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IntroductionIn 2012, Yankee Stadium was an appropriate venue for famed New York baseball legend Derek Jeter to speak to a group of beauty editors about the re-launch of his cologne line, Driven Black.1 During the event, Jeter admitted that in his younger days he had used a popular line of cologne in the 1990s called Cool Water.2 It's certainly not unusual for someone hawking his or her own brand to admit once using another. It's interesting, though, that Jeter said the only reason he tried that particular scent was because rapper Snoop Dogg referenced it in one of his songs.3Cool Water wasn't the only brand referenced in Snoop's 1993 song "Lodi Dodi." Along with references to using Johnson's baby powder and Oil of Olay, he also included shout-outs to fellow rapper Slick Rick and locales such as the San Fernando Valley and Long Beach.4 Along with those apparent endorsements of specific consumer brands and places, consider other lyrics in the song, including "for all my Doggs," "my brand new Doggy underwear," and "Doggy Doggy.. .your words just hypnotize me," and one could argue that the hip-hop legend was also promoting another product: himself.5Artists have become decidedly more accustomed to partnering with product marketers.6 Typically, though, the relationships have involved tour sponsorships, endorsements, or the use of the artist's music in commercials.7 There are plenty of examples of using popular music in advertising. However, how often has there been advertising in popular music?Artists are in a sense "brands." Many of them appear to promote or acquaint audiences with their lifestyles through the music they create. Through his lyrics, Snoop Dogg certainly informed listeners about his inspirations, what he liked, and the places he frequented. Popular songs can serve not only as a mechanism for the subtle marketing of commercial consumer products, but also as a platform for marketing artists.Three types of branding devices seem to be exemplified in the lyrics of "Lodi Dodi": the mention of specific brands (Cool Water, Oil of Olay, etc.), places (the San Femando Valley and Long Beach), and people (Slick Rick and Snoop Dogg). The aim of this study is to identify just how often these three types of lyrical references have occurred in popular songs through the years. How frequently have popular songs employed lyrics that may be serving the purpose of branding or advertising consumer products or the artists themselves, and are there observable trends regarding the practice over time?A Study of Words in Pop Song LyricsThis particular research was one segment of an analysis of the words used in the lyrics of the most popular hit songs each year over the course of more than five decades. In this segment, the intent was to identify the frequency of words that fell into the three specific categories: product brand names, specific locations, and names of artists or well-known persons. These three types of word usage were determined to be the most indicative of potential branding activity at work. Prior investigations have focused strictly on consumer product mentions in hit songs. This subsequent research is relevant in that it also involves two other analyses and quantifies additional potential branding activity. These additional criteria may provide further knowledge as to how popular songs are transforming in terms of their lyrical content. An understanding of these changes and their implications would be helpful to practitioners, educators, and students of the craft as they navigate both the creative and entrepreneurial arenas of the music business.AdvertainmentPerhaps the most recognizable type of marketing through song lyrics occurs when consumer product names are used. A new term has been used to label this type of activity. "Advertainment" has been defined as "the merge of entertainment programming with brand messaging, direct promotions, and public relations. … |
