Michelle Harding's 2Scoops, which he wrote as the soundtrack to a 30-second spot for Credit Canada which launched last year Credit Canada - Eviction Notice
What's tougher: Making a good advertisement, or writing a successful pop song? How about both at once?
Last year Peter Holmes, the president and creative director of Toronto's Reason Partners, who always had a hankering to get into the music business, penned a clap-happy little ditty for a Credit Canada commercial, sung by the little-known artist Michelle Harding. When the song started to get some online buzz, Mr. Holmes and Ms. Harding released it as a full-length single called 2Scoops, which last week was honoured as the best original song in a commercial advertisement at something called the Hollywood Music in Media Awards. Mr. Holmes believes there's a sustainable strategy here that could see a song carry a brand into popular culture as it hits the charts. The strategy isn't new: As we've noted in this space before, over the summer, the Canadian songstress Hannah Georgas had a tune she wrote for Wal-Mart go viral and propel her career. There's only one problem with Mr. Holmes's goal: So far, the greatest success for 2Scoops has been in the United States, where Credit Canada doesn't operate.
Simon Houpt