Fergie – Nothing but a Billboard?

Black Eyed Peas front-girl Fergie has just signed a $4 million contract with clothing and footwear brand Candie’s. In the terms of the contract, Fergie agrees to verbally mention the Candie’s brand in at least one song on her second solo effort.

If you were bummed when “Rich Girl” plugged Gwen Stefani’s brand L.A.M.B. and Eve’s Fetish, Fergie’s contract will be a rough blow. Fergie is scheduled to appear in a number of Candie’s commercials and will even have fans dress in Candie’s clothing at her concerts.

While Fergie is not the first artist to accept endorsements from a brand, the requirements in her contract with Candie’s require her to endorse the clothing very openly. She has basically been purchased and is allowing herself to become a walking Candie’s advertisement.

Will this decrease the quality of the music that Fergie produces? It’s hard to say. Various sources speculate that Fergie may incorporate phrases that seem to be referring to actual candy instead of bluntly stating the brand name.

If this is true, she may be able to pull it off. Outkast produced killer hit, “Hey Ya” while simultaneously endorsing Polaroid cameras. The difference is Outkast was offered money from the company after the song became a hit- they initially incorporated the brand name into their music by their own will.

In an interview with the Sunday Times of London, an executive from Interscope records (Fergie’s label) claims that sadly, this type of brand integration into mainstream music may be prominent in the future of the industry. He claims that since the eruption of piracy in music, record sales have severely decreased and artists must find a way to earn profit.

No offense Fergie, but aren’t you rich enough?

While I don’t blame the pop star for taking up this pricey offer, it makes me sad to think that commercial jingles and actual music will soon become one in the same. There must be a better way to gain considerable profits than to sacrifice the music itself.