While flicking through this month’s Observer Music Monthly I encountered what struck me as a weird way of advertising Duffy’s album Rockferry. It was a page with lyrics from Sam Cooke’s emancipation anthem “A Change Is Gonna Come” prominently displayed, against a picture of Duffy.
The bottom right has a plug for Duffy’s album, and the bottom left has the HMV logo. So it’s an ad for Duffy and HMV, but it uses Sam Cooke’s lyrics.
As a way of advertising Sam Cook’s music it might be effective, perhaps, if the ad mentioned his album more prominently. As a promotion for Duffy, however, it struck me as extremely cynical, and a little insulting.

The next page has an article on the chart-topping singer in which it mentions that she’s the top-selling artist in Britain so far this year. Add to that the fact that she’s breaking through in America currently, and you have to wonder why lyrics from a soul legend are slapped over a picture of her in an attempt to sell her album (which has already sold very healthily).
I suppose the answer is that it’s less an ad for Duffy than it is for HMV’s high street stores. There’s no mention of their website on the ad, so one can only assume that they’re using the campaign to get people to visit their stores. Not sure why Sam Cooke’s album only gets a small print mention in the corner of the page - I’d have thought that focusing on their huge catalogue of classics would appeal to music fans who like to browse the shelves.
Anyway, Duffy is a soul singer whose material recalls the 60s and the era when soul music was at its height. We all know that. Is it necessary to align her with the decade still further, through the use of lyrics from that time?
The campaign to which this ad belongs is part of a large series of ads, “My Inspiration, which you can see listed here. I’m not sure when the campaign started, so these might old news now, but apparently we’ll be able to see Razorlight with lyrics from The Kinks; Amy Winehouse with Donny Hathaway; Dizzee Rascal with Jay-Z; The Courteeners with James; Noel Gallacher with The Stone Roses; and so on.
I’m probably being a little precious about this, but there’s something I find a bit depressing about artists’ inspirations being reduced to ads for a retail company facing tough times.
I like hearing about how people gained their inspiration, and to hear someone speak passionately about what got them started on their artistic career path can be genuinely fascinating. But to have that passion distilled into a few pithy lyrics and plastered over a photo of the artist is a pretty lame way of expressing it.
But then for the modern-day artists used in the campaign it’s pretty easy work, I suppose. Just name a legend, and bang, your latest product is immediately placed alongside them and their lyrics in the reader’s mind.
In some cases such a promotional gimmick could throw up some surprises, but who’s going to be surprised that Noel Gallacher loves - and would like to have his name placed next to - The Stone Roses?

Possibly related:

1. Duffy and diet Coke to encourage young females to listen to Duffy and drink diet Coke

2. Backlash Fodder: can Duffy survive 2008’s female soul-singer avalanche?

3. It’s Good To Talkshow: Duffy belts out “Mercy” on Jonathan Ross

4. Move over Duffy, move over Adele… Martina Topley-Bird is ruling the roost in 2008

5. The Ting Tings, Alphabeat and Duffy among acts added to T4 On The Beach

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Posted by Stuart Waterman on Wednesday May 21st, 2008 at 11:57 am