Universal Music Publishing’s Film & TV Department creates opportunities for and licenses our catalogue of songs to film, television, advertising, computer games and stage productions: what is often referred to as ‘synchronisation’. We work closely with each writer to support their creative endeavours and both promote and protect their music at every stage of their career. The UK office has a 12 strong Film & TV team working alongside similar specialist departments in our offices around the world. Covering everything from a song’s first play on UK TV to a major US hit series or scoring original film music, we always treat every use of our artists’ music with equal importance.
Straight off the back of the Bobby McFerrin ‘Don’t Worry Be Happy’ sync for their recent food commercial, M&S has launched a brand new campaign using yet another UMPG copyright for their autumn fashion line. The advert features models strutting down an imaginary catwalk in M&S’s Autumn Winter 2012 line to Edwyn Collins’ 1995 Northern Soul inspired smash ‘A Girl Like You’. The song perfectly captures the mood of M&S’s campaign strapline, ‘For every woman you are’.
The new worldwide 'Unleash Your Music On The World' advert for Sony Xperia features a killer soundtrack by Crystal Fighters. 'Follow' was taken from the band's first album ‘Star of Love’. The ad shows how music playing on an Xperia smartphone can be instantly transferred to a speaker with a single touch.
Volkswagen Golf's new advert asks members of the public, “If you could take one record, film and food to a desert island, what would it be?” This light hearted look at people's favourite things is soundtracked by the utterly faultless piece of pop music that is Style Council’s 'Shout To The Top'. Style Council were formed in the early 80s by one of UMPG’s most iconic songwriters Paul Weller.
Paul Simon’s classic 1966 song 'Homeward Bound' has been reworked for the new TV advertising campaign of well-loved British cheese brand Cathedral City.
A new documentary from director Julien Temple: 'London - The Modern Babylon' celebrates the history and people of our capital city, from the early 20th century until the present day. Artists featured on the soundtrack include The Clash, Sex Pistols, Roxy Music, Dire Straits, Lily Allen and Crystal Fighters. The film will be shown as part of the Cultural Olympiad.
An advert for US food chain Chipotle, featuring a Willie Nelson cover of Coldplay’s ‘The Scientist’, has won the most covetable award at this year’s Cannes Lions - The Film Grand Prix. The touching advert, entitled ‘Back to the Start’, depicts the life of a farmer as he slowly turns his family farm into an industrial animal factory before seeing the error of his ways and opting for a more sustainable future.
Universal Music Publishing Group are pleased to have placed songs from The Undertones, Stiff Little Fingers and Rudi in a new film celebrating the life of Terri Hooley - founder of legendary Belfast record shop and label Good Vibrations.
Three songs by Universal Music Publishing Group artists appear in the soundtrack for new British film ‘Fast Girls’. Example 'Stay Awake', Sub Focus 'Splash' and Kitty Daisy & Lewis ‘Don’t Make A Fool Out of Me’ all feature in the fast-paced sports drama about a team of young girls competing in the British relay team for a World Championship event.
Daughter’s ‘Youth’ serves as an emotive soundtrack to ITV4’s trailer for the Tour de France 2012. ITV4 will have extensive coverage of the event, which covers a distance of over 2,000 miles and attracts riders and teams from across the globe.
Click through to watch Daughter performing ‘Youth’ at London’s St Giles in the Fields Church.
With London 2012 now just weeks away, British Airways has just launched its Olympic advert campaign for the UK & Ireland as anticipation builds ahead of the games. Showcasing the capital’s landmarks including Trafalgar Square, Big Ben, the Shard and an East End market, a BA plane rolls though central London before arriving at the Olympic Stadium in Stratford.
Click through to watch the advert in full.