The U.K.-based Sony BMG-signed Ting Tings have just broken into The Billboard Hot 100 with single "Shut Up and Let Me Go," which debuts this week at No. 93. The song plays throughout the newest iPod ad, which made its debut April 27 on the CW's "Everybody Hates Chris," ABC's "Desperate Housewives" and Fox's "Family Guy."
Sales for the single jumped from 1,100 to 24,000 for the week ending May 4, according to Nielsen SoundScan, an increase of 2181 percent.
Artists typically see a large bump in sales and profile after being featured in Apple ads; Naim's single "New Soul" (Tot ou Tard/Atlantic) sold 134,000 copies during the first two weeks it was featured in a commercial for the MacBook Air. Her self-titled album containing the song had yet to be released in the United States.
After an iPod ad featuring her "1234" (Cherrytree/Polydor) debuted, Feist saw single sales jump 586%, from 7,000 the week ending Sept. 16, 2007, to 41,000 the following week, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
The Ting Tings' manager, London-based Stephen Taverner of Out There
Management, says the deal came out of South by Southwest in March. "Severa people from Apple/iTunes attended the band's showcases at South by Southwest," he says. "They all seemed to really enjoy the band live. A lot of them were talking about 'Shut Up and Let Me Go' but we had no idea we were being considered for a commercial at that stage."
Apple declined to comment on the use of the Ting Tings' music in their
marketing, as did agency TBWA\Media Arts Lab.
The Ting Tings' album, "We Started Nothing," will be released May 19 in the United Kingdom, the day before it becomes available digitally in the United States; both through Columbia. A physical release in the States follows June 3. Taverner predicts a top five entry in the United Kingdom, with a "slower build" stateside.
The Ting Tings began their U.K. career as alternative darlings, with a slot on the NME Awards tour earlier this year. In the States, the duo will kick off a 12-date mini-tour of North America with an appearance June 6 on "Jimmy Kimmel Live." Later that month, according to Columbia's Benny Tarantini, they will play New York's Apple store.
And the Apple deal is not the Ting Tings' first time working with a big-name brand. Earlier this year the video for "Great DJ" was one of 24 shown in Mercedes-Benz's Mixtape Music magazine, a monthly online showcase that highlights artists.
In fact, the placement of "Shut Up" in the iPod ad comes amid "Great DJ" being worked to various outlets. Modern rock radio, including KROQ Los Angeles, has been spinning "Great DJ," which also is available as a free download as iTunes' single of the week. ("Shut Up" is on sale at iTunes.) "It's a nice problem to have," Taverner says.
Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, the band is about to break with a third track, "That's Not My Name." Not available to download until May 11, with physical formats in stores the following day, "That's Not My Name" is No. 10 on Nielsen Music Control's Top 10 Radio Growers list, with support from stations ranging from national top 40 network BBC Radio 1 to modern rock regional network Xfm.
"Ever since we put that track on MySpace last February, everyone across the board reacted well," Taverner says. "It's one of those songs that translates well across commercial pop stations and alternative formats. But the album is full of great songs -- we're looking at [releasing] seven singles from it in the U.K. We want to beat [Michael Jackson's] 'Thriller.' "
This article was updated from Billboard Magazine issue 19.
Sales for the single jumped from 1,100 to 24,000 for the week ending May 4, according to Nielsen SoundScan, an increase of 2181 percent.
Artists typically see a large bump in sales and profile after being featured in Apple ads; Naim's single "New Soul" (Tot ou Tard/Atlantic) sold 134,000 copies during the first two weeks it was featured in a commercial for the MacBook Air. Her self-titled album containing the song had yet to be released in the United States.
After an iPod ad featuring her "1234" (Cherrytree/Polydor) debuted, Feist saw single sales jump 586%, from 7,000 the week ending Sept. 16, 2007, to 41,000 the following week, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
The Ting Tings' manager, London-based Stephen Taverner of Out There
Management, says the deal came out of South by Southwest in March. "Severa people from Apple/iTunes attended the band's showcases at South by Southwest," he says. "They all seemed to really enjoy the band live. A lot of them were talking about 'Shut Up and Let Me Go' but we had no idea we were being considered for a commercial at that stage."
Apple declined to comment on the use of the Ting Tings' music in their
marketing, as did agency TBWA\Media Arts Lab.
The Ting Tings' album, "We Started Nothing," will be released May 19 in the United Kingdom, the day before it becomes available digitally in the United States; both through Columbia. A physical release in the States follows June 3. Taverner predicts a top five entry in the United Kingdom, with a "slower build" stateside.
The Ting Tings began their U.K. career as alternative darlings, with a slot on the NME Awards tour earlier this year. In the States, the duo will kick off a 12-date mini-tour of North America with an appearance June 6 on "Jimmy Kimmel Live." Later that month, according to Columbia's Benny Tarantini, they will play New York's Apple store.
And the Apple deal is not the Ting Tings' first time working with a big-name brand. Earlier this year the video for "Great DJ" was one of 24 shown in Mercedes-Benz's Mixtape Music magazine, a monthly online showcase that highlights artists.
In fact, the placement of "Shut Up" in the iPod ad comes amid "Great DJ" being worked to various outlets. Modern rock radio, including KROQ Los Angeles, has been spinning "Great DJ," which also is available as a free download as iTunes' single of the week. ("Shut Up" is on sale at iTunes.) "It's a nice problem to have," Taverner says.
Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, the band is about to break with a third track, "That's Not My Name." Not available to download until May 11, with physical formats in stores the following day, "That's Not My Name" is No. 10 on Nielsen Music Control's Top 10 Radio Growers list, with support from stations ranging from national top 40 network BBC Radio 1 to modern rock regional network Xfm.
"Ever since we put that track on MySpace last February, everyone across the board reacted well," Taverner says. "It's one of those songs that translates well across commercial pop stations and alternative formats. But the album is full of great songs -- we're looking at [releasing] seven singles from it in the U.K. We want to beat [Michael Jackson's] 'Thriller.' "
This article was updated from Billboard Magazine issue 19.
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