By now you may be aware of the Beastie Boys' legal battle with GoldieBlox, an American company that makes cool construction toys for girls, with the aim of encouraging them to become engineers. In a popular online ad, GoldieBlox parodied the Beastie Boys song "Girls", changing its sexist lyrics into a message of empowerment. Trouble is, GoldieBlox had not asked for permission to use the song, so the Beasties threatened legal action. Apparently, they never allow their songs to be used in ads designed to "sell a product".
Of course, GoldieBlox should have asked/paid to use the song. But do the Beasties have the right attitude when it comes to advertising? After all, their songs have been attached to product ads for years - the videos designed to sell their own records. At its birth, MTV was essentially an endless stream of ads made by music labels. And just as the right song can make an ad (would Van Damme's splits be as epic without Enya?), so a great ad can lead new listeners to a band. The Beasties could have shrugged their shoulders, enjoyed the free PR and assumed they would benefit in the end. Talking of videos, enforced watching of NRJ Hits at the gym has led me to conclude that Katy Perry makes the most entertaining "clips", as they're known here. But since she tends to shout a bit, they work best when you're listening to something else.
