Sir Paul + Slick Starbucks Marketing

A couple weeks back, Paul McCartney released his latest album - Memory Almost Full - on the Starbucks' HearMusic label, to much critical acclaim. Of course, for most critics, it was impossible to separate the album's financiers from the album's songs. "That McCartney's latest album is being released through an exclusive retail agreement with Starbucks only serves to reinforce the most damning stereotypes about him: he's too safe, too typical, too square," writes Stuart Berman at Pitchfork, giving the album a 6.4. Robert Christgau of Rolling Stone adds, "To win it space on his demographic's overloaded cerebral hard drives, Memory Almost Full will play all day June 5th in every Starbucks in the world, in ten of which caffeinated fans will send birthday greetings to the ex-Beatle, who turns sixty-five on June 18th."

On Starbucks' end, you'd have to say the move was quite brilliant. The coffee company has always been less concerned with spending money on print, television or radio advertising, instead thrusting themselves into every inch of the marketplace, while letting critique, pop culture references, and the stores themselves be the only marketing. Now, with a record label, they have one of the world's foremost musical figures giving an endorsement without actually giving an endorsement. For instance, the album's opening track, "Dance Tonight" is featured in a new iTunes ad. However, everytime I see the ad, I think more about Starbucks than I do about iTunes. Maybe because there is a very strong association now between Starbucks and McCartney - and the company is able to market themselves without even being mentioned in an ad that they didn't pay for.

iTunes ad

Of course, to a certain degree, Hear Music's success will depend on the strength of its product (to what degree, however, is up for debate). McCartney's solo work overall is a bit spotty I think, though his innate ability to craft a pop song is unbelievable. With Memory Almost Full, McCartney sounds less like he's trying to compete in today's music marketplace, and instead gets nostalgic for the sounds of his past. "Dance Tonight" is a campfire singalong based almost solely around a mandolin. "Ever Present Past" recalls Magical Mystery Tour-era Beatles, until its chorus reflects McCartney's 80s output. "See You Shine" is pure seventies "AM Gold," while "Only Mama Knows" sounds like his best attempt at "Alternative Rock." "Mr. Bellamy" is a high point - a familiar tale of a loner, with the lush musical arrangement we've come to expect from Sir Paul.

"Dance Tonight" video