HotRodSaint
01-26-04, 10:57 AM
Caddy Reigns King Of Bling In January - from "The Car Connection"
Cadillac has knocked off Mercedes-Benz as the most hip-hop of brands in the U.S. market.
In 2003, Mercedes was the most-mentioned brand among songs occupying Billboard's illustrious top 20 list. The three-pointed star showed up in top 20 lyrics 112 times during the course of the year. Lexus came in a distant second in 2003 with 48 mentions, while Cadillac was fourth scoring 46 mentions.
The highly publicized findings came thanks to research published by Agenda Inc., a San Francisco consulting firm run by a 30-something brand strategist named Lucian James. James says that luxury products are substance of what is popularly considered "bling bling."
According to James, the tide of bling may be turning away from Germany and Japan and back to Motown, at least among popular songwriters. Cadillac has found itself in top 20 songs 15 times in January 2004 alone, while Mercedes and Lexus have been shut out. The most popular mention is by the hip-hop duo Outkast, in their chart-topping "Hey Ya!," and is a major reason Cadillac has done so well on the chart. "Don't want to meet your daddy, just want you in my Caddy," Outkast's popular song proclaims. The song has been on Billboard's chart for 16 weeks. "Slow Jamz" by Twista and "Salt Shaker" by the Ying Yang Twins were other songs referencing Cadillac's brand or products.
James says the "Billboard chart represents a key barometer, albeit an unscientific one, of brand relevance in hip-hop and youth culture." Mercedes' Billboard dominance in 2003 coincided with a record-breaking sales year in the U.S. market. The two weren't necessarily related, but Mercedes' mindshare among America's most impressionable did not go unnoticed by the brand's decision makers. Mercedes' U.S. marketing division hooked up with top rap artist Jay-Z in November in a car giveaway program and used some of his lyrics in its advertising and provided some of hip-hop's biggest names with shiny new cars for flashy music videos. "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."
James' brand index, dubbed American Brandstand (viewed at www.agendainc.com (www.agendainc.com)), not only tracks auto brands showing up on Billboard, but all brands. He says that rap artists, as opposed to rock, adult contemporary or alternative bands, tend to mention brands most in their lyrics and use everything from Hennessy to U-Haul as "metaphors" for status. The most promising trend, according to James, is that hip-hop is becoming mainstream and its metaphors are gaining importance among buyers young and old. -John D. Stoll
Cadillac has knocked off Mercedes-Benz as the most hip-hop of brands in the U.S. market.
In 2003, Mercedes was the most-mentioned brand among songs occupying Billboard's illustrious top 20 list. The three-pointed star showed up in top 20 lyrics 112 times during the course of the year. Lexus came in a distant second in 2003 with 48 mentions, while Cadillac was fourth scoring 46 mentions.
The highly publicized findings came thanks to research published by Agenda Inc., a San Francisco consulting firm run by a 30-something brand strategist named Lucian James. James says that luxury products are substance of what is popularly considered "bling bling."
According to James, the tide of bling may be turning away from Germany and Japan and back to Motown, at least among popular songwriters. Cadillac has found itself in top 20 songs 15 times in January 2004 alone, while Mercedes and Lexus have been shut out. The most popular mention is by the hip-hop duo Outkast, in their chart-topping "Hey Ya!," and is a major reason Cadillac has done so well on the chart. "Don't want to meet your daddy, just want you in my Caddy," Outkast's popular song proclaims. The song has been on Billboard's chart for 16 weeks. "Slow Jamz" by Twista and "Salt Shaker" by the Ying Yang Twins were other songs referencing Cadillac's brand or products.
James says the "Billboard chart represents a key barometer, albeit an unscientific one, of brand relevance in hip-hop and youth culture." Mercedes' Billboard dominance in 2003 coincided with a record-breaking sales year in the U.S. market. The two weren't necessarily related, but Mercedes' mindshare among America's most impressionable did not go unnoticed by the brand's decision makers. Mercedes' U.S. marketing division hooked up with top rap artist Jay-Z in November in a car giveaway program and used some of his lyrics in its advertising and provided some of hip-hop's biggest names with shiny new cars for flashy music videos. "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."
James' brand index, dubbed American Brandstand (viewed at www.agendainc.com (www.agendainc.com)), not only tracks auto brands showing up on Billboard, but all brands. He says that rap artists, as opposed to rock, adult contemporary or alternative bands, tend to mention brands most in their lyrics and use everything from Hennessy to U-Haul as "metaphors" for status. The most promising trend, according to James, is that hip-hop is becoming mainstream and its metaphors are gaining importance among buyers young and old. -John D. Stoll