What’s “The Story”?

While watching the Opening Ceremonies of the Summer Olympics last Friday night, a familiar song wafted from my big screen TV.  What was that?!?  Could it be?!?  Yes, it was.

  The Story, Brandi Carlile

As previously mentioned on this blog, Brandi Carlile and The Story  were one of my accidental finds when I attended several Saenger Theatre shows earlier this year.

Although I think that the use of popular songs on TV and commercials has been a bit overdone and almost a genre all it’s own now, I do not have a problem with artists allowing their songs being used in commercials as long as the product isn’t contradictory to their known beliefs…or for Viagra.

Knowing of Brandi’s environmetal activism I was a bit confused about The Story being used in a GM commercial.  So, I did what I always do…I consulted the internets and on Brandi’s MySpace blog today, I found this explanation:

Why “The Story” Is In A GM Commercial

Hey all,

I’m writing you from a plane bound for Portugal. While we are gone you may have already heard our song “The Story” in an Olympic advertisement for GM. Depending on how you feel about music and advertising in general, you may be wondering why a band like us would do something like this. Well I have a few good reasons, so allow me to shine a little light on the subject.

When GM first approached our band to use “The Story” in their 2008 Olympic ad visions of SUVs and full-size pick-up trucks driving through a rugged mountain range were dancing through my head. I promptly and politely declined. (Although I don’t want to be a hypocrite, our band did tour in a GM gas-guzzling van for many years) But, when they came back to us and offered to involve us in an ad campaign promoting hybrids, bio fuel, bio hybrids, hydrogen fuel cell cars and yes, even the infamous electric car the Chevy Volt, I felt the need to think twice about having the opportunity to be a part of a huge American car company creating an ad campaign for environmentally responsible cars. We feel they allowed more than a fair amount of input from us and made an honest effort to create an environmentally conscious ad. We are proud of it.

I also believe in American jobs. Keeping people employed in the US and building fuel-efficient/alternative cars could help reduce and one day help eliminate our dependency on foreign oil. To really make a positive impact regarding the climate crisis we all need to work together to make the change, even GM.

Regardless of what my feelings are about the agenda behind the sudden wave of corporate environmental awareness, its still awareness just the same.

Thanks for hearing us out. The twins and I are proud to say that every last penny from the GM ad is being donated and split between several environmental organizations exploring alternative energy and effecting change on a grass roots level…sweet!

Names and links to these organizations are soon to follow just as soon as the paperwork is done! J

And yes dad, we are still loud mouth tree huggers…sorry.

xobc

Good ’nuff for me.  And, I think that many people could be introduced to Brandi’s wonderful music through this very well done commercial for GM’s hybrids.  I have to say that I prefer this use of the song than the contrived Grey’s Anatomy.