10 Sync Placements That Helped Launch Music Artists' Careers

The world of advertising sometimes gets overlooked when one thinks of sync placements. Commercials aren’t always the most loved media, in general. It’s understandable — advertisements can act as interruptions to your regularly scheduled program. But other times, those interruptions turn into a delightful distraction and absolutely steal the show (Super Bowl anyone?). Musicians in particular know that commercials can be life-altering opportunities for them.

The right sync at the right time can launch an artist into popular culture — and leave the audience asking more about the song playing in the background than the actual product being sold.

Here’s a list of ten artists who got their big break via sync placements:

 Dirty Vegas — “Days Go By”

“Days go by, and still I think ‘bout you…”

By simply reading these lyrics, you might, at this very moment, hear this song’s catchy chorus in your head. Thanks to an ad for the Mitsubishi Eclipse (of all things) in 2003, Dirty Vegas is still a vaguely memorable name for many of us. This sync was so famous that the Mitsubishi commercial (and song) was parodied on The Chappelle Show. Shortly afterwards, Dirty Vegas would go on to win a Grammy for “Days Go By.” However, the success was short-lived: two years later, Dirty Vegas split up. 

Fun — “We Are Young”

With maybe the best song for a commercial ever, a band named Fun was featured in a Super Bowl ad for Chevrolet Sonic. While the group did enjoy previous success, it was this commercial that launched them into a completely different stratosphere. Some songs are simply perfect for advertising, and “We Are Young” is definitely one of them. The song later went on to be synced multiple times by multiple brands. It goes without saying — If you get a sync placement for a super bowl ad, things are going well.

Babylon Zoo — “Spaceman”

Not only did this song debut in a Levi’s ad, but so did the group that sang it — Babylon Zoo. The results were spectacular. Thanks to this ridiculous commercial, Babylon Zoo sold more than 420,000 copies in their first six days and broke the record for fastest-selling single by an artist in the UK. Levi Strauss & Co. have done pretty well, too.

The Black Keys

Everyone loves the Akron-born blues duo, The Black Keys, and for good reason; they’re absolutely awesome. But not a lot of people know that they have licensed over 300 songs to TV shows, movies, and video games. Take, for example, this ad for Molson M. The music absolutely makes the commercial, and sync placements like these have helped make The Black Keys a household name.

Jet — “Are You Gonna Be My Girl”

Like the “Days Go By” song, simply seeing the words “Are You Gonna Be My Girl?” makes us want to start dancing. That’s the power of commercials, especially those done by Apple.

With a groovy blend of bright colors and some nifty dance moves, the iPod (and this iPod commercial) was an absolute hit for both the product and artist. It launched Australian rockers, Jet, into superstardom. They ended up selling 3.5 million copies of their album Get Born, and this song would go on to be used in movies, TV shows, and computer games. 

Feist — “I,2,3,4”

Did you think we were done with Apple? Canadian singer/songwriter Feist was doing well before this Apple commercial, scoring around 2,000 downloads a week. After? It skyrocketed to 73,000 downloads per week and a spot on the Hot 100. Nearly half a million people flocked to Google to figure out who sang “that iPod Nano song.” Thanks, Apple!

Yael Naim — “New Soul”

The truth is that I could easily make an entire list of Apple commercials that launched careers. But this is the last one I’ll mention — promise. Israeli artist Yael Naim busted into the mainstream with this Apple MacBook Air ad. 

Recorded in her quaint Parisian studio, the rumor is that Steve Jobs hand-picked the song that would debut the razor-thin MacBook Air. Naim capitalized on the exposure by releasing her album early in the United States, where it was a huge success. As a matter of fact, Naim would become the first Israeli solo artist to crack the Billboard top 10, thanks to her famous Apple sync placement.

The Dandy Warhols — “Bohemian Like You”

A member of The Dandy Warhols said it best: “As far as I’m concerned, Vodafone saved Rock n’ Roll.” While that might not be exactly true, this Vodafone commercial brought the Dandy Warhols into the mainstream and changed their lives overnight. Ten albums, six EPs, and 27 singles later, The Dandy Warhols are still going strong.

Noah And the Whales — “Five Years Time”

Sometimes a commercial can breathe new life into an old song. That’s what happened to Noah And The Whale with this SunChips commercial.

Originally released in 2007, “Five Years Time” didn’t initially move the needle. After the commercial in 2008, it would go on to reach the top 10 in both the UK and Irish charts.

Mr. Oizo — “Flat Beat”

Mr. Oizo is a French electronic musician and DJ, best known for the song that gained exposure through this Levi’s Ad. According to him, “Flat Beat” took Mr. Oizo only two hours to make. It would go on to be a hit throughout Europe and sold over three million copies of his aptly-named Flat Beat Ep. Thanks to this sync placement, the song also reached number 1 in the UK. 

As you can see, commercials do a lot more than sell new cars, technology, and clothes.

They have the ability to expose artists and their music to new audiences all over the world, and completely alter the course of their careers. Next time you’re watching a commercial, try closing your eyes: chances are the music is either good, popular, or both.

Want to see more artists who got sync placements?

Check out Songtradr’s Featured Sync Placements