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Jeff Lynne Songs Used in Advertisements

This page attempts to list the various products or companies advertised using Jeff's songs. This list does not include film or television use of the songs, which is handled separately (and on a webpage yet to be designed).

For most of Jeff's professional career, it was not fashionable for rock musicians to sell their songs for advertising. Many fans and critics maligned the band's use of Hold On Tight in the Coffee Achievers ads in the early 1980s. By the late 1990s, the practice had become acceptable and Jeff's songs began appearing much more frequently in advertising campaigns in the 2000s. Jeff even went so far as to record a whole new version (or versions) of Mr. Blue Sky to be used for the 2003 Volkswagon Beetle convertible and Sears ad campaigns. Odds are good that there will be many more of Jeff's songs used to hawk wares in the future. Don't turn that dial!

If you see any errors or know of any songs used in advertising that are not listed on this page, please contact me at the address at the bottom of this page.

Robert Porter
October 2023


Artist
Song
Advertiser/Product
Season
Type
Notes
Electric Light Orchestra Telephone Line Woolworths (UK) 1978 TV
Electric Light Orchestra Sweet Talkin' Woman State Electricity Commission (Australia) 1978 TV This is an ad promoting the local Australian electric company using a pun on the "Electric" Light Orchestra. It features a concert by candle light only and a band (actors pretending to be ELO) trying to figure out how to perform without electricty. Near the end of the ad, the actors mime to the intro of ELO's Sweet Talkin' Woman>/i>.
Electric Light Orchestra Turn To Stone Shiseidoh Cosmetics (Japan) 1979 TV This is an amusing ad that tells the story of a girl using the cosmetics to speak how she feels with her eyes, as she is apparently in love with her sister's fiance. There is a confrontation at the church and an airport over it where she "speaks with her eyes". ELO's Turn To Stone plays during much of the ad with little or not dialog.
Electric Light Orchestra Hold On Tight Coffee Achievers (USA) early 1980s TV & Radio
Felicitas Taylor Xanadu IBM Supertype (USA?) 1981 TV & Radio Song is with different lyrics to promote the Supertype electric typewriter.
Electric Light Orchestra Prologue DAICON IV (Japan) 1983 Convention The song is set to Japanese anime.
Electric Light Orchestra Twilight DAICON IV (Japan) 1983 Convention The song is set to Japanese anime.
Electric Light Orchestra Hold On Tight DAICON IV (Japan) 1983 Convention The song is set to Japanese anime. The full song is not used.
Electric Light Orchestra Twilight Toyota Celica XX (Japan) early 1980s TV
Roy Orbison I Drove All Night Peugeot cars (UK) 1993 TV
Christine Anu Livin' Thing New South Wales Environment Protection Authority (Australia) 2001 to ? TV This is not an ELO performance, but a cover version by Christine Anu.
Roy Orbison You Got It Target department stores (USA) 2003 TV Three different remixes of the song were used.
Jeff Lynne Mr. Blue Sky Volkswagen Beetle convertible (USA) 2003 TV This is a new recording by Jeff Lynne.
Electric Light Orchestra Hold On Tight Ameriquest Mortgage Company (USA) early 2005 TV
Unknown cover artist Mr. Blue Sky Telia - Orange Bli'r Til Telia (Denmark) Early 2005 TV
Electric Light Orchestra Mr. Blue Sky Marks and Spencer women's clothing line (UK) Summer and fall 2005 TV
Electric Light Orchestra Mr. Blue Sky Telia mobile (Denmark) 2005 TV
Electric Light Orchestra Mr. Blue Sky France Telecom (France) Fall 2005 TV Uses the intro and first verse only.
Electric Light Orchestra Do Ya Monster.com (USA/UK) 2005/2006 TV & Radio
Electric Light Orchestra Livin' Thing JC Penney department stores (USA) Christmas 2005 TV
Unknown cover artist Last Train To London Banco Hipotecario (Argentina) 2006 TV
