Madonna and Others in upcoming iTunes Ad?

[MacRumors]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com)

According to several web reports, Madonna is reportedly involved (http://www.madonnalicious.com/) in an upcoming advertisement promoting iTunes and the new Motorola Moto Rokr mobile phone.

Other stars featured in the advert are Little Richard, Bootsy Collins, Lil' John, The White Stripes, Sleater-Kinney, Sum 41, Mya, Pussycat Dolls, Billie Joe (from Green Day). Look-a-likes of Beethoven, Jimi Hendrix and Biggie Smalls are also featured.

A description of the ad is provided which involves depicts the music stars packing into a phone booth which morphs into the Motorola Rokr mobile phone.

[ZLurker]

Look alike.....?

[tsaxer]

uhhh... last time I check, Jimi Hendrix is dead....
Can this thing really be as crappy as they say with all the endorsements?
I wonder....

[thogs_cave]

With the exception of Little RIchard, none of this even interests me. But, then again, I've never been a Madonna fan, even in the 80's.

As for the phone, I'm also not excited. I like my cell phone to make and receive calls. That's it. I don't need it for games, chatting, or taking pictures. I know it appeals to a lucrative market, but I'd much rather Apple spend time and effort on more stable updates and something unique in laptop hardware. I love my iBook G4, but I keep thinking things like easy-to-swap hard drives, greater (inexpensive) RAM capacity, and better onboard sound for presentations would be nice. But, that's me. :)

[hvfsl]

I didn't think Madonna was on iTunes, I guess that means they are planning to add her soon.

[Doctor Q]

I thought Madonna had broken ribs. Being packed into a phone booth while already in pain doesn't sound like she's following doctor's orders.

[nagromme]

Remember, it's a Motorola phone and so presumably it's a Motorola ad. Not Apple.

Hopefully 9/7 will be about more than this Apple-Motorola partnership. From what we know, it's a really minor thing. A few songs on a phone, eating away at your talk time? Seems like little more than a PR move for both companies. Nothing wrong with it, just not big news.

Hopefully what we do NOT know will be more fun :) Apple's announcement implies that there is more coming than just an iPod-alike interface on a 25-song phone.

[ibook30]

I hope the phone is a huge success and brings in a lotta new Apple users, but I couldn't care less.

Hope there are some more exciting announcements on Sept 7....

[rimglow]

I always wondered why Madonna, being such a shrewd businesswoman, would pass up revenue from iTunes. Maybe she finally did the numbers.

[googolplex]

This sounds totally stupid.

I also don't think The White Stripes would get involved with this kind of thing at all. It would be a very sellout type move (not that that's really bad, but it doesn't seem like something the band would do).

Also Jack White especially isn't really big on technology in music, so I don't see why he'd be advertising it. He records all his stuff with no computers and really old equipment. I really don't think the White Stripes would go for something like this.

[seashellz]

hmmm... as usual, Apple is going after the mostly "hip" niche bands, (or else the dead and has-beens)whose users are already more than likely to be Mac heads.
Preaching to the choir.

Some examples of whom they should really be recruiting are:

Metallica
Dio
Spitney Brears,
That American idol guy
WWF dudes
NASCAR drivers
'lil Kim
the entire squad of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders

only THEN will Apple start eroding into MS territory-and getting to the joe sixpack/mainstream masses.
From 2%-you have nowhere to go but UP.

;-)

[jimN]

As for the phone, I'm also not excited. I like my cell phone to make and receive calls. That's it. I don't need it for games, chatting, or taking pictures.

I agree all this does is run your battery down sooner. Product convergence is just creating these jacks of all trades but masters of none. The only reason they build extra 'functionality' into heandsets isn't for us it is for them. Why do you think the phone operators subsidise the cost so heavily (in the uk at any rate) it is because music/photos equals more data over their network equals more revenue. Motorola will want to get an ITMS interface because that is where they pick up money they don't need to get any money from the purchase, downloading 3 megs of data is where they see teh return. And when you send that picture, browse the web, ring your friends to brag about your new (and not particularly attractive) phone they'll be laughing behind your back.

