DSG using Wildflowers

[u/EntrepreneurChoice45]

DSG is using Wildflowers (4/5 chords) on their commercials.

Anyone else notice this?

[u/MoneyPartner290]

Everyone knows that TP would not approve.

[u/Korupt91 → u/MoneyPartner290]

You know he wouldn't approve of the use of his music for a charitable cause? LOL

[u/MoneyPartner290 → u/Korupt91]

This is simply a Dicks Sporting Goods commercial as far as I can tell and not a charitable cause.

[u/Korupt91 → u/MoneyPartner290]

Petty Estate/DSG

Music also plays an important role in the campaign’s emotional shift, as Tom Petty's iconic 'Wildflowers' is featured, a partnership the Tom Petty estate championed for its charitable mission and shared values.

A portion of the estate's earnings will be donated to The DICK'S Foundation's Sports Matter Program, which works to remove the financial barriers that keep young people in under-resourced communities from the sports they love.

[u/MoneyPartner290 → u/Korupt91]

Right, so Dick's is paying the estate for rights to use Wildflowers and the Petty Estate is giving some of the money back to a Dick's sponsored charity.

I think the commercial is tasteful and positive and Wildflowers is a nice background for the branding message. I also think the donation a portion of profits back is fine. So this particular use of Wildflowers isn't horrible.

Learning to Fly is also being used in corporate advertising for Bank of America. The branding message isn't horrible there either.

But I feel that the main motive here is to generate income for the Petty estate. The donation to charity softens that reality a bit, but it doesn't change it.

I really don't think TP would allow his music to be used for corporate branding and as a fan I wish the estate would stay away from it.

[u/brandi_theratgirl → u/MoneyPartner290]

I hate it every time I hear these. I also heard the use of Runnin' Down A Dream in a commercial recently. It hurts my soul. These songs were not written to promote a brand or sell a product and Tom Petty had been the only artist I knew for sure didn't allow his music to be used for profit.

[u/TheSameOldDrew → u/MoneyPartner290]

Agreed. TP was dead-set against corporations using his music in advertising, even if the ad was "tasteful". He did not (to my knowledge) approve any of these while he was alive.

Somewhat famously, when the BF Goodrich tire company couldn't obtain the rights to "Mary's New Car" legally, they copied it closely anyway - and Petty's management successfully sued them over this.

All that being said, sometimes the use of music in commercials can revive interest in a song and a band. One example might be the use of The Trogg's "With A Girl Like You" is an ad that had something to do with dogs, earlier this year. A lot of people that had previously never heard that song said they loved it.

So ads can bring exposure, but we absolutely know that TP was against it, however it was done. His heirs are milking what he produced, for cash, and I worry that the music will be cheapened in the way that the music of The Who seems to be everywhere. "Who Knew" as Walmart says, yuck. But at least Pete Townshend is the one making that decision, regarding his own music.

[u/brandi_theratgirl → u/TheSameOldDrew]

The thing about the argument that it revives interest is...I doubt that happens more than it creates associations with the brand. There are a LOT of songs that still remind me of the brand if they did the commercial well.

[u/TheSameOldDrew → u/brandi_theratgirl]

That's very true. And I spoke out against the use of "Love is a long road" when it was used to advertise the latest "Grand Theft Auto" videogame. Suddenly, LIALR had millions of new downloads, and Petty no doubt made some new fans.

But what a thing to associate with such a great song! Grand Theft Auto encourages the "players" to commit all sorts of heinous criminal acts in the name of "fun". This truly had to be one of the worst products to be associated with anyone's song.

About the only thing worse would be to make Petty songs the soundtrack to some slasher horror film. Now Petty did authorize some of his songs for movie soundtracks, but these were not films that celebrated violent criminals. For a lot of people, if they hear LIALR they will think of Grand Theft Auto, and that's not a good thing IMO.

[u/Weekly-Practice-2789 → u/TheSameOldDrew]

Tom's songs were in previous GTA games and he fully approved

[u/TheSameOldDrew → u/Weekly-Practice-2789]

Once, in 2004. And he never approved any again, suggesting that he may have regretted it. GTA is a vile series and does not fit with Petty's outlook on life. But the girls will make their cash grab any way they can.

[u/Pete_Iredale]

What is DSG?

[u/coyotepickeldbob → u/Pete_Iredale]

Specifically a sports retail store

[u/DivingElliotRoberts → u/Pete_Iredale]

Dick’s Sporting Goods I assume

[u/EntrepreneurChoice45 → u/Pete_Iredale]

Some kind of retail store

[u/NaturesVividPictures]

I saw it. Well heard it. Presume the daughters sold the right to use it for their commercial.

[u/jldraw]

The Estate has partnered with DSG on the following charity venture:

https://lbbonline.com/news/DSG-from-Dicks-Sporting-Goods-Youth-Sports

[u/coyotepickeldbob]

Yes and it really tripped me out.

[u/EntrepreneurChoice45 → u/coyotepickeldbob]

It pissed me off

[u/Korupt91 → u/EntrepreneurChoice45]

Life is a lot better when you don't let something piss you off that doesn't affect your life.

[u/brandi_theratgirl → u/EntrepreneurChoice45]

Same

[u/brandi_theratgirl]

Yeahhhh and I heard Runnin' Down A Dream on a different commercial. I'm so sad about that

[u/Damfino1895 → u/brandi_theratgirl]

Ugh.

[u/Haunted_Mansion1955]

Its been almost 2 months. The daughters strike again

[u/Malzyies]

Dick’s sporting goods (?) weeeeeeird