Jason Eaton
10-10-2006, 08:00 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://adage.com/article?article_id=112366' target='_blank'>http://adage.com/article?article_id=112366</a><br /><br /></div><i>“...AND APPLE'S A BIG REASON WHY. It used to be that when sales of a Bob Dylan record soared, the success would come courtesy of the inevitable five-star reviews of his controversial but lyrical take on the zeitgeist and his sacred place in pop culture. Now he can thank Apple, too. Bob Dylan's iPod commercial was a hit with a younger demographic less familiar with his work. When his album "Modern Times" was released Aug. 29, it was accompanied by a rare thing: a heavy public presence by Mr. Dylan, long a recluse who's come out of his shell late in his career to write a book, conduct a PR blitz and man a satellite-radio show. But most atypically, Mr. Dylan starred in a gorgeous TV ad for Apple's iTunes and iPod. Rather than shout him down as a sellout, consumers turned out in droves, making "Modern Times" his first chart-topper since 1976's "Desire." It hit No. 1 on Billboard its first week in release, climbing over more commercial and younger-skewing acts such as Christina Aguilera and Outkast.”</i><br /><br /> <img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/dylan.jpg" /> <br /><br />Now if the connection between sales for Dylan's new album and appearing in an Apple commercial are true, that would certainly be a major feather in Apple's cap. Part of me wonders if Apple could pool its current success and become the next big music label promoting artists to an audience without the traditional baggage.