McDonald's seeking artists for ads

Oak Brook-based McDonald's Corp. said Monday it's looking for up-and-coming music artists to launch their careers on a national stage and an upcoming McDonald's commercial.

The program is in conjunction with Artists & Brands, a company created in partnership with Grammy Award-Winning Producer Rodney Jerkins.

"Through our new relationship with Artists & Brands, we are energizing our musical heritage by creating unique opportunities for bright new artists to showcase their talents in our brand communication." Marlena Peleo-Lazar, McDonald's USA vice president and chief creative officer, said in a statement.

Undiscovered artists can upload their original music to the Artists & Brands Web site (www.artistsandbrands.com) where McDonald's marketing executives and the Artists & Brands team, led by Jerkins, music and marketing executive Ira Antelis and music attorney Daryl Jones. Once an artist is selected, Artists & Brands will produce a track for a McDonald's database of commercial-ready songs, as well as two additional singles that will be available for $.99 on www.artistsandbrands.com.

The site also serves as the hub for new and emerging artist bios, video profiles and "behind-the-scenes" footage from recording sessions, including I.B. Fokuz, a Chicago native who was the first artist selected by the Artists & Brands team. His original song, "Got It In the Bag," is featured in "Woofer," a McDonald's commercial.

Beginning in June, Rodney Jerkins will select an "Artist of the Month," who will be featured on www.artistsandbrands.com and receive industry counsel directly from Jerkins.