John Legend became the latest artist to benefit from Chevrolet’s support of music in an ad that debuted during the final game of the NBA Finals. The 60-second spot, created by Spike Lee’s ad agency Spike DDB, highlights the 2014 Chevrolet Impala as well as Legend’s new Kanye West-produced single, “Made to Love,” released digitally on June 25. Legend notes the Chevy partnership has a personal connection. “Growing up in a family of autoworkers in the Midwest, I’m very sensitive to the fact that we want to support great American manufacturers that are making our cars,” says Legend, whose father built trucks for Chevy parent General Motors in Dayton, Ohio. The ad will continue to air on broadcast TV as well as in movie theaters in the top 30 markets starting June 28. Additional behind-the-scenes footage from the commercial shoot will roll out during the next several weeks on Chevy’s social media pages.
INgrooves has signed a deal to distribute BMG’s recently acquired Mute and Sanctuary catalogs — which include such acts as Nick Cave, Moby, Erasure, Iron Maiden and Motorhead — in North America. Under the deal, INgrooves will provide physical and distribution services, including sales, marketing and catalog development, beginning Aug. 1. “Over the last 10 years, we have built both an unparalleled distribution platform that empowers our label partners and a dedicated, passionate staff who are experts in creating value from the repertoire we market and distribute,” INgrooves founder/CEO Robb McDaniels said in a statement. “We are pleased to have been selected by BMG after such a rigorous selection process and are confident that the INgrooves infrastructure and team will deliver maximum benefit for these two great catalogs.” BMG executive VP of international repertoire Fred Casimir added that working with INgrooves will help “unlock the value in these iconic Sanctuary and Mute recordings.”
France’s proposed new tax on smartphones may end up helping the music industry. Culture minister Aurelie Filippetti recently discussed the proposed new 1% tax on smartphones, tablets, e-readers and computers and said the money raised could go to embattled music retailers. “It could lead to a fund that would finance record stores in difficulty, help the music industry or photographers,” she said about two sectors that aren’t yet covered by France’s vast subsidy systems that prop up film, broadcast TV and bookstores. “This fee will be paid at the time of purchase. It will be painless for the consumer,” she added. “In the end, it would have a very profound impact on the entire cultural sector.” Based on 2012 sales of mobile devices, the tax could bring in more than 80 million Euros ($105 million).