The Rolling Stones’ Rice Krispies TV Commercial
by Best Classic Bands Staff
The Rolling Stones’ 12 x 5 album was released in 1964
Classic rock songs are being used in TV ads like never before. Flip the remote control to dozens of ad-supported TV networks and you’ll see companies that use a (literal) Who’s Who of superstar acts to help sell their goods and services.
There was a very good reason why Cadillac used Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll” to break through the clutter to promote one of the ultimate American luxury brands in 2002. Or Honda choosing Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train.” And who would have predicted years ago that Coldwell Banker would use Motley Crüe (“Home Sweet Home”) to sell families on the joys of homeownership? And we keep hearing The Who‘s “Eminence Front” used by a variety of marketers.
Okay, so we’re at a recurring period in the advertising industry where familiar rock songs will motivate TV viewers to buy stuff. What about breakfast cereals? Well, since 1934 Wheaties was arguably more defined by the athletes (and teams) on their boxes than by their product. Michael Jordan (duh), Cal Ripken Jr., Bruce Jenner—fresh off his decathlon triumph at the 1976 Summer Olympic Games—and the Los Angeles Lakers are just a handful of hundreds who have appeared on the front of a Wheaties box.
And then there’s the case of Rice Krispies. Turns out that in 1964, in a spot that appeared only in the U.K., the Rolling Stones performed on a Rice Krispies TV ad that was co-written by the band’s Brian Jones.
It’s the unmistakable voice of the then-20 or 21-year-old Mick Jagger singing “Wake up in the morning, there’s a crackle in your face” touting the brand for Britain’s youth. Our Classic Video…
2 Comments so far
Jump into a conversationThat needs to be on a record store day EP with some other unknown songs.
..we can hear distinctly the Keith Richards’s guitar in the second part of the “song”…!.