Experienced musician for hire

Jingles are out, and recycling hit songs is getting old. So Madison Avenue is turning to music stars to pen original ditties for commercials.

Alternative rock band They Might Be Giants is behind catchy songs in new Dunkin' Donuts ads. Country crooner Toby Keith has just composed a new paean to the pickup truck for Ford Motor Co. And hip-hop artist Jadakiss has written raps for sneaker maker Reebok International Ltd.

The trend comes as advertisers avidly woo the 18-to-25 market, a coveted group to win over because people this age make brand choices that can influence their buying decisions for life. This group doesn't want in-your-face sales pitches, industry observers said. And it wants fresh music.

To young consumers, "someone who had a hit two years ago is an old fogey," said Robin Batteau, a Connecticut jingle writer whose credits include such past campaigns as Chevy's "The Heartbeat of America."

Avoiding old-fogey music is part of the conundrum in finding the right tune to sell a product. Past hits can trigger nostalgia in older consumers, leaving them "so caught up in old memories they miss the ad's marketing message," said Ford spokeswoman Whitney Drake .

Meanwhile, music industry troubles are giving Madison Avenue an audience with both established and emerging artists. Gone are the days when rockers righteously sneered at using their music to push products. As record sales have slowed and radio stations broadcast narrower playlists, commercials have become an alternative way for musicians to get publicity and make money.

"The realities of the music industry have changed," said senior analyst Geoff Mayfield at Billboard , an industry magazine. "If you're a musician, aside from touring, you can't count on established models to provide money and exposure."

Moby, the techno music icon, helped open the floodgates when every song on his 1999 album, "Play," was licensed for such commercial use as films and ads.

During a recent phone interview, Moby said he'd be reluctant today to write music specifically for ads, partly because he doesn't "need the money."

"I know lots of young musicians who'd be happy to do that," he said. "I'd rather see them get the work."

Some musicians still seem to prefer keeping their commercial work in the stealth mode.

They Might Be Giants, a band whose members have Lincoln roots , are the mystery musicians behind many ads in the "America Runs on Dunkin" campaign, according to a person familiar with the band's agreement.

Jamie Kitman , president of Hornblow Group USA , which manages Giants, said, "I have a policy of not talking about the Giants' commercial work."

At Hill Holliday, Dunkin's Boston ad agency, senior vice president Tim Cawley also declined to name the group in the ads, citing a confidentiality agreement. But he did say that what was essential to the campaign was high-quality music that could only be created by a longtime, successful band.

"We wanted to connect to the everyday people who make up the Dunkin' tribe, and one way to do that was with big, important songs," he said.

Cawley and Hill Holliday colleagues wrote most of the songs lyrics, and the band composed the music.

The result, said John Gilbert , a vice president at Canton-based Dunkin', is something "fresh and authentic."

When Ford executives looked to launch its "Bold Moves" campaign last spring, they explored many musical options, including licensing an old hit and listening to demo tapes of unreleased songs.

Ford selected an unreleased song, "Go," co written by the first "American Idol" winner, Kelly Clarkson , because it fit the mood and tempo the automaker wanted, said Curt Jaksen of JWT Detroit , an ad agency that creates ads for Ford. To date, fans who want the song can only obtain it legally by downloading it from a Ford-sponsored website, addictedtokelly.com .

Not only does Toby Keith sing and appear in current Ford truck ads, but he sometimes uses a Ford pickup as a prop during concerts. Keith is the third generation of his family to own a Ford, and he'd be recommending them even if he wasn't famous, said his manager, T.K. Kimbrell.

When it's time to create music for new ads, something he's been doing for several years, Ford or JWT Detroit approaches him and says, " 'We need a piece of music that makes these points.' Working with Toby, he nails it every time," Jaksen said.

Reebok of Canton used some music created specifically for an ad four years ago in its "Sounds & Rhythm of Sport" campaign, which included a TV spot featuring basketball's Allen Iverson and rapper Jadakiss . In it, Jadakiss rapped while Iverson played ball. Jadakiss was so enthusiastic that he wrote raps specifically for the project, said Reebok senior vice president Denise Kaigler. One rap, referring to Iverson by his initials, goes: "Even on the court, we stay fly, Jada and A.I."

Kaigler said Reebok is open to using music created for an ad again sometime.

"Our consumers expect us to stay fresh and create product and marketing that speak to what is new, hot, and relevant," she said.

Meanwhile, some advertisers look to music videos on the Internet for inspiration. Videos by up-and-coming, alternative rock band OK Go have been popular on Youtube.com , a website monitored by many advertisers, said the band's manager, Kitman of Hornblow; one video impressed retailer J.C. Penney , which spliced footage from a band video into an ad.

The 1960s cultural taboo that licensing music to Madison Avenue is a sellout is "so over," Kitman said.

"As record companies get weaker, artists are looking to control their own destinies," he said.

Chris Reidy can be reached at reidy@globe.com.