Throwback songs used in commercials

I've noticed recently that a lot of commercials these days feature music from decades past. I'll be the first one to admit that this phenomenon is nothing new...actually it's been going on for quite some time and it makes plenty of sense why (older music is more easy to identify, appeals to a larger demographic). What I find interesting about this choice of marketing is the underlying motivation behind its use. Currently, I have a theory that older music is being chosen for new commercials because it gives viewers a sense of nostalgia for times when the country was in a much better state. People associate the mid-twentieth century in the United States with widespread economic prosperity. Companies today can recreate that feeling of economic prosperity (by using classic songs) when consumerism was at an all-time high. Be sure to be on the look out next time you see a commercial playing on TV and you hear that timeless classic from the 50's, 60's or 70's.

The video above comes from Hewlett-Packard's 2010 "Happy Baby" commercial. The song selection comes from Melanie Safka's 1971 hit, Brand New Key. The lyrics go, I got a brand new pair of roller skates, You got a brand new key, I think that we should get together and try them out you see. If you listen to the song or know anything about when it was written, you will hear that timeless feel to it with a little bit of folk melody mixed in (Safka said it reminded her of an old thirties tune). Besides being one of my favorite commercials today, it also plays of the whole nostalgia theme quite well, giving a potentially bland product a unique appeal that transcends reasonable explanation. Why should we want an HP printer because of some addicting song? Well for one, it reminds us of the must-have products Americans started buying in bulk in the mid-twentieth century (luxury home items that soon became necessity home items, i.e. certain household appliances). That's what you call clever marketing my friend.