Electric Light Orchestra Shine A Little Love Starlight Children's Foundation (Australia) May 2007 TV
Jeff Lynne Mr. Blue Sky Sears department stores (USA) May to August 2007 TV This is a new recording by Jeff Lynne. The song was used in various TV ads, including some for Mother's Day, Father's Day and general appliance (refrigerators, washers, etc.) ads.
Unknown cover artist Xanadu Softbank (Japan) Summer 2007 TV
Electric Light Orchestra Hold On Tight Honda Accord (USA) Late Summer to December 2007 TV This song was declared one of the best songs used in advertising by AdAge.com, a trade website for advertisers.
Electric Light Orchestra/Lily Allen Mr. Blue Sky SFR (France) Late 2007 TV Both ELO's version and Lily Allen's version of Mr. Blue Sky were used in various ads.
Electric Light Orchestra Mr. Blue Sky NBWA/American Beer Distributors (USA) Early 2008 TV This ad follows a day in the life of "Mr. Beer Guy" and mimics the camera tricks and imagery from the VW Beetle convertible ad.
Jeff Lynne Mr. Blue Sky Guinness (Ireland) Early 2008 TV This is a new recording by Jeff Lynne.
Jeff Lynne Mr. Blue Sky JetBlue (USA) Summer 2008 TV & Online This is a new recording by Jeff Lynne.
Jeff Lynne Mr. Blue Sky All Nippon Airways (ANA) (Japan) Summer 2008 TV & Online This is a new recording by Jeff Lynne.
Electric Light Orchestra Mr. Blue Sky Kmart (USA) Summer 2008 TV
Electric Light Orchestra Midnight Blue Anycall - T*Omnia (Korea) 2008 TV
Electric Light Orchestra Mr. Blue Sky Anycall - Haptic Pop (Korea) Early 2009 TV
Jeff Lynne Don't Bring Me Down Budweiser Select 55 (USA) Late 2009 TV This is a new recording by Jeff Lynne.
Jeff Lynne Mr. Blue Sky Target department stores (Australia) Summer 2011 TV This is a new recording by Jeff Lynne.
Electric Light Orchestra Telephone Line Orange Gold Spot (UK) Summer 2012 TV This was a spot called "The Sweeney".
Electric Light Orchestra Evil Woman 2014 Hyundai Elantra Early 2014 TV The ad is called "Nice" and stars Johnny Galecki. It uses the new recording of "Evil Woman". It's interesting as the song is pointed out in the ad, playing on the car stereo and clearly shows "Evil Woman" by Electric Light Orchestra.
Electric Light Orchestra 10538 Overture Beautyrest Black Summer 2014 TV This ad called "Dream In Black" features actor Patrick Dempsey.
Electric Light Orchestra Strange Magic Kohl's Department Store (USA) Christmas 2014 TV The ad is called "Magic" and uses the new recording of Strange Magic. The "magic" is a flying reindeer that surprises a young boy.
Jeff Lynne's ELO When I Was A Boy Hyundai Late winter/Early spring 2016 TV This ad is called "Better" and uses the song while showing a young boy with an engine on his chest as he is growing up; the basic idea is that the engine makes him better so that he can achieve his dreams.
Electric Light Orchestra Ticket To The Moon Samsung Family Hub Summer 2017 TV This ad, called "Ticket to the Moon" features a young girl playing at being an astronaut and using the Samsung Family Hub on her refrigerator to order "rocketsicles".
Electric Light Orchestra Livin' Thing Volkswagen Tiguan Summer 2017 TV This ad, called "The New King" features the car driving around a city while an inflatable gorilla follows it around, ending up on top of the Empire State Building like King Kong. This uses the new rerecorded version of Livin' Thing.
Roy Orbison You Got It Walmart/Google Home (USA) Christmas 2017 TV & Online This ad, called "Anything You Want", features a family using the Google Home device to order various items from Walmart
Electric Light Orchestra Don't Bring Me Down Peleton (USA) Winter/Spring 2020 TV & Online This ad, called "Dad's Peleton Journey", features a father using his Peleton to become healthy.

Again, if you know of any errors or omissions, please contact me at jefflynnesongs@gmail.com and let me know. I strive for accuracy.

Robert Porter
October 2023