[DudeAsInCool]

We began American Brandstand in January 2003, to track all the mentions of brands in the Billboard Top 20 singles chart. It was designed to demonstrate to our clients that pop culture relevance is a key dynamic in modern brand strategy. American Brandstand was also designed because we thought it would be fun.

Some findings from 2003

- Prestige, aspiration and luxury predominate throughout the chart. Bling bling is alive and well and living in Billboard lyrics.

- Over the course of 2003, it's become apparent that the Billboard chart represents a key barometer (albeit an unscientific one) of brand relevance in hip-hop and youth culture.

- As hip-hop culture continues to merge into youth culture at large, the brands in the Billboard chart are less distinguished by their hip-hop following, than their mainstream success.

- Hip-hop is extremely good at using brands as metaphors in the same way that contemporary society does.

- Hip-hop has always been about defining your status. Aligning yourself with brands in lyrics are the best short-cuts to do that - especially if you want to be understood by a global audience; Gucci is the same whether you're in the USA, or anywhere else. And that works the same for anti-bling brands like K-Mart and Payless Shoes too.

Similarly when 50 Cent talks about taking a woman he has just met back to the Ramada Inn, it's fairly clear that the focus of their evening is going to be different from the evening he would have evoked if he'd taken her to, say, the Four Seasons.

- Although hip-hop may be brand conscious, it's perhaps no more brand conscious than society at large. Brands are the way we communicate -and in a consumer culture they are what we most have in common globally.

- Product placement is less of an issue than many people think. By the time artists reach the kind of status where they can make big money from potential product placement, they are less likely to be interested. And they're not easily going to risk their credibility on that kind of promotion.

- However, strategic alliances are becoming increasingly common between artists and brands, in music, as in the rest of pop culture.

- Consumers are very sophisticated about the brands that feel appropriate for different artists. 50 Cent should be rapping about Mercedes and Gucci, however, if Missy Elliott starts rapping about Swiffers and AT&T, consumers are going to be suspicious...

- Many of the brands that appear in the American Brandstand are those that have a strong prestigious heritage, one that has recently been updated; such as Gucci and Burberry.

- Novelty is not enough - even though Hpnotiq was massively marketed in the Summer of 2003, and showed up quickly in the American Brandstand chart, it entered the chart low, and remains near the bottom.

- Hip-hop is the perfect medium to register the relevance of contemporary brands. Hip-hop and rap have always been about the here-and-now, rather than rock or pop songs, which typically focus on eternal themes of love and loss.

- Some critics have argued in 2003 stronger than ever, that hip-hop and rap music have become over commercialized. In truth, the commercial arm has become very visible this year, but it's not a new development.

- In terms of brands in lyrics, it didn't begin with hip-hop. It didn't even begin this century. We've discovered that it began at least 100 years ago...

From 1903, the song 'Under the Anheuser-Busch'...

'Come, Come, Come and make eyes with me, / Under the Anheuser Bush / Come, Come, drink some Budwise with me / Under the Anheuser Bush, / Hear the old German band, / Just let me hold your hand / Yah! Do, Do, Come and have a stein or two, / Under the Anheuser Bush. Bush.

50 Cent would be proud...

2003

There were 82 different brands mentioned in the Billboard Top 20 in 2003.

Of the 111 songs in the Billboard Top 20, 43 had brands in the lyrics

The most mentioned brand - MERCEDES BENZ.

The artist who mentioned most brands - 50 Cent.

Only one branded song was not connected to hip-hop or R&B... Good Charlotte's 'Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous'.

*
The most amount of brands in a single week of the Billboard top 20 in 2003 was 47, on April 12th.

The most brands crammed into one song... 14 - by Lil' Kim in 'The Jump Off'.

Other noteworthy things from 2003

Rappers singing about their own brands - as more rappers and hip-hop stars launch brands of their own, they began showing up in the American Brandstand chart. The highest of these was Snoop Dogg's line of clothing which made it to #37 in the American Brandstand chart. Followed by Armadale vodka (owned by Jay-Z) which made it to #43. Lower down the chart, G-Unit sneakers (from 50 Cent) sharing the #60 position with Rocawear (from the Jay-Z / Damon Dash collective).

Polaroid - We predict that Polaroid will become the My Adidas of the new millennium...

Most bizarre reference of the year - "Put anthrax on a Tampax / and slap you till you can't stand" - (Eminem - Superman)

Most Lil' Kim-ish lyric of 2003 - "Let me show you what I'm all about / How I make a Sprite can disappear in my mouth" (Lil' Kim - The Jump Off)

Boldest use of a difficult rhyme - "But Louis Vuitton bras all over your breasts / Got me wanting to put hickies all over ya chest (ah!)" (Ludacris - Stand Up)

The Top 10 brands of 2003

#1 - Mercedes (112 mentions)

Mercedes wins by a massive margin, with more than twice its nearest competitor. Mercedes has been a rap brand of choice for many years. At least as early as 1988's NWA album Straight Outta Compton - "Me and Lorenzo, rollin' in a Benz-o." Mercedes has been a particular favorite with 50 Cent in 2003, mentioned in 4 of his 6 chart hits. And the brand has been in the #1 Billboard song for 13 weeks this year. In the 12th April chart, Mercedes was mentioned in 4 separate songs.


#2 - Lexus (48 mentions)

Lexus jumped into the brand chart in February with R Kelly's Ignition, and shot up the charts to reach #2 by May where it was mentioned in three separate songs in one week. However, by August, when Busta Rhymes left the top 20, nobody else mentioned it. Although it is still at #2, it's under strong threat from other brands.

