As we all know, the Super Bowl TV ads get just as much press and publicity as the actual game itself. Fortune 500 companies and the entire advertising industry use these ads as a way to gauge the creative and pop culture influences that shape the advertising and consumer landscape. So it’s no surprise that yesterday’s entire Super Bowl and its advertising had a clear hip-hop flavor to it. To start things off The NFL hooked up with Diddy and Jay-Z for custom TV spot promotions (Run This Town NFL promo & Angels NFL promo), but even the ads spotlighted how influential hip-hop has become in mainstream media.
T-Pain’s Bud Light commercial was one of the rare memorable ads of the day, and even consumer electronics companies like Vizio w/ Beyonce and Flo TV w/ Will.I.Am were perfect examples of how the icons of hip-hop and urban music shape the popular culture of today. This just leaves one question then…when will The Half Time show go hip-hop? Everyone knows groups like The Rolling Stones and this year’s Half Time show performers The Who are safe, mainstream, middle-America appealing bands but who can honestly say that they watched the entire performance without a “ummm when does this end?” They are boring…but safe.
The problem of course is network censorship thanks to Miss Jackson and Mr. Timberlake’s infamous Nipplegate of 2004. But MAN wasn’t that one exciting half time show? I mean we don’t have to completely do away with old school rock bands. I would have been down for a Pete Townshend x Nicki Minaj collaboration or a Mic Jagger x Snoop Dogg mashup. But please, you can’t tell me that even with all of hip-hop’s influences in the Super Bowl you are going to deny America the chance to be entertained b/c of censorship? Just my thoughts. Argue against me if you have valid points. The Super Bowl is for entertainment, we should be entertained during Half Time too. Bring hip-hop to the Super Bowl in 2011. Can we say The Wu-Tang Clan with Journey? Peace.
With as big as The Who is as a band, why bring in a UK band? A mashup would be great.
You said it right there. Safe and censorship. Thats why this will never happen and we will get bands like this and Daughtrey.
It was Miami so they could have done Rick Ross in there. I never watch half time show though.
I disagree with this post actually, I think Hip Hop’s influence in mainstream is dwindling. I mean sure, there were commercials with Hip Hop flavor in them, but frankly…there is a difference between entertaining with a short clip to market a brand and entertaining with a live performance.
We gotta remember that though we are potent source, we are still a small majority in America. And with the more award shows I see, the more I notice the slip of the urban grasp in music…
Alexx
dunno alex, do you see any other music genre as represented as urban music during the super bowl? except the halftime. I dont think networks would go for hiphop for halftime as much as yeti would like but I agree with him that hiphop is used in marketing mainstream shit to buy now more than ever.
I agree but, I think hip hop is a way to market cool, but as far as legitimate music…people are loosing interest, I think the prime example is the Grammy’s…most, if not all, urban awards were given during commercial break.
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