Namechecking
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Namechecking (or brand-name dropping) is the act of referring to a brand name in the lyrics of a song or a film. If the artist is compensated for this reference, it is considered a form of product placement. Namechecking is common in rap music and popular music in general. However, it can extend to almost any genre, depending on the artist who wrote the lyrics. Possibly the most famous example of namechecking was in "Lola" by the Kinks, which mentioned Coca Cola. The BBC subsequently forced the lyric to be changed to cherry cola, as it broke their advertising rules.
[edit] Examples of namechecking
- A roster of Hollywood stars, from Greta Garbo to James Dean, in Madonna's 1990 song "Vogue";
- Brad Pitt in That Don't Impress Me Much by Shania Twain;
- Usher (entertainer) in Gold Digger by Kanye West;
- Diana Ross in the film Sister Act;
- Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown in I used to love you by John Legend;
- Julie Christie in Tom Courtenay by Yo La Tengo.
- Gladys Knight in "The Ice of Boston" by The Dismemberment Plan
- Minnie Ripperton in "Positivity" by Stevie Wonder
[edit] See also
[edit] References
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