#3 - Gucci (47 mentions)

Gucci rapidly became the bling-bling fashion brand of choice. It got its frist two references in March and never looked back. The brand was mentioned by everyone from Ginuwine to Busta Rhymes and Mariah Carey to Bow Wow to 50 Cent. Now that Tom Ford has left, we'll see whether Gucci keeps up in 2004.


4 - Cadillac (46 mentions)

As Cadillac the brand found its footing in the real world, it also began to shoot up the American Brandstand chart. It joined the American Brandstand at #37 in April with Lil Kim's Cadillac Escalade in 'The Jump Off', but with the help of Youngbloodz, 50 Cent and Outkast, it's still moving higher at #3. Our favorite Cadillac reference in 2003... "Don't want to meet your daddy / Just want you in my Caddie" (Outkast - Hey Ya)


#5 - Burberry (42 mentions)

Burberry the brand had a very volatile year. Its renewed vigor was reflected with a big boost in the Brandstand chart. Towards the end of the Summer, a story emerged that Burberry was less than happy with its hip-hop association. Then in October, a new story that it was becoming associated as the brand of football hooligans in Europe. Our favorite Burberry reference in 2003... "Now all around the world on the microphone / He leaves your boobs smellin' like Burberry cologne." (Missy Elliott - Gossip Folks)

#6 - Prada (39 mentions)

Prada got a name check in 50 Cent's 'P.I.M.P' that set it up strongly, but it was then supported in Ginuwine's Hell Yeah, and elsewhere. The general strength and visibility of the brand in looks set to boost it even further in 2004.


#7 - Cristal (37 mentions)

Cristal has been the hip-hop drink of choice for a couple of years, partly based around its bling-bling packaging, but also its scarcity. It fought off increased competition this year - from Hennessy and Bacardi - to end up at #7. Our favorite Cristal reference in 2003... "You can't even drink Crist-OWL / You gotta drink Crist-ALL" (Jay-Z - Excuse Me Miss)


#8 - Hennessy (35 mentions)

The success of Hennessy this year has begun to suggest that passing the Courvoisier might have been short-term success at the expense of longer term overkill. Hennessy, like Mercedes, has been a staple brand of hip-hop lyrics. Set to move higher still in 2004.


#9 - Lamborghini (34 mentions)

Lamborghini managed to make it to #8 in the American Brandstand based on mentioned in two long-lasting chart songs, 'Magic Stick' by Lil' Kim & 50 Cent and 'I Know What You Want' by Busta Rhymes & Mariah Carey - where it also scored a very prominent video appearance.


#10 - Chevrolet (33 mentions)

Chevrolet got mentions in two songs this year, I Know What You want by Busta Rhymes & Mariah Carey, and Damn! by Youngbloodz

The Top 5 brand-dropping artists of 2003

#1 - 50 Cent (31 brands)

#2 - Lil' Kim (15 brands)

#3 - Ginuwine (13 brands)

#4 - Jay-Z (12 brands)

#5 - Ludacris (9 brands)


Scroll down to the complete chart of 2003.

1 Mercedes
2Lexus
3 Gucci 3 47
4 Cadillac 4 46
5 Burberry
6 Prada
7Cristal
8 Hennessy 9 35
9 Lamborghini 8 34
10 Chevrolet 9 33
11 Payless Shoe Source 11 29
11 Dolce & Gabbana 13 29
11 Range Rover 11 29
14 Bentley 13 28
15 Manolo Blahnik 15 27
16 Bacardi 16 26
16 Nike 16 26
18 Jeep 18 23
19 Louis Vuitton 23 22
19 Rover 19 22
19 Fendi 19 22
19 K-Mart 19 22
19
Timberland
19
22
24 Buick Regal 23 21
24 Sports Illustrated 23 21
24 Belvedere Vodka 23 21
27 Puma 27 20
28 Cartier 31 18
28 Honda 28 18
28 Ramada Inn 28 18
28 BCBG 28 18
32 Burger King 32 16
32 Magnum 32 16
34 Maybach 34 15
35 G2 35 14
35 GMC Yukon 35 14
37 Snoop Dogg Clothing 37 12
38 Holiday Inn 40 11
38 Corona 40 11
38 BET 40 11
38 Baby Gap 38 11
38 Ferrari 38 11
43 Calvin Klein 40 10
43 Iceberg 40 10
43 Levi Strauss 40 10
43 Sergio Valente 40 10
43 Armadale 40 10
43 Baby Phat 40 10
49 Kawasaki 49 9
49 Hummer 49 9
49 Footlocker 49 9
49 Hermes 49 9
53 Polaroid 53 8
54 Berreta 53 7
54 Crown 53 7
54 AK 53 7
54 AR-15 53 7
58 Cinnabun 58 6
58 Tampax 58 6
60 Reebok 60 5
60 G-Unit 60 5
60 Sprewell 60 5
60 BMW 60 5
60 Remy Martin 60 5
60 Jacob the Jeweller 60 5
60 U-Haul 68 5
60 Purple Label 68 5
60 Vera Wang 68 5
60 Rocawear 60 5
60 Giovanni (rims) 60 5
71 Bulgari 68 4
71 Jaguar 68 4
71 Playboy 68 4
71 Sprite 68 4
71 Glock 77 4
71 Teflon 77 4
71 Barbie 68 4
71 Brooklyn Mint 68 4
79 Hpnotiq 77 3
80 Energizer 80 2
81 Cool Whip - 1
81 McDonald's 81 1


x