Steve Jobs key to selecting tunes for Apple ads

Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited January 2014
Ever wonder how those catchy tunes find their way into Apple's iPod commercials? You'll have to look no further than the ear of chief executive Steve Jobs.



In a SongFacts interview with the Asteroids Galaxy Tour, beatmaker Lars Iversen explains how his band's hyperkinetic track "Around The Bend" was selected as the jingle for Apple's second-generation iPod touch television ad.



The Danish band is represented in the United States by a little-known company called Synch, which managed to get in touch with Apple and arrange for a sit down meeting with Jobs himself.



While listening to some of the songs suggested by Synch, the Apple co-founder reportedly slammed on the brakes during a sample of "Around The Bend," declaring, "This is it, this is the new track for the iPod Touch."



"Apparently he just loved that track, but we never saw it as one of our singles," Iversen said. "We have some other songs that we thought would be great singles, and that would work cool on for the radio, but he really loved that song."



Iversen noted that the selection was made ahead of the September introduction of the new iPod touch, and therefore everything was kept hush, hush. The band was even kept in the dark about some edits Apple made to the flow of its song, which it wasn't too thrilled with initially.







"They keep it under wraps up to the release of the new product, so we were just told: 'You guys are going to be in this ad, and you have to be happy and smile about that,'" he said. "I kind of like it now when I've seen it a few times, it sort of works well with the pictures - you see two hands playing with the iPod and all these silly computer games and so on."
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 60
    technotechno Posts: 737member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    Ever wonder how those catchy tunes find their way into Apple's iPod commercials? You'll have to look no further than the ear of chief executive Steve Jobs.



    In SongFacts an interview with the Asteroids Galaxy Tour, beatmaker Lars Iversen explains how his band's hyperkinetic track "Around The Bend" was selected as the jingle for Apple's second-generation iPod touch television ad.



    The Danish band is represented in the United States by a little-known company called Synch, which managed to get in touch with Apple and arrange for a sit down meeting with Jobs himself.



    While listening to some of the songs suggested by Synch, the Apple co-founder reportedly slammed on the brakes during a sample of "Around The Bend," declaring, "This is it, this is the new track for the iPod Touch."



    "Apparently he just loved that track, but we never saw it as one of our singles," Iversen said. "We have some other songs that we thought would be great singles, and that would work cool on for the radio, but he really loved that song."



    Iversen noted that the selection was made ahead of the September introduction of the new iPod touch, and therefore everything was kept hush, hush. The band was even kept in the dark about some edits Apple made to the flow of its song, which it wasn't too thrilled with initially.







    "They keep it under wraps up to the release of the new product, so we were just told: 'You guys are going to be in this ad, and you have to be happy and smile about that,'" he said. "I kind of like it now when I've seen it a few times, it sort of works well with the pictures - you see two hands playing with the iPod and all these silly computer games and so on."



    Yee haw
  • Reply 2 of 60
    technotechno Posts: 737member
    I understand how the artist might be a bit upset that Apple edited "the flow" of the song. But, I think in this instance they should just bite their tongue and appreciate the exposure they will get.
  • Reply 3 of 60
    this is quite fascinating. it makes me wonder what goes on in his (Jobs) mind - what is his thought process and what is he imagining.
  • Reply 4 of 60
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by danielchow View Post


    this is quite fascinating. it makes me wonder what goes on in his (Jobs) mind - what is his thought process and what is he imagining.



    He clearly is listening to every word of the lyrics.
  • Reply 5 of 60
    Much as I have deep admiration for Jobs and his achievements, I do have to say that I find this level of personal involvement a bit creepy.



    And, it reflects somewhat poorly on the trust/faith he has in his lieutenants.
  • Reply 6 of 60
    I think this is just another revelation of what makes Jobs such a good CEO. He's willing to get his hands dirty in the nitty gritty details where he feels it's important. What other CEO would take the time to bother with music for an ad campaign?
  • Reply 7 of 60
    kerrybkerryb Posts: 270member
    I don't know what this band is thinking if they are not thrilled Apple/Jobs chose that song. What could be better advertising for their music than say having a song of yours played a zillion times on US TV?

    Congrats to The Asteroid Galaxy Tour.
  • Reply 8 of 60
    "The Danish band is represented in the United States by a little-known company called Synch, which managed to get in touch with Apple and arrange for a sit down meeting with Jobs himself."