I like the sound of itunes on a nokia though (even if it is a third party app), for me nokia make the best phones. However, if we want this well implemented we need apple to make a phone because their strength lies in bringing together software and hardware. The new sony music phone looks pretty good IMHO, but you know apple could do better.

[PDubNYC]

uhhh... last time I check, Jimi Hendrix is dead....



Nice observation, genius. I wonder what Beethoven and Biggie will have to say about this.
LOOK-A-LIKES!


Using look-a-likes always scares me. Kind of cheesy, kind of scary.

[decksnap]

Oooh.. Bootsy Collins. Cool. Maybe Buckethead will make an appearance!

[strider42]

Nice observation, genius. I wonder what Beethoven and Biggie will have to say about this.
LOOK-A-LIKES!


Using look-a-likes always scares me. Kind of cheesy, kind of scary.

look alikes are better than using old footage. With a look alike, they probably won't feature them prominently. Remember fred astair dancing with a vacuum cleaner. Now that was pretty awful.

[quackattack]

Nice observation, genius.
He was making a point, don't flame him.

I wish that Apple would put its marketing dollars into this new Sept 7th product and not into the phone.

No one cares about the phone, I doubt a phonebooth full of celebs are going to change that.

[m-dogg]

uhhh... last time I check, Jimi Hendrix is dead....
Can this thing really be as crappy as they say with all the endorsements?
I wonder....

hence the reason a lookalike will be used...

[m-dogg]

Oooh.. Bootsy Collins. Cool. Maybe Buckethead will make an appearance!

yeah bootsy!

[clayj]

I hope they don't show Beethoven actually USING the phone. If they do, I will be VERY pissed off.

[treblah]

Also Jack White especially isn't really big on technology in music, so I don't see why he'd be advertising it. He records all his stuff with no computers and really old equipment. I really don't think the White Stripes would go for something like this.

Thats very true but since Jack basically has total control over The White Stripes music (which is rare) it is plausible due his music being featured on iTMS pretty well.

But for someone who cuts reel to reel analog recording by hand in his home studio, it is a bit odd. ;)

[Mitch1984]

Yes, Biggie Smalls is the illest! I can't wait to see this, see what his lookalike is like.

[rendezvouscp]

I hope they don't show Beethoven actually USING the phone. If they do, I will be VERY pissed off.

I doubt anyone will actually be using the phone in the commercial, but it'll be more like the iPod-in-BMW commercial last year.
-Chase

[BRLawyer]

hmmm... as usual, Apple is going after the mostly "hip" niche bands, (or else the dead and has-beens)whose users are already more than likely to be Mac heads.
Preaching to the choir.

Some examples of whom they should really be recruiting are:

Metallica
Dio
Spitney Brears,
That American idol guy
WWF dudes
NASCAR drivers
'lil Kim
the entire squad of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders

only THEN will Apple start eroding into MS territory-and getting to the joe sixpack/mainstream masses.
From 2%-you have nowhere to go but UP.

;-)

Metallica - CRAP
Britney - CRAP
American Idol who?
Lil' Kim Shong?

Is that a joke or what..? Oh wait...you're right, the U.S. mainstream music is CRAP, just like the mainstream U.S. computer company...

Ok, back to my iTunes with Iron Maiden, Opeth, After Forever, Epica, Pearl Jam, Nightwish and Oleta Adams...thanks very much!

[Porchland]

I didn't think Madonna was on iTunes, I guess that means they are planning to add her soon.

I wonder how much of the catalog iTunes will be getting. I was very disappointed that iTunes only got Dave Matthews Band's new album and not the full (or substantially full) catalog.

With Madonna and the Rolling Stones in the fold, what big names does that leave out?

The Beatles
Radiohead
AC/DC

Others?

[BRLawyer]

He was making a point, don't flame him.

I wish that Apple would put its marketing dollars into this new Sept 7th product and not into the phone.

No one cares about the phone, I doubt a phonebooth full of celebs are going to change that.

Especially a booth full of CRAPPY celebs...Madonna, have ya finished your summer course on Jewish Cabala already? Go back to your place, monster of the black lagoon!

[Sky Blue]

I wonder how much of the catalog iTunes will be getting. I was very disappointed that iTunes only got Dave Matthews Band's new album and not the full (or substantially full) catalog.

With Madonna and the Rolling Stones in the fold, what big names does that leave out?

