Bill Meadows was unhappy being a lawyer. “You’re involved in communicating and managing relationships as an attorney but usually the litigation centers around the worst problems in people’s lives. You’re in a quagmire of negative human emotions.”
So to compensate for his day job as an attorney, Meadows spent his nights “doing something musical. I was in three bands, had two DJ shows, working with bands in my friend’s studio, trying to produce jobs. I wasn’t deriving any income from the music but I loved it and it offset the misery of practicing law.” Then came a major career break. Meadows ran into Andrew Keller–the two had been in a band together some years earlier. Now Keller was in advertising, a creative director at Crispin Porter + Bogusky (CP+B), Miami.
Two months later, Keller contacted Meadows, noting that the agency was thinking of setting up a music producer’s position. It was a role that the person serving in would have to define.
“‘Bring it on’ was my response,” recalled Meadows, who now has been happily at Crispin for about six years. Meadows’ music producer title has expanded to executive integrated producer, music & talent relations.
His duties with regard to music include working with music houses, labels, publishers, talent management and their intermediaries to create and/or procure music for TV, interactive, radio, podcasts, film, video games and compilations, negotiating terms of licenses and concepting and executing live events, finding appropriate music celebrity talent, consulting clients as to artists for special/live events and developing and nurturing music industry contacts so as to brainstorm new music-related ideas to benefit clients.
Meadows was recently a panelist in SHOOT’s Music For Commercials session at The Hollywood Reporter/Billboard Film & TV Music Conference in Los Angeles.
SHOOT: Since you were asked from the outset upon joining Crispin Porter + Bogusky to define your role, give us an idea of what your role has become.
Meadows: This agency is just a great place creatively, allowing you to do what you do best. In a sense, from the very beginning, I’ve been entrusted with making my role up as I go along. There’s a great deal of resourcefulness here and Crispin allows you to be resourceful. I don’t know how they work at other agencies. I just know that at this agency I have the freedom to make things happen, to define what I do, to come up with and suggest ideas and collaborate meaningfully with the creatives and clients.
In terms of the role itself, the goal is to be in front of and make happen what nobody has ever done. If all we did was put music in spots, then I suck, then I’m not earning my keep. This is so much more than just a maintenance role. You have to make spots transcend and tie into culture. You try to do things that really make an impact, that people will talk about, that extend into different areas like events, concerts, video games, to truly break new ground.
SHOOT: Let’s touch upon some of the new ground that’s been broken by Crispin Porter + Bogusky. What stands out in your mind over the past year?
Meadows: I remember hearing an advance copy of Wilco’s album. And as it turns out Wilco is such a perfect band for Volkswagen. It’s a band with an independent streak just like Volkswagen. The band also has a strong grass-roots following just like VW has seemingly always had a loyal base. And in this particular album there was a lot of warmth, positivity and good vibes that seemed like a great match for these commercials we were doing. Their music complemented the spots, made them better.
So we conceived and made happen a partnership between Wilco and VW to form the first ever use of an album as soundtrack for an advertising campaign and Wilco’s first licensing for a brand in the United States. The campaign broke earlier this year.
A big part of my job is to beat the bushes and incubate ideas to present to the creatives. Last year about this time we were talking to First Act, a guitar manufacturer who wanted to do something with us. It became our coming together to create a VW guitar, which our art department designed and branded with VW knobs and so on. First Act manufactured it and you could play the guitar through your VW car stereo system.
We did commercials with guitarists Slash and John Mayer, and with Christopher Guest doing his Nigel Tufnel lead guitarist character from This Is Spinal Tap. They played the VW guitar through the car system. [Guest directed the spots via bicoastal Go Film].
Volkswagen also hooked up with The Donnas, a kick-ass, all girl rock band. We had them do a remake of the ’80s hit “Safety Dance” for a VW spot that ran in Canada.
SHOOT: Can you share any plans that are in the works? What’s next for Volkswagen?
Meadows: During Thanksgiving time in Los Angeles, the indie rock band Cold War Kids will be performing at the Wiltern Theater. We’re planning an after party where we will be circulating a VW compilation music CD and a limited edition t-shirt as giveaways. It’s all part of the cool factor for VW, which benefits from tying in with a high cred band like Cold War Kids. And the VW brand is a cool one for the performers and label to be associated with. So both sides are benefiting.
SHOOT: You also were involved in the Burger King music videos. Reflect on that project.
Meadows: That was a great experience. Crispin and Burger King decided to go ahead with a video game initiative. From this sprung three video games, which were sold at Burger King restaurants at a price point of $3.99. We found the music and licensed it for the games. The games went on to win Titanium at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival. And they branded Burger King in the video game community. Something like 3.5 million games have been sold.
SHOOT: And 3.2 million of those games were sold in the space of two months, besting Xbox favorite Gears of War for the coveted title of best selling video game of the past holiday season. According to a stat we got from CP+B, the BK games have been played more than 20 million times, translating into about 1,302 years worth of game play/time with The King. Breaking into the gaming community this way is significant, not just for reaching the young male demographic. Several months ago, we interviewed your colleague at CP+B, interactive creative director Jeff Benjamin, who pointed out that there are a lot of people in the marketplace who have grown up playing video games–not watching television. Now that they’re older, they come home from work and play video games, communicate with their friends through Xbox Live and the capabilities of Wii and PlayStation. Gaming isn’t just their TV, it’s also their Internet.
Meadows: Yes, that’s what’s so great about being at Crispin. You reach out to people with the very coolest creative product you can make as a team. It’s hard work but it doesn’t feel like work for me because I dig what I do and I get the chance to work with awesome people.
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