    As busy as Steve Jobs is does he have the time to have a sit down meeting with an unknown Danish band??? I do believe SJ likes control and probably chooses the songs on some of the iPod/Touch ads but really this is why they pay ad agencies.
  • Reply 9 of 60
    I just saw "There Will Be Blood" last night and I have to say that Steve Jobs reminds me a lot of Daniel Plainview. Ruthless, personally involved with everything, doesn't trust anyone, doesn't even like people. And as someone said, it's almost a little creepy.
  • Reply 10 of 60
    bdkennedy1bdkennedy1 Posts: 1,459member
    Personally I can't stand most of the music he picks out - iPod Touch, the OS X Leopard first boot video, original iMac "Hello" ads and the stupid "I'm a Mac" ads.



    But then again, I'm not the CEO of a multibillion dollar company.
  • Reply 11 of 60
    ok, why do some people have to shit on the man with this "creepy" crap?



    1. he is busy and "hands on", many CEOs are not, and this is his and Apples strength.



    2. YES it IS "creepy" to be there at the RIGHT PLACE at the RIGHT TIME.. just far more likely to happen if you keep doing 1.



    --



    is it creepy that Berry Gordy had so many hit on his record label? NO, it was his job to look for them.
  • Reply 12 of 60
    Nic Harcourt, a DJ from KCRW in Santa Monica, CA also has a big hand in picking what music goes in Apple's ads.
  • Reply 13 of 60
    SJ had always been involved with company commercials, he's an artist at heart. It's not strange that he gets to pick the ads, the actors, and the subject of the ads. Remember the 1984 commercial? without Jobs you would've seen a typical computer commercial instead.
  • Reply 14 of 60
    robb01robb01 Posts: 148member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by bdkennedy1 View Post


    Personally I can't stand most of the music he picks out - iPod Touch, the OS X Leopard first boot video, original iMac "Hello" ads and the stupid "I'm a Mac" ads.



    But then again, I'm not the CEO of a multibillion dollar company.



    Same here, i really dont like it





    ________________

  • Reply 15 of 60
    hosshoss Posts: 69member
    Steve Jobs has all the studs down in the garage cooking up what is sure to be a bad ass(next big thing). Steve's not stupid. He knows that the technical end of the latest innovation has passed him up. There's no better job for him to do at this point than to manage the rhythm and marketing.
  • Reply 16 of 60
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by bdkennedy1 View Post


    Personally I can't stand most of the music he picks out...



    I love it, "his" music always manage to find a way into the most played playlist in iTunes.
  • Reply 17 of 60
    camcam Posts: 35member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by anantksundaram View Post


    Much as I have deep admiration for Jobs and his achievements, I do have to say that I find this level of personal involvement a bit creepy.



    And, it reflects somewhat poorly on the trust/faith he has in his lieutenants.



    Hmmm... caring enough and being inspired enough to choose the music for one of your most important music products just doesn't seem creepy to me. Sounds smart and even fun.



    I actually really like that song.
  • Reply 18 of 60
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Walter Slocombe View Post


    ok, why do some people have to shit on the man with this "creepy" crap?



    Excuse me, but what part of "Much as I have deep admiration for Jobs and his achievements, ......" rises to your invective? (Nice job: two scatological references in one sentence!).
  • Reply 19 of 60
    virgil-tb2virgil-tb2 Posts: 1,416member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by bdkennedy1 View Post


    Personally I can't stand most of the music he picks out - iPod Touch, the OS X Leopard first boot video, original iMac "Hello" ads and the stupid "I'm a Mac" ads. ...



    You are in a very small minority.



    Even folks who don't like or use Mac generally like or at least admire the ads.



    I can't remember reading a credible article or hearing an opinion in the entire history of Apple to the effect that there is anything wrong with their advertisements, choice of song, style, etc. They are (mostly) brilliant and mostly received as such.



    As to the complaints of the group who's song was used, the song is better in the ad than their version, and the rest of their stuff is no where near as good as the few moments and words that Steve picked out for the ad. I find this is common with Apple ad music. Only about one out of three (IMO of course) of the groups who's songs are used have anything else going on on the album.



    The other song used for the colourful iPod nano ads by Chairlift is a perfect example. The cut used on the commercial is toe-tapping and uplifting, but the rest of the album (yeah, I bought it), is depressing, monotonous and kind of "icky."
  • Reply 20 of 60
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by CAM View Post


    Hmmm... caring enough and being inspired enough to choose the music for one of your most important music products just doesn't seem creepy to me. Sounds smart and even fun.



    As a shareholder, I am concerned about two issues arising from this: (1) There might be a trade-off with how much time he has available, as a CEO, to address larger issues: e.g., I'd rather that he spent as much time understanding things such as options contracts that his lieutenants are/were cooking up for him (he confessed complete ignorance, as you might recall); (2) This kind of deep personal involvement in (and stamp on) minutiae is why Apple's stock takes a horrible tumble every time there is the slightest whiff that SJ's health is an issue.
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