We have an unconfirmed rumor that’s just too juicy not post for discussion.
If this rumor isn’t happening, perhaps Apple should look into it. If it is happening, you heard it here first!
Our anonymous single source from within the music licensing industry tells us that Sting and Dire Straits are on board with Apple Inc. to feature a new TV, Web, and radio campaign for Apple TV that will feature Sting singing an updated lyric from Dire Strait’s classic “Money for Nothing” that replaces “I want my… I want my… I want my MTV” with “I want my… I want my… I want my Apple TV.”
The deal is for the audio only; neither Sting nor Dire Straits will be appearing in campaign visuals.
MacDailyNews Note: The “Money for Nothing” music video was the first computer generated music video shown on MTV (created on a Bosch FGS-4000 CGI system, according to Wikipedia) and the first video shown on MTV Europe when the network launched on August 1, 1987.
Campaign start dates and visual content for the TV and Web ads are unknown. There may be more than meets the eye to this deal as our source did state, “I’ll leave you with two words: ‘Police iPod.'”
According to our source, Sting has already recorded the new lyric and Apple has licensed the worldwide rights from Dire Straits’ Universal Music Group’s Mercury Records’ Vertigo Records division. The song was co-written by Dire Straits’ leader Mark Knopfler and Sting.
If true, that certainly is an infectious, repetitive lyric which would seem well-suited to driving the words “Apple TV” into mass awareness.
God I hope not. What a bush move and a lousy song. Apple has more taste than that.
That’s just stupidly obvious and therefore even more lame.
Long live Sting!
fukc that
i HATE sting and dire straits
give me ac/dc , led zep or the beatles any faakin day
eeeurgh
It’s not that stupid, and at least it would definitely get people’s attention. Unlike 99% of radio ads out there today. I’ve definitely heard of many advertising ideas that are far worse than this one.
Yes, Perry Como, too.
Not. Gonna. Do. It.
“MTV” has three syllables and “Apple TV” has four. Try singing it–it’s impossible to make it sound anything but awkward.
I call BS.
That just doesn’t scan right.
Jamie and I are synchronous geniuses….
Meh…
this one’s made up…Apple would come up with something better than that…like getting The Police to do it…
And now they’ll have extra time to run the campaign.
I hope not……
What is next? ZZ Top records “Apple TV Dinners” for a commercial??
Just my $0.02
Sting ? — ehhh ..
but Mark Knopfler is an excellent guitarist !
He produced a better bulk of music, that whatever passes today..
My 2ç
hmmm…
Money for nothing….
isn’t that the RIAA anthem already?
Nah that can’t be true – Apple are never that cliché.
Apple does so well picking cool songs for its iPod commercials. The last thing they want to do is associate with fscking Dire Straits and Sting. Its bad enough that they seem linked to U2 (who are only cool if you’re >45).
nice one joe!
Wow, I always thought Mac users had good taste in music. Dire Straits isn’t my favorite band by any means but I certainly give them credit for being better musicians than most.
That being said, I’m not buying it. The song is too old and too far removed from our collective conscious. Kids today surely have no idea who Dire Straits are, although Sting is still popular. I dunno. Seems unlikely.
Could happen. Remember, TV viewers are generally not as young/cool/mobile as music fans — or they’re so busy having kids that they’re no longer *being* kids. So what better way to resonate with middle America but still be hipper than Oprah, Dr. Phil, et al? Maybe they’ll get the same animators who did the Money For Nothing video!
Plan B: “I Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” by Melanie Doane
ndelc: If Apple fans don’t like Dire Straits then they do have good taste in music. Dire Straits are fscking terrible. If I never have to hear their droning Dad rock again in my life I will be extremely happy.
Sting and Dire Straits are the best of the last 20 years
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just the best here in Europe
would be great!
People who are ragging on Dire Straits really need to get a copy of their 1982 album “Love Over Gold” and give it a listen. It’s one of the best progressive rock albums ever recorded.
Dire Straits’ “Love Over Gold” on iTunes: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=73260020&s=143441
Whether you like the song and/or performer is irrelevant, it’s the recognition factor and the fact the Dire Straits video helped start the music video revolution (at the time anyways) makes it meaningful. I don’t know about you, but I want my A T V.
Low hanging fruit, don’t ya think.
Dire Straits remains one of my favorite bands of the post-classic period. Money for Nothing, however, is hardly my favorite from their epic “Brothers in Arms” album. Suggestion: Try listening to Brothers with an alternate track sequence: 1-4-5-6-9-2-3-7-8. It will take on a whole different flavor.
Perhaps those hawking this rumor are recalling Microsoft’s pursuit of the Rolling Stones “Start Me Up” for the release of Windows 95. As the story is told, the Stones weren’t interested. Microsoft suggested the Stones name their price. One of the Stones threw out a multi-million dollar figure, hoping Microsoft would go away. Instead they responded something like, “Yeah, we can do that.” Anyway, that’s how I heard it.