Final Fantasy used in Levi's commercial?!

[eeaabb]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uBsV8wAEhw

It's a pretty epic commercial for a jeans company, mostly because The CN Tower Belongs To The Dead is used for the music. What's up with this?! I like it.

[neptune]

I wonder, was this used with permission? Kinda hoping not - I bet Levi's could afford to fund one hell of a festival tour

[Richie]

haha I freaked when I saw it too!
But lets remember, its called CN Tower Belongs to the Dead (Many Ives Version), because it 'borrows' "the Silence" from Charles Ives!

[Richie]

This commercial does not have a Final Fantasy song in it. sorry.

Whoah! My Bad!

Credits:
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy, Portland
Executive Creative Directors:
Mark Fitzloff, Susan Hoffman
Creative Directors: Danielle Flagg, Tyler Whisnand
Copywriters: Julia Oh, Rudy Adler
Agency Executive Producer: Ben Grylewicz
Agency Producer: Jeff Selis
Agency Associate Producer Juliana Montgomery

Production Company: Anonymous Content, Los Angeles
Director: Cary Fukunaga
Executive Producer: Danielle Peretz
Line Producer: Joe Mandarino
DP: Darren Lew

Editorial: Joint Editorial
Editor: Elliot Graham
Assistant Editor: Jessica Baclesse
Post Producer: Neil Kopp
Post Executive Producer: Patty Brebner

Sound: "America" poem by Walt Whitman courtesy the Walt
Whitman Archive
Music Composer: Owen Pallett and Charles Ives
Music: "The CN Tower Belongs To The Dead (Many Ives Version)" by Final Fantasy
Album Title: Many Lives 49 MP
Publishers/Record
Company: Third Side Music

Mix: Eleven Sound
Mixer: Jeff Payne
Mix Producer: Kristin Felt

Assistant Mixer: Ben Freer

Photographer: Ryan McGinley

so.. this commercial does have a Final Fantasy song in it! I just assumed..well. wow. good for Owen!

[Owen from Final Fantasy]

YES! This song was licensed legally, officially.

Cary Fukanaga, who directed that commercial, is a friend of mine. M Blash, who made the Blue Imelda video, conceived of the whole ad campaign.

Cary asked specifically for the intro to "Ives Version", which is, of course, written entirely by Charles Ives. It was written by Ives, but the master recording is owned by me. Leon and St. Kitts also make points of this recording, so it was in all of our interests to "sell".

We contacted the Estate Of Charles Ives and they were eager to go ahead with the license. So: there it is. Beautiful commercial. Patrick wears Levi's. Leon can buy a new sound card, St. Kitts can make some mortgage payments.

[jules]

In a world where making a living as an artist becomes ever harder, it a good thing that other streams of revenue generation exists, because musicians sure ain't making money out of flogging their wears direct to the general populous.

It's been interesting (okay not that interesting really) watching the news filter out over the last few months because when I first looked this up there was just one obscure reference on an advertising agency site and now its splattered all over the blogging world.

Oh and on that obscure marketing website it even listed it as "Many Lives Version"..Doh!!

I've always loved the beginning of the Ives Version of CN Tower.. well actually I love the whole damn track.

[Thomas]

I wonder if anyone has this track to spare? I own the Stigmata 7" but all I ever got was the original Many Lives and Miner Becomes Forgetful.

[eeaabb]

Oooh, that's a reallyu cool somewhat biography of these new Levi's commercials. The other one I saw (one with the 'O, Pioneers' speech) was just as awesome. You and your friends have talent, Mr. Pallett.

[Richie]

This is great news!

Sound cards, mortgage payments, and whatever it is you do with your money, a Win-win situation.


Thomas, I have the 7inch with many lives and miner aswell. Notice on the back it lists the tracking credits, for track iii (Jars of Lars) and iv (CN Tower) they can be purchased digitally... I wasn't/am not sure if they had released a 2nd 7th with the remaining tracks.

[Thomas]

=(

I thought they were hidden traxxx.

[sorrowbynature]

Oct 13, 2009 21:04:49 GMT -5 Richie said:

I wasn't/am not sure if they had released a 2nd 7th with the remaining tracks.

Guys! They're on the cd EP Tomlab released. I own a copy of that, but I think Owen would be a bit upset with me if I just posted mp3s for you here.

/t

[Richie]

;D
haha yes, sure sure.
no need to post the mp3s.

I think we can all find these tracks.

(sorry, I was referring to the vinyl release of the EP, not the CD. They could only fit two songs on the 7inch ((one on the front, one on the back)), therefore only the first two songs on Many Lives EP look to be released on vinyl...)

[Deleted]

Levi's is remarkably close to Lewis.

levislewislevislewislevislewisevilisleevilislevileweisel

[suburbanmyth]

Umm... wow. I'm not sure how I feel about this... ok, no, I DO know I feel about it, haha. Is it really just me that thinks that it's incredibly odd that this ad is selling patriotism, hope and inspiration.... but honestly, it's just another pair of freakin' jeans!!?? Not like that's anything new, of course! And I'm definitely not immune to advertising, hey a Walt Whitman voice over and Final Fantasy-Ives remix in the background and I'm all over that shit! Damn cool, that is. It was a lovely advertisement, in all seriousness. I dunno. I guess it was just drilled into me from an early age that there's a distinction between art made for commercial purposes and, well, ...you know. Please don't think ill of me, I'm not one to judge, this is just my personal opinion. And personally, my ignorance in these matters is probably equal to my naive idealism.

[Deleted]

I on the other hand I fully endorse shameless self-promotion and reaping the benefits of selling out entirely.

All 15 of my bands are trying DESPERATELY to sell out.