I haven’t seen many commercials since getting my Series 1 Tivo many years ago, but for some reason I stopped during a recent commercial break to watch the commercial embedded below. I recall some research showing that well known musical pieces can be recognized within one second, and perhaps that’s why I stopped on this commercial: I heard the first second of the music.
The commercial is astonishing in that it is for…wait for it…JC Penny. Not a brand known for its hip/cool image or fashion. This commercial, and a series of other ones, presents a striking new image and speaks to the power of creativity in marketing and its ability to change the perception of a low-quality product/merchant.
For some reason, this campaign resonates with me. Maybe because of the focus in this commercial on classic movies, which definitely has a place in my life, but for sure because of the use of Burt Bacharach music, one of the two greatest songwriters of the latter half of the 20th century (any guesses on who the other is?).
Oh, and a different JC Penny commercial features this other sprightly song as well:
http://www.myspace.com/foreverthursdaymusic
Edit May 3, 2007: For those of you looking for information on the song used in the new JC Penny commercial that premiered tonight during Grey’s Anatomy, the song Only You is performed by Joshua Radin and is on his new album. You can hear a clip on his official website.
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