It can be a shock to discover the music that played an important role in your life is being used to sell automobiles, allergy meds and grocery stores. But what’s your reaction when one of the most sacrosanct songwriters of the 20th century hooks up with someone who wants to sell you something?

In other words, what’s your take on Bob Dylan’s music and image appearing in TV commercials?

Sure, times change, and for some music fans, a commercial is nothing more than 30 seconds to do something else, like raid the refrigerator, hit the can or channel surf.

But Dylan’s music inspired a whole generation, heck, multiple generations, and seeing Mr. Zimmerman’s words and music used for hawking products can be a little too much for a fan to bear.

Of course, Dylan has done a few high-profile ads over the years. A few years ago he scowled through a Victoria’s Secret ad while his recording of “Love Sick” played in the background. In 2008 he went riding in an Escalade in an advertisement that not only sold Cadillac’s SUV but also his “Bob Dylan Theme Time Radio Hour” on pre-merger XM Satellite Radio.

But the last couple of months have seen not only an increase in Dylan tunes used for commercial products, but the use of some of his most famous songs as soundtracks to persuade you to part with your money.

Dylan fans in England received shocks to their systems in January when one of Dylan’s most legendary songs – “Blowin’ In The Wind” – was used for a series of ads selling a grocery store chain owned by one of the world’s largest, consumer-owned businesses, The Co-operative Group. Published reports indicate Dylan was impressed by The Co-operative Group’s ethical business practices, which convinced him to permit one of his most famous compositions to be used as an advertisement’s soundtrack. But still, “Blowin’ In The Wind?”

Wrote the Telegraph U.K.’s Neil McCormick:

“But why not go the whole hog and release his entire catalogue to advertisers? With his Biblically apocalyptic tendencies there are plenty of songs for home insurance companies, ‘Hard Rain’s A Gonna Fall,’ ‘Shelter From The Storm,’ ‘Everything Is Broken.’ And how about ‘Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door’ for life insurance?”

But the biggest shock for Dylan fans might have been just a few weeks ago when Pepsi’s Super Bowl ad mashed his “Forever Young” with the Black Eyed Peas’ will.i.am doing his take on the classic tune.

To be sure, the Pepsi ad is entertaining. The montage of clips denoting events of the past 40 years fits with Dylan’s lyrics, and will.i.am’s performance does the song proud. But when you get right down to it, it’s still Dylan selling Pepsi.

Or, as the New York Times’ Stuart Elliott wrote:

“ … rewrites history by presenting Pepsi-Cola as the choice of peaceniks, hippies and other youthful rebels. In reality, the Pepsi-Cola parent, PepsiCo, was led at the time by Donald Kendall, a friend of Richard M. Nixon’s and the soft drink was considered the Republican soda.”

Make no mistake. Dylan may be one of the most revered figures in music to license his songs for commercial exploitation, but he won’t be the last. It’s a sure bet that right now, somewhere, some place, some ad-man is contemplating using a Bruce Springsteen song for, say, selling automobiles, or matching a Pearl Jam tune for a laxative commercial, or even using a Rolling Stones song to sell software. Oh, wait, that one’s been done already.

In short, expect more music stars licensing their songs for selling soap, underwear, SUVs, soft drinks and whatever else can benefit from a well-written tune.

Or as Dylan himself once sang, “The Times They Are A-Changin’.”

See The Co-operative Group’s “Blowin’ In The Wind” television ad at How Do.co.uk

Read the Telegraph article here.

Read the New York Times article here.