The Beatles
Radiohead
AC/DC

Others?

ewwww, Dave Matthews sucks. Madonna ain't there yet..also Metalica (sic?) and Led Zep...there's also only the greatest hits of the red hot chili peppers.


oh, and Linkin Park (there's no vomit emoticon is there?)

[iApollo]

Madonna is fantastic, but she doesn't belong in this commercial.

I find it ironic because she hasn’t released control of her catalog to be sold on iTunes. I heard that it has to do with royalty disputes. She owns her label (Maverick), and is distributed by with Warner. She gets a higher royalty rate than many other artists because of her status and how much money she has made Warner. Apple doesn’t pay out the way that she wants, and I happen to agree with her on that. There is no reason why one of the worlds best selling musical artists of all time should get the same rate as a one hit wonder or flash in the pan. The way it's always been is the labels pay more to the ones who have made them more money over time. It’s like with any job, the longer you are with the company and the more valuable you are to them the more they pay you.
Anyways, my point is it’s really stupid that she would be in the commercial, and I just don’t get it.

[quigleybc]

The commercial may be a bit cheesey, but at least it is something.

I mean apple needs to advertise on tv, and they don't.

so at least this is some form of tv advertising for apple.

Get out there and let people know apple.

and isn't Little Kim in or going to jail? That rules.. :p

[jettredmont]

This sounds totally stupid.

I also don't think The White Stripes would get involved with this kind of thing at all. It would be a very sellout type move (not that that's really bad, but it doesn't seem like something the band would do).

Also Jack White especially isn't really big on technology in music, so I don't see why he'd be advertising it. He records all his stuff with no computers and really old equipment. I really don't think the White Stripes would go for something like this.

And yet, strangely enough, buying Get Behind Me Satan on iTMS is closer to the experience of buying the physical album (you get the full CD booklet, not just low-res cover art, PLUS the Blue Orchid video) than most other albums. Not that that's necessarily Jack's doing, but ...

[MarkCollette]

Since Madonna is releasing a new album in a month or so, I don't find it hard to believe that she'd be up for some more exposure right about now.

On one hand, in the past she's been quite a trend setter, and on the other hand I can see her not wanting to make less money via iTunes than she gets for her CDs in stores. Maybe she reached a breaking point of not wanting to be left behind in the new medium?

Regardless, I'm a total Madonna fan, so when her new album comes out, I'll be at the store getting the physical CD. I'd only go through iTunes if there was something extra that way, like a music video or whatever.

[jettredmont]

There is no reason why one of the worlds best selling musical artists of all time should get the same rate as a one hit wonder or flash in the pan. The way it's always been is the labels pay more to the ones who have made them more money over time. It’s like with any job, the longer you are with the company and the more valuable you are to them the more they pay you.
Anyways, my point is it’s really stupid that she would be in the commercial, and I just don’t get it.

Umm, if Madonna was going to be good for iTMS, it would be because she sold a buttload of music through them. If she can't move song sales, then she doesn't deserve more money that the one hit wonder who likewise can't move massive song sales. If she CAN move song sales, then she gets a significantly larger paycheck by the wonders of multiplication.

I make a lot of money from the company for which I work. It's not because I've been here long; it's because I provide a distinct value to that company. How? My experience with the products is certainly a factor there, as is my general industry experience. At the end of the day, I contribute to more sales of the product, which is logarithmically related to the amount of pay I get over Joe College Graduate stepping through the door.

"Seniority" by itself is not an asset. That having been said, there's a lot of Madonna's catalog that I'd snatch up on a per-song basis. Bad taste, of course, but I revel in it. I just can't stand buying an album of hers for two songs and gritting my teeth through the other ten that have no emotional or otherwise significance to me. As it is, she loses out on my sales, and iTMS gets the same budget allocation regardless, and I'm probably better off in discovering a new artist I'd never heard of than indulging my reminisces anyways :)

[SeaFox]

The commercial may be a bit cheesey, but at least it is something. I mean apple needs to advertise on tv, and they don't.

...about the Macintosh! Ya know, that computer platform they're responsible for. Seems to me they advertise plenty about the iTMS. This is more for Motorola's benefit than anyones. Seriously, how many people here would be thinking of buying a Motorola cellphone if it didn't have iTunes on it, probably none.

