Ad Evolutions on MTV

 

Chrysler spent a lot of cash on this special 90 second ad for the Plymouth Duster that was produced especially for MTV's first ever Video Music Awards. However, the ad looks like a Broadway musical done in the style of 80s music video, rather than the "product videos" which aimed to create a distinctive stylistic identity for products.

Here's the last ad break from MTV's first ever Video Music Awards in 1984. It includes a Thom McAn ad inspired by music videos, a Mountain Dew ad featuring breakdancing, and  a new campaign for Levi’s 501s…with Bruce Willis.

This flow from the first ever Video Music Awards in instructive to recognize differences in approaches (somewhat subtle) to advertising on MTV. The first ad is for Levi's Cords, and is somewhat similar to the Levi's 501 ads which would be a much longer campaign. However, cords does not have a single blues musician singing the jingle, and instead has a more elaborate or typical pop jingle. Visually it is quite similar to the 501 ads that were in the evening's flow as well. See my other clip here on the site. Following this is an ad for the Chrysler Lazer (Laser?) which includes pretty impressive graphics onscreen, but is not a far deviation from car ads which featured product info about performance, etc. This ad is in contrast to the Plymouth Duster 90 second video that aired multiple times during the awards (again, see my other clip). In early 1985, ads for the Dodge Daytona, which is the same car as the Lazer but under a different nameplate, were produced that were more in the "product video" approach, with no information about the product, and instead a very stylistic approach reminiscent of the movie Bladerunner (see my other clip). The last "ad" is actually a montage of various MTV performers. It is a placeholder for the local ads that would be put during those minutes by local cable franchises.

This flow segment from March 1985 offers examples of various impacts of MTV on popular culture, as well as its own evolutions in programming and marketing partnerships. It begins with the end of a video from Don Henley, which was an exclusive gained from MTV's paid partnerships with record labels to guarantee it got the best music videos before other outlets. VJ JJ Jackson mentions that before it was a video from his former bandmate in the Eagles, Glenn Frey. That video (not seen in this clip) was for a song from the soundtrack to Beverly Hills Cop, and a good example of how videos promoted movies and soundtracks, seemingly for free. Jackson also notes it is the kick off a Bruce Springsteen weekend, which will include not just a special, but also stories in the music news. MTV made such marketing agreements with labels, getting programming in exchange not just for videos, but music news coverage. Then there is a Dorito's commercial which was produced especially for MTV and the youth audience, which employs an "MTV style" and youth appeal to introduce its new packaging. A quick 30 second commercial advertises a variety of music compilation albums, ranging from heavy metal to dance, which was also the range of video music on MTV at the time. Then there is a trailer for the movie The Last Dragon, a martial arts/supernatural movie about saving a music video star, produced by Motown head Berry Gordy and featuring numerous black artists on the soundtrack. Finally, it's a promo for reruns of WWF professional wrestling matches that appeared on MTV. In 1985, MTV was expanding into non-video programming, and these wrestling events garnered high ratings and helped grow the popularity of the WWF on television.

This MTV flow from 1985 includes a commercial for Campbell's Chunky Soup that was made specifically for MTV. It's an example of food companies (not just candy companies) targeting teens who impact grocery shopping. Also noteworthy in the flow is a Coke commercial that looks like the sort of All-American, family-oriented ad that could appear anywhere, and an ad for Love's Baby Soft cologne, which looks and sounds like the video for A-ha's hit, "Take On Me."

This clip features an ad break from MTV's landmark broadcast of Live Aid, which won a Peabody award in 1985. Here we see a series of promos and ads, as well as one VJ clip with Martha Quinn (in a sweet hat) and Mark Goodman (in some short shorts) killing some time between sets. The clip begins with the end of a performance in London with Paul Young and Alison Moyet, then there is a MTV promo clip about Live Aid, which mentions that the advertisers are donating/sponsoring the broadcast along with MTV. Notable ads include one with Lionel Ritchie, who was at the height of his popularity, singing for Pepsi. There is also an ad with lesser known rock band the Del Fuegos, singing for Miller Beer. The ad was directed by Tim Newman, who helmed all of the iconic ZZ Top Eliminator videos. There was a big difference between pop artists and rock bands singing in commercials, however, and the Del Fuegos felt this Miller ad ruined their credibility. There is also an ad here from AT&T, which pairs their cheery "Reach Out and Touch Someone" jingle with harrowing footage of African starvation (and some video clips from "We Are the World." It's a jarring juxtaposition, and doesn't seem like something you would see and hear today.

When MTV aired a Monkees marathon in 1986, it contextualized episodes with clips of various MTV artists discussing the significance of the band for them. Instead of just an old sitcom, the Monkees became appropriate MTV content, and indeed the band experienced a resurgence of popularity among a new audience. The commercials here include Colgate tooth paste, Diet Coke, the American Sewing Association, and Doritos chips. The Sewing Association ad won an award from an industry group for the most creative use of cable advertising. In it, you can see that it targets the MTV audience in order to convince them they can make one of a kind outfits (like they might see on MTV) if they sew.

This sequence from a 1987 of MTV's 120 Minutes includes a number of commercials which reveal a range in strategies, but especially show the impact of MTV on ad style and content. The most famous of these is an ad by Nike which used the Beatles "Revolution" as its soundtrack. While the style of the JC Penney ad which follows is tame in comparison, it is interesting that the ad is about how JC Penney now has an area for jeans called "Hot Tracks" inside the store—another nod to the centrality of music, if not music videos.

In this flow from a 1988 episode of MTV's game show, Remote Control, we can see how the raucous feel of MTV videos and promos is apparent in the TV show's content. The flow features an ad for Steak Ummm's, a product of a completely new campaign for the company which sought to "reach out to the young party crowd" through MTV. The content of the ad is about the aftermath of a party, at which the Steak Umm's supply is exhausted. You can also see how the Remote Control co-host mentioned multiple sponsor products before the commercials.

This sequence of flow comes from MTV's 120 Minutes in November 1990. It includes a Dial MTV Dictator contest, a Noxzema skin creme ad, a Coke ad with a guitarist who uses a Coke bottle to get in a band, and a noted "Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood" ad for Nike starring NBA player David Robinson. That ad was made by the production house Propaganda, which made more music videos than anyone else at the time, and which was often hired to make ads because of it. It might not look like a music video, but the ad is an example of how producing a distinctive style and image was what music video's influence on advertising ultimately ended up being, rather than just quick cuts and rock music. Also, there's an ad for a decorative plate commemorating Elvis's 1968 comeback special. The variety of ads here reveal the range of gender, taste, and even age expected in MTV's audience.