It's all sweet music to the ears - Record company Universal has been getting on the commercial bandwagon

Universal Music Asia-Pacific is making itself heard throughout Asia

with the recording company's songs being featured in TV commercials all

over the region and its roster of artists - everyone from Hong Kong's

Cecilia Cheung and Kelly Chen, to Stevie Wonder, Shania Twain and Sting

- endorsing a variety of products.

In Thailand, for example, Brian McKnight's recent number one hit, Back

At One, is currently being used in the latest television commercial for

Toyota Corolla.

"The song basically complements Toyota Corolla's positioning of being

the world's best selling car," said Mr Nadda Burunasari, managing

director of Universal Music Thailand, who, prior to this role, was group

account director for JWT in that market.

"The product was number one, much like Back At One, which happened to be

at the top of the charts at the time. It was, I guess, the right song

for Toyota at the right time and they and their ad agency in Thailand,

Dentsu, took advantage of that."

Last year, the same client used another of Universal Music's acts,

Lighthouse Family and its hit High, in the television campaign for

Toyota Camry.

"The campaign was a huge success," said Mr Nadda.

"The client was inundated with orders. It would be nice to think that

the song High played a part in the success of this campaign."

Another of Universal's artists, Sting, was seen in an ad campaign for

Compaq, where his single, Brand New Day, was featured in all TV

advertising for the product.

Now, Sting is back and both seen and heard singing his latest single,

Desert Rose, in the new commercial for the Jaguar S-Type.

Other Universal artists being seen and heard in commercials include

Shania Twain for Revlon in the US and Stevie Wonder in Japan for a brand

of coffee called Fire.

Exposure in this commercial meant Universal bringing out a special CD

exclusively for Japan, featuring ballads by Stevie Wonder which has, to

date, sold more than 600,000 units.

But perhaps it is Universal Korea that has best demonstrated the full

potential of its artist roster.

For example, Universal act Aqua has been on commercials for Lotte Cannon

Xerox Machines and e-shop, an Internet shopping mall; The Cranberries

for Samsung Stock; the song Desafinado by Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd for

Daysis Whitening, a skincare product; Laura Fygi's version of I Love You

For Sentimental Reasons for Sik-Mul-na-Ra cosmetics; blues artist Etta

James for Coca-Cola; Secret Garden for Korea Life Insurance; and for two

campaigns for Hansol M.com, a mobile phone service, the operatic tones

of Andrea Bocelli.

"What's good to know is that through the exposure received in this ad

campaign, Andrea Bocelli was well and truly introduced and established

in Korea," said Mr Hans Ebert, VP creative services and corporate

communications.

"The artist has a strong fan base in this market and again, the campaign

had a very strong impact on the sales of Bocelli's new album at the

time."

Mr Ebert said that coming up next is new song written and performed by

US-based singer-songwriter David Pomeranz, who is signed to

MCA/Universal in the Philippines.

"It's called Singapore Girl and we're pretty confident that will have a

certain commercial interest to any company doing business in that

market," Mr Ebert said.