[gekko513]

Hm ... that Madonna rumor site seems to have more interesting rumors these days than macrumors ... :p

I just hope there will be a "one more thing" at the announcements on Sept 7

[iApollo]

Umm, if Madonna was going to be good for iTMS, it would be because she sold a buttload of music through them. If she can't move song sales, then she doesn't deserve more money that the one hit wonder who likewise can't move massive song sales. If she CAN move song sales, then she gets a significantly larger paycheck by the wonders of multiplication.

I make a lot of money from the company for which I work. It's not because I've been here long; it's because I provide a distinct value to that company. How? My experience with the products is certainly a factor there, as is my general industry experience. At the end of the day, I contribute to more sales of the product, which is logarithmically related to the amount of pay I get over Joe College Graduate stepping through the door.

"Seniority" by itself is not an asset. That having been said, there's a lot of Madonna's catalog that I'd snatch up on a per-song basis. Bad taste, of course, but I revel in it. I just can't stand buying an album of hers for two songs and gritting my teeth through the other ten that have no emotional or otherwise significance to me. As it is, she loses out on my sales, and iTMS gets the same budget allocation regardless, and I'm probably better off in discovering a new artist I'd never heard of than indulging my reminisces anyways :)


I guess it just depends on taste, I happen to think her albums have all been great (except the last one) but I know what you are saying because I too buy lots of songs individually.
I do however still disagree hat a veteran artist should not get a larger percentage of sales. That’s the way it has always been. Successful artists make lots of money for their label in much more than just music sales alone and should get a larger piece of the profit because they are and have continually been a more valuable and profitable asset to the company.

Attempts to re-invent the wheel are fine, but I know she (and others) sell their music on Music Match, so they must be getting a more competitive and satisfactory rate from them and not see any point of using iTunes.

[ebunton]

excellent choice.

I think that regardless of musical tastes, Madonna is considered a trend-setter, and that's what people will associate with the phone.

[syklee26]

im tellin ya all. there is gonna be Madonna iPod

wheel will be in skin color and button will be in darker color resembling nipple.

and to the guy who bashed Metallica's music as crap, you gotta at least agree that their old stuff ruled.

if you still think Metallica is no good, then you are just a rap fan.

[hyperpasta]

Its really important and a good business move to get iTunes onto Cell Phones and compete with non-Cingular carrier's own music services. But a 25-song cap? Stupid, nobody will use it unless its at least 120 or 240 like a shuffle. Also, this phone ad sounds pretty fake.... I think the rumor sites are missing something big coming.

[tsaxer]

User deleted post

[Stridder44]

Ya know I love Apple and all but this stupid phone can go to hell. I hope it fails miserably. Gawd I hope this isnt all of what Sept. 7th is going to be about...

[macmax77]

hmmm... as usual, Apple is going after the mostly "hip" niche bands, (or else the dead and has-beens)whose users are already more than likely to be Mac heads.
Preaching to the choir.

Some examples of whom they should really be recruiting are:

Metallica
Dio
Spitney Brears,
That American idol guy
WWF dudes
NASCAR drivers
'lil Kim
the entire squad of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders

only THEN will Apple start eroding into MS territory-and getting to the joe sixpack/mainstream masses.
From 2%-you have nowhere to go but UP.

;-)

come on, not metallica again, please make them retire

[macmax77]

Metallica - CRAP
Britney - CRAP
American Idol who?
Lil' Kim Shong?

Is that a joke or what..? Oh wait...you're right, the U.S. mainstream music is CRAP, just like the mainstream U.S. computer company...

Ok, back to my iTunes with Iron Maiden, Opeth, After Forever, Epica, Pearl Jam, Nightwish and Oleta Adams...thanks very much!

+1
u forgot STP,AIC,Soundgarden, heheehehe

[iAlan]

I always wondered why Madonna, being such a shrewd businesswoman, would pass up revenue from iTunes. Maybe she finally did the numbers.

Probably Warner Music not Madonna...(I know there are no Warner artists on the iTMS-Japan store.

If memory serves, Madonna was selling an exclusive mix of American Life a few years back via her website...

