Of course, a more obvious musical choice for a sinus medicine might have been "Breathe" by Télépopmusik (am I the only one who finds the accents aigue over the "e's" and the Gefälschter Deutscher spelling "musik" in this French trio's name as hilarious as the umlaut over the "n" in "Spinal Tap"? Of course, that umlaut was a deliberate gag, but I digress). But Mitsubishi Motors has already laid claim to this bit of eurotech, synthobop dandelion fuzz (actual verse: "Another day, just believe. Another day, just breathe. Another day, just believe. Another day, just breathe. I'm used to it by now." Cole Porter, eat your heart out), choosing it to underscore a commercial for its Outlander mini-SUV. Actually, that would be a lousy choice for an antihistamine commercial; the singer sounds like she's been drugged and the Claritin package proclaims in no uncertain terms, "Non-Drowsy."
Can you find the cure for "the dreamer's disease" at your local CVS Pharmacy? If not, then "Get What You Give" by New Radicals strikes me as an odd choice of music. The first verse is a rant against adult authority seems an offbeat topic for healthcare insurance ("Wake up, kids, we've got the dreamer's disease. Age fourteen; they've got you down on your knees...the bad rich... God is flying in for your trial...Health insurance rip-off lying, FDA big banker's buying). The second verse is a diatribe against more successful musical acts ("Fashion shoots with Beck and Hanson, Courtney Love and Marilyn Manson. You're all fakes, Run to your mansions. Come around, we'll kick your ass in"), all set to an admittedly catchy melody.
No, this song is a more valid musical choice for Mitsubishi Motors, who it to sell their Montero SUV. The guys in Mitsubishi's marketing department must have been won over by the line "Every night, we smash their Mercedes-Benz."
In a lovely bit of ad music cross-pollination, New Radicals front man Gregg Alexander co-wrote another song that turns up in a CVS commercial: "Lovin' Each Day," performed by Ronan Keating. First two lines: "I'm on a mission to cure my condition. 'Cause without your kissin', my heart's just a prison." Buck up, Ronan. As with the dreaded "dreamer's disease," I'm sure the cure for that condition is available over the counter at CVS.
Did anybody at General Motors listen to all of "I Love Myself Today" by Bif Naked, before approving it for a commercial about financing options? "You left me like a broken doll in pieces 'cause I took the fall for you, you dumb chump. You left me free-fallin' like space junk..." These are not the sentiments I'd choose for a company with widely publicized issues over product quality and customer satisfaction.