Thursday, February 21, 2002 - Page updated at 12:00 AM
Music
The Shins get a bite from McDonald's
Seattle Times staff reporter
|
|||||||||||
McShins?
If you were heartbroken over the likes of the Dandy Warhols and Badly Drawn Boy music in Gap commercials and Nick Drake and Groove Armada over car ads, don't read on.
The Shins, the New Mexico indie-pop band that leads a new wave of Sub Pop bands, has its catchy "New Slang" tune being used in some McDonald's spots during the Olympics.
That's right, McDonald's. (As a poster on a pitchforkmedia.com message board put it: "I was watching the Olympics, and I just heard "New Slang" by the Shins in a @#%$ McDonald's commercial!")
Shawn Rogers, creative director of film and television for Sub Pop, says that when the burger giant's ad agency contacted the Seattle label, "initially, it kind of freaked everyone out. ... Why the hell have they heard of the Shins?"
When Sub Pop contacted the band about the offer, it wasn't a hard sell, according to Rogers. "They were like, well we don't really think this is compromising, someone wants to pay us to do what we do."
Rogers chose not to disclose how much the band was paid, but said such deals can earn anywhere from $10,000 to $150,000. That's quite a chunk of change for below-radar acts that barely make the rent and live on fast food. "It's a way for a band that doesn't get signed for huge advances to be able to quit their day jobs for a while," said Rogers, "and concentrate on making music."
The Shins' music has also been heard on NBC's "Scrubs" and a few other TV shows. And labelmate Looper can be heard on Xerox ads playing during the Olympics.
![]()

- Records give rare look at how feds probed one reporter
- Pete Carroll on Seahawks' off-field problems: "It's real serious"
- Kemper Freeman plans $1.2 billion expansion in Bellevue
- Earthquake scenarios show potential for huge damage, loss of life
- Huge tornado hits Oklahoma City suburb, kills 51
- NBA player Terrence Williams arrested in Kent for gun threats
- Poverty hits home in local suburbs like S. King County
- Records: Slain intruder showed signs of mental breakdown
- Police: Brother-in-law ‘heavily involved’ in disposal of Susan Powell’s body
- Amazon proposing glass-and-steel biodomes on new campus
- IRS office was perplexed, inundated with tax-exempt applications
372 - Guest: Stop using the term ‘illegal immigrants’
175 - UW Medicine, Catholic health system to have ‘strategic affiliation’
155 - A few things to take away from this heartbreaking Mariners series
146 - Mariners can't close Indians out, lose it 10-8 in 10th
143 - Tornadoes slam Plains, Midwest; 1 dead in Okla.
89 - More Obama aides knew of IRS audit; Obama not told
77 - Don't worry Husky football fans, we'll have you covered
75 - Leading Senate Democrat: IRS behavior intolerable
67 - Amazon.com proposing glass-and-steel spheres
37
- Kemper Freeman plans $1.2 billion expansion in Bellevue
- UW Medicine, Catholic health system to have ‘strategic affiliation’
- Earthquake scenarios show potential for huge damage, loss of life
- Community Dinners church nourishes bodies, souls
- China’s wealthy paying cash for Eastside luxury homes
- Poverty hits home in local suburbs like S. King County
- UW expands online courses, this time from Harvard, MIT
- deafReview gives a voice to deaf consumers
- Amazon proposing glass-and-steel biodomes on new campus
- 129 concerts to see this summer



