2013 YouTube Romania got launched and presented itself to the wide audience through a video. Also, we’re informed that their first partners are Roton, Cat Music, Hahaha Production, MediaPro Music and TVR. Besides TVR, the state-owned Romanian TV broadcaster, all the other names are of mainstream record labels.

QUESTIONS

1. Why did YouTube sign with UCMR-ADA, one of the most unreliable and less transparent Romanian institutions? Starting from 1990, the activity of UCMR-ADA has been questioned and contested several times and this institution has been involved in many scandals which were reflected by the mainstream media. Here you have the latest: www.floringrozea.com/2013/03/24/capul-in-gura-primit-zilnic-de-tinerii-artisti/

2. YouTube Romania is telling us that their first partners are Roton, Cat Music, Hahaha Production, MediaPro Music and TVR. From this statement I understand that a lucrative business relationship with the mainstream (mainly) musical content creators is more important for YouTube Romania than a business relationship with the regular users, the ”no name” content creators.

Instead of motivating, promoting and raising individuals, independent content creators, the first step of YouTube Romania is to partner with companies and strengthen them. Why this strategy and who’s its godfather?

3. The promo video is also reflecting the above-mentioned policy: apart from some no-name geeks from trendy agencies & co., it is full of mainstream music characters that are under the umbrella of the previously mentioned record labels. Should we jubilate to see one more time some of those who’re agressively promoted by the mainstream media?

THEIR TUBE

As it was presented on 25^th of April, YouTube Romania seems to be TheirTube not Your/MyTube. It will be an important – perhaps, the most important – communication channel for a few companies and an important deliverer of strength for them in terms of image and finances.

I would love to be wrong…

Sempiternal Zion

Two songs - two different worlds.
Two songs - two authentic statements.
Two songs - two distinct spiritual backgrounds.
Two songs - two unsettling emotional experiences.
Two songs - two perspectives on the same topic…

Hillsong United - Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) / Zion, 2013

Bring Me The Horizon - Shadow Moses / Sempiternal*, 2013

*sempiternal - everlasting, eternal

As long as we do right

There’s a native feel of justice we can’t ignore. Also, there’s a natural conviction that as long as we do right nothing wrong can happen to us. Unfortunately, on a hystorical level this conclusion is inapplicable - the innocent victims of various politically-rooted attrocities stand as witnesses. Still, we can hope that on a personal level it has some kind of relevance…

Band wanted!

After half a year journey with a cover band, I recently became free, so I’m looking for a band. In the last years I took part in various bands & projects, such as:

Morena Band - cover band | videos
Jokerman - indie rock | video
Indie Folker - indie rock | audio
4 motion - contemporary Christian band | video
Shekinah - POD-like stuff | video
Caleb Christian Center - Praise & Worship | video

If you’re in need of a bass player and you believe we could share a few fine moments, please contact me. Thank you!

Email: contact [at] bassplayer.ro

You And Your Audience

“This isn’t really what the youth and teenage girls are into, or your Toto audience. This isn’t anything like the pop music that’s on the charts.”

Before being released, Africa*, one of the most iconic songs by TOTO, got negative reactions, both from band members and other people. Even so, its composer, David Paich, was encouraged by the opinion of a respected person who told him that:

“You mustn’t write down to your audience. You have to imagine that your audience is as intelligent as you, and that they go to school, and that they will understand the kinds of things you’re writing about.”

In conclusion, David Paich says that “…to this day I still think that’s a good thing to do: to not write down to your audience.”

Source: Rock Cellar Magazine | Photo: David Paich / Facebook

* TOTO IV, 1982

Playing Bass In Morena Band

This summer I came in contact with David Todoran* and our meeting turned out to be one of the first steps to the forming of Morena Band.

So, today I’m the bass player of Morena Band, a cover band with a wide range of repertoire: from pop to soft jazz, from hard rock to latino and many in between. Hopefully, the first steps we took this year will lead to a memorable journey…

Please allow us to wish you a Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year!

*TODO Events | David & The Six Martini Band

Supernatural Life

This summer I had the opportunity to record the bass line for a song called “Supernatural Life”, written by Nimrod Szedlacsek for his band, 4motion.

Also, a week ago we shot a promo video.

Wrong!

The girlfriend/wife of a musician believes that she’s as important as music to him. Needless to say, she’s wrong. Just being a witness to the magic doesn’t make her part of it…

Who Is The Keeper?

Have you ever wondered who The Keeper is, the main character of the “Keeper Of The Seven Keys” Helloween albums*? The answer comes from Mr. Michael Weikath in an interview for Rundgång/SVT2.

- Who is The Keeper? Is it you?…

- No. It is, actually, Jesus Christ. (…) It is, actually, so clear… it is plain clear when you get into the story.

*there are three “Keeper…” albums:

• Keeper Of The Seven Keys – Part I, 1987
• Keeper Of The Seven Keys – Part II, 1988
• Keeper Of The Seven Keys – The Legacy, 2005

The complete interview: http://goo.gl/ARGMh
Cover images: helloween.org