Anyway, everyone else, it is only a phone and nothing to get worked up about. Who cares, it will not be inovative - just a phone with music playback (and many do it now sans iT interface)

YAWN

[iAlan]

BTW Madonna is getting 1 million pounds for a series of Motorola adverts.

[Kobushi]

Celebs stuffed into a phone booth....sounds like a new reality show. I wonder which one will win.

[Kobushi]

wow, that was quite the alliteration on that last line...sorry.

[BRLawyer]

im tellin ya all. there is gonna be Madonna iPod

wheel will be in skin color and button will be in darker color resembling nipple.

and to the guy who bashed Metallica's music as crap, you gotta at least agree that their old stuff ruled.

if you still think Metallica is no good, then you are just a rap fan.

Well, their old stuff is REASONABLE, the current is CRAP...and they still retain the "metal" in their name...awful...not to mention Lars Ulrich's painted nails...

If you saw my list above, obviously you should by now that I am no rap fan...not at all, to say the least.

And yep, Madonna sucks hard as well...oh wait! At least it's not Mariah Carey!

[MarkCollette]

Celebs stuffed into a phone booth....sounds like a new reality show. I wonder which one will win.

Madonna of course! With all that S&M gear she's got, she'll bring the smack down so fast, Beethoven won't even hear it coming ;)

[angellissie]

eh. Billie Joe is the best thing in that commericial. Sounds like a cool idea. If it gets the word out, i'm all for it.

[BRLawyer]

Madonna of course! With all that S&M gear she's got, she'll bring the smack down so fast, Beethoven won't even hear it coming ;)

S&M?? Did you forget that Madonna is now a nice, religious Mom?? Lars Ulrich is the new Dominatrix in the area...LAAAAAAMME!

[MarkCollette]

S&M?? Did you forget that Madonna is now a nice, religious Mom?? Lars Ulrich is the new Dominatrix in the area...LAAAAAAMME!

Moms make the best Dominatrixes :D

Err, other people's moms ... :p

[rosalindavenue]

If you aren't a fan of her "music" (and I'm not), you can (perhaps) admire Madonna for savvy marketing and an ability to somehow stay relevant for 20 years while flacking her inferior products. Sound familiar? Madonna should be a spokesperson for Microsoft, not for itunes.

[tsaxer]

If you aren't a fan of her "music" (and I'm not), you can (perhaps) admire Madonna for savvy marketing and an ability to somehow stay relevant for 20 years while flacking her inferior products. Sound familiar? Madonna should be a spokesperson for Microsoft, not for itunes.

Here here. But I guess when you're aiming at the mindless drones who think music is all about icon and image, you just shoot for the household names (though 'Madonna' spoken in my household is met with an eerie silence). I still reserve judgement on the phone, but landblasting with a bunch of celebrity endorsements is hardly thinking different.

[wdlove]

I also don't think that Madonna us the best person to represent Apple.

[Trowaman]

ya know when the first Pepsi ad ran and we heard greenday was doing the song we all went "eww they're an old band and don't deserve to do this for Apple."

Then came American Idiot, one of the best albums of 2004, and SHOULD have won album of the year.

My point is people are bashing Madonna hear and she has a new CD on the way that might be pretty good. WE HAVEN'T HEARD IT YET!

As for last year Pepsi though, while catchy, Gwen Stefani solo album is not good. I like Tragic Kingdom.


Also to the Person who said "Dave Matthews sucks" if you are simply referring to their new album, I'll accept it. Otherwise, "HEY! HEY! HEY! Stop it. Just stop it."

[oskar]

Also Jack White especially isn't really big on technology in music, so I don't see why he'd be advertising it. He records all his stuff with no computers and really old equipment. I really don't think the White Stripes would go for something like this.

Someone get him a G5 and Logic Pro please.

[Porchland]

Since Madonna is releasing a new album in a month or so, I don't find it hard to believe that she'd be up for some more exposure right about now.


According to her web site, "Confessions on a Dance Floor" comes out November 15, which (curiously) is the week before Black Tuesday.

(Traditionally, several "major" albums come out on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. The Friday after Thanksgiving is when the Christmas shopping season gets into high gear and retailers move their sales into the "black.")

