Grizzly Bear Sell VW Ad at Super Bowl XLIV – Selling Out?
While the post-wardrobe malfunction world we live in seems guarantee that no one under 60 will ever, ever play a Super Bowl Halftime set again (hey, we all love The Who, but ouch), the music licensing surrounding the game is beginning to sound a little more comfortable in too-tight jeans and drinking Pabst Blue Ribbon, if not nipple shields.
The music of indie rock standard bearers such as Arcade Fire and Grizzly Bear both made appearances in last night’s telecast of Super Bowl 44, with Arcade Fire doing a good deed and Grizzly Bear doing a… well, they sold some Volkswagens.
Arcade Fire’s anthemic “Wake Up,” having already been put to excellent use in the trailer for last year’s Where the Wild Things Are cinematic adaptation, was licensed to the big event, with the band donating all profits of said licensing to Haiti relief charity Partners in Health.
Meanwhile, the piano-plinked hooks of Grizzly Bear’s “Two Weeks” joined forces with Stevie Wonder and Tracy Morgan to sell Volkswagens in an occasionally amusing (and punch-happy) ad. While it wasn’t exactly for a good cause, at the least the spot didn’t murder the soundtrack to an entire generation, which is something.
What do you think of the Grizzly Bears doing a VW ad?
Wednesday, February 10, 2010 1:57PM
I really want to ask you what YOU thought of the ad? Do you like Grizzly Bear? Because if you if, you would not pose this question online for them to see. If they thought it was a sell-out they would not have done it.
Why DO you think they licensed their music to a VW ad? Because it is one of the only ways for a band to make money these days. Period, end of story. So for every record that you have in your itunes, or your collection, did you buy every single one? I doubt it. Have you paid for every single ticket to every single show you have ever been to? I doubt it. So if you love Grizzly Bear, support them, and that means supporting every decision they make as a band. License or no License.
Music Licensing to commercials is not a sell out or a crime, and it does not diminish the "epic" nature of any song, it feeds the band, and helps new listeners discover the band. Do you know how many people who NEVER heard of this band know about it now? AMAZING opportunity for any band, big or small. The Super Bowl is the most watched TV show of the entire year. No Record Label (not even a major) could buy that kind of exposure.
End of story.