HARMAN is honored to welcome music legend Paul McCartney to the next phase of our JBL brand’s “Hear the Truth” media campaign. As a long-time user of JBL professional audio equipment in the studio, on tour and at home, McCartney's appearance as a JBL “Hear the Truth” feature artist is a testament to the enduring impact the brand has had on musicians and music fans since the dawn of the rock era.
A television spot featuring McCartney will debut Feb. 12 during the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards with a print and online campaign to follow. Additionally, JBL will be a sponsor of McCartney’s upcoming summer tour.
Click here to watch the 30 second television commercial.
The new “Hear the Truth” ad will feature McCartney and his new single, “My Valentine,” from the album “Kisses on the Bottom,” which will be released Feb. 7. A 14-time GRAMMY winner, McCartney will also be honored as the 2012 MusiCares Person of the Year during GRAMMY week 2012 in recognition of his exceptional artistic achievements and philanthropic work.
The new JBL commercial brings the story behind McCartney’s “My Valentine” to life and celebrates JBL’s role in helping listeners hear the beauty and nuance of the music. The “Hear the Truth” ad was filmed in London during January and was directed by Martin Campbell, well known for his work on the James Bond thriller Casino Royale and numerous other film credits. Campbell also directed the recent “Beautiful Sound” spot, starring singer and actress Jennifer Lopez for our Harman Kardon brand.
Paul McCartney, formerly of The Beatles (1960–1970) and Wings (1971–1981), is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100 million singles in the United Kingdom alone. McCartney and former Beatle John Lennon formed one of the most influential and successful songwriting partnerships and wrote some of the most popular songs in the history of rock music.
According to the BBC, McCartney's Beatles song "Yesterday" has been covered by more than 2,200 artists -- topping any other song in the history of recorded music and contributing to his legacy as the most successful songwriter in UK singles chart history. As a performer or songwriter, McCartney has been responsible for 31 Number One singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States, and has sold more than 15.5 million Recording Industry Association of America certified albums in the United States alone. He has also composed film scores, classical and electronic music, released a large catalogue of songs as a solo artist, and has supported numerous international charities.
HARMAN launched its “Hear the Truth” for JBL in September 2011 with a multimedia campaign featuring the rock sensation Maroon 5, international superstar A.R. Rahman, Chinese pop king Liu Huan and others. Additional JBL artist agreements will be announced throughout 2012.
The JBL heritage reaches back more than 65 years, as founder James B. Lansing developed the first sound-system designed specifically for installation in movie theaters, and is the only audio brand to have been recognized by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences for its contributions to the film industry. JBL was also honored by The Recording Academy in 2005 with a prestigious GRAMMY® Technical Award for its contributions to the world of music.