Paul McCartney has an album coming out September 13, which lends a little credence to guesswork that maybe Tuesday's announcement involves The Beatles' catalog. That would be the first Tuesday following the September 7 announcement at the Moscone Center.

[Porchland]

Celebs stuffed into a phone booth....sounds like a new reality show. I wonder which one will win.

"Ewww, I think Little Richard farted!"

[iAlan]

Moms make the best Dominatrixes :D

Err, other people's moms ... :p

I nearly drowned on my OJ after reading your post....funny!

[beatle888]

Umm, if Madonna was going to be good for iTMS, it would be because she sold a buttload of music through them. If she can't move song sales, then she doesn't deserve more money that the one hit wonder who likewise can't move massive song sales. If she CAN move song sales, then she gets a significantly larger paycheck by the wonders of multiplication.

I make a lot of money from the company for which I work. It's not because I've been here long; it's because I provide a distinct value to that company. How? My experience with the products is certainly a factor there, as is my general industry experience. At the end of the day, I contribute to more sales of the product, which is logarithmically related to the amount of pay I get over Joe College Graduate stepping through the door.

"Seniority" by itself is not an asset. That having been said, there's a lot of Madonna's catalog that I'd snatch up on a per-song basis. Bad taste, of course, but I revel in it. I just can't stand buying an album of hers for two songs and gritting my teeth through the other ten that have no emotional or otherwise significance to me. As it is, she loses out on my sales, and iTMS gets the same budget allocation regardless, and I'm probably better off in discovering a new artist I'd never heard of than indulging my reminisces anyways :)


its not about what madonna can sell now. its about memories and a name that defines super stardom. she doesnt have to sell anything anymore. her past will always resonate....damn i sound like a fan...which im not but i wll not deny that shes hot and famous and will always be an icon to what a star is regardless of what she sells.

[jhomayne]

This sounds totally stupid.

I also don't think The White Stripes would get involved with this kind of thing at all. It would be a very sellout type move (not that that's really bad, but it doesn't seem like something the band would do).

Also Jack White especially isn't really big on technology in music, so I don't see why he'd be advertising it. He records all his stuff with no computers and really old equipment. I really don't think the White Stripes would go for something like this.
apparently he's writing a song for Coca-Cola as well.

:confused:

[spencecb]

Threads such as this one always amuse me...Whenever there is a company that is involved somehow with Apple, there are people that post things that make it sound like Apple is involved with every aspect of the connection. This is not an Apple commercial, so those of you that are saying Madonna should not represent Apple, well, you got what you wanted because she is not. In a sense, she is representing Motorola, since it is a Motorola product and commercial. And its perfectly understandable why Madonna would want to do something like this, she has her new album Confessions on a Dance Floor that comes out in about a month and a half. Why wouldn't she want to be out there in the public eye as much as she can? It gets people talking and interested. And one more thing, to the person who posted that there will be a Madonna iPod, there already was one, remember? You could get an iPod that was "signed" by Madonna on the back, when Apple first came out with the lazer-engraving.

[ZorPrime]

I wasn't interested in the first place... Now i am definitely NOT interested!

I wonder if their ads are going to have "I Stay Away" (Alice in Chains)? That would be the first time I actually would heed an ad...

[GlamTech]

Confessions and Hung Up on iTunes
Posted: 06 September 2005
madonnalicious.com has received this information about iTunes and the release of Madonna's new single and album:

Madonna's new single Hung Up will be available via download from Apple's iTunes Music Store a week before it's sold in retail outlets.

The full album will be released at the Apple iTunes Music Store a day in advance of retail stores with a bonus song that's not to be included on the CD.

[iApollo]

Confessions and Hung Up on iTunes
Posted: 06 September 2005
madonnalicious.com has received this information about iTunes and the release of Madonna's new single and album:

Madonna's new single Hung Up will be available via download from Apple's iTunes Music Store a week before it's sold in retail outlets.

The full album will be released at the Apple iTunes Music Store a day in advance of retail stores with a bonus song that's not to be included on the CD.

I can't wait!!

And I am sure that the rest of her catalog will be added later.

[MarkCollette]

I can't wait!!

And I am sure that the rest of her catalog will be added later.

This will be my first iTMS purchase :)

[MontyZ]

.