"Unos, dos, tres, catorce!" shouts U2 frontman Bono, counting out in Spanish as he launches into the the first single from the Irish group's first album in nearly four years. The song, called "Vertigo," is the first single from the forthcoming album "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" and was released for download on Apple's iTunes online music store in September.

The premiere of "Vertigo" marks first time U2 has pre-released a new track via the Internet before releasing it on CD. But what may be more significant is that U2 is appearing in a new Apple television ad for iTunes and iPod. The commercials feature U2 performing "Vertigo" in what is now the widely-recognized iPod/iTunes ad style of silhouetted people dancing in front of solid-color blackgrounds of various bright hues. The band members are identifiable as they aren't as completely blacked out as the cast of anonymous dancing silhouettes that appear in the commercial.

Apple made two versions of the ad, a 30-second spot airing on television and a two-minute clip that can be viewed via the Apple website (see links to the commercial after the jump-link below) or through a direct links from the iTunes window for those who have downloaded the software to their computers.

We caught our first glimpse of the new iTunes commercial Wednesday night when it aired during the broadcast of the American League Championship baseball game between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees.

What happened next, when the commercial ended, was either a testament to very powerful marketing or our nearly pathological interest in media and advertising (probably a little of both) ... we ran into the dining room, where our wireless laptop was set up, and keyed in the URL to the Apple website thinking that the clip might be available online--we wanted to see it again right away!

You could say that U2, as one of the world's most successful and recognizeable rock bands, is also one of the world's most recognizable global music brands, that is, if you recognize that on a purely economic level a commercial rock band is also a commercial enterprise, and as such a business that, like most others, must establish a meaningful indentity among consumers, such that when you say "U2" people think "consistently great pop-rock tunes and albums that are cut above most commercially released music," or something like that.

Apple Computer has similarly established not only a strong global brand of its own but several product lines and designs over the years that have attained icon status, so much so that they are for all intents and purposes themselves powerful brands--the Macintosh OS, the iMac and the iPod.

That great band and great brands have come together for the iTunes commercial seems natural given the product, which is actually a service, (legal) music downloads. It also reflectsjust how fast the mp3 revolution has forever impacted the music business. Who would have thought a band like U2 would ever appear acommercial of any kind, anywhere, even as recently as six months ago, if ever?

RELATED LINKS

Apple iTunes Commercials Featuring U2
Newsday Entertainment News Item on U2-Apple Commercial

Okay, we've been on a bit of hiatus here at the Massive HQ. There's been lots and lots going on, kids. You may think we've been slacking, wasting hours re-watching Tivo-ed episodes of The Daily Show with John Stewart while snacking on Cheetos, but far from it.

There's Something about this time of year, the early weeks of autumn--especially every four years--when there seems to be this crunch time of converging and important distractions.

For the Massive, it's been 12-hour work days staring into computer screens and scrambling to meet deadlines on last-minute projects for the Big Media slavemasters ... er, clients ... who keep us clothed and fed. (It's called the Sex and Money theory, kiddies.)

But it's not just that. The Major League Baseball season is ratcheting up towards the World Series and that's drawing a lot of people to their TV screens. It's even pulling us in 'cuz we're based in New York City, and, by default, we're Yankees fans.

Then there's the distraction of the European soccer season that recently started up. Admittedly, we--well, most of the Massive--are English soccer nerds. (Operative rule: We always support the London-based Premiership teams against non-London teams, and when London teams are pitted against each other, our support defaults to a hierarchical order: Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham, Fulham, Crystal Palace, with Chelsea favored above all others.)

And, oh yeah, we almost forgot, there's that other distraction, that Presidential Election campaign thingy that's going on. Yo, for real, dawg, we're politically activated and have been tuning into the debates these past couple of weeks. (Dude, is it just us, or does Bush's stage twitches warrant the attention of a mental healthcare professional? Nah, we don't mean anyting political by that--we're just askin' okay!)

But what's really been eating up all our time these days and keeping us from our duties at the Massive is not our media careers, election-year politics, or sports drama. Nah! It is instead something that can be best expressed in a single word: "Britney."

Britney Spears. We've been bedazzled, betwixt and bemused and have spent countless evenings and sleepless nights debating and agonizing over what can arguably be considered one of the most important pop cultural issues taxing the mediascape's buzz meter--should Britney Spears change her last name to Federline once she marries dancer boyfriend and now fiance Kevin Federline? We mean, should "Britney Spears" be called "Britney Federline" or continue to be called "Britney Spears"?

Holy f_ck! Just thinking about this hurts our heads. (Help! Advil! Chop chop!)

Okay, so on the one side you've got the pro-Spears camp. On the other, the pro-Federline supporters. It's kind of like Bush vs. Kerry or, say, Chelsea vs. Arsenal (or the Yankees vs. the Red Sox), except way, WAY, WAAAAAAY more irrelevant to everyone's lives. Federline or Spears--either way, your future is NOT at stake unless Britney ever decides to be "political 'n' stuff" and run for elected office.)

See, kids, if you're going to become a pre-packaged teen pop-star, it's so much more convenient to take the one-name approach, ya' know, like Madonna, Eve, Beyonce, Sade or Tiffany. (Uh, wait, no not Tiffany--definitely NOT Tiffany).

We mean, even though Madonna married British filmmaker Guy Ritchie four years ago, nobody calls the material girl "Madonna Ritchie." Everyone still just calls her Madonna, right? See, one name and there's no fussy mess when you wed your back-up dancer or less culturally influential movie director.

At any rate, whatever side your gut tells you to align your views with--pro-Spears or pro-Federline--remember that like any juicy political brouhaha there's always the option of a "third way." The expedient solution may be as simple as your everday hyphen. That's right, kids, the hyphenated surname: Spears-Federline.

Okay, so this does seem like the sensible choice when two-hard-working professionals with established careers and empowered identities merge in wedded bliss. But, c'mon, the tongue is going to have trouble wrapping itself around "Spears-Federline." Just think, a brand new headache for People magazine copy editors and the hosts of Entertainment Tonight.

But with all this talk about what Britney's new last name will or will not be Britney herself doesn't seem to be anguished over it. After all she's deeply, passionately "in love," as the congratulatory Flash slide show (see pictures above) of her and Kevin on her web site suggests. These pictures--their very presence-- is just plain wrong, people! See for yourself via the linkage below for a taste of the Spears-Federline romance . Don't forget your barf bag.

RELATED LINKS
Britney Spears Official Web Site