Take the money and run

Liz Phair has signed up to appear in adverts for Banana Republic, the American clothes chain. People do have to eat, after all.

Part of the deal, though, is that Liz and the others taking part will write a song for the store and its marketing theme. Which feels slightly less comfortable, although it's hard to actually put a finger on why.

It probably wouldn't be so bad if the marketing campaign wasn't so... well, marketingish:

Banana Republic's chief marketing officer Peter DeLuca tells Billboard that the campaign began by targeting "the modern soul": shoppers between the ages of 25 and 49 who "aspire to a city lifestyle," says DeLuca. "We're really trying to establish the brand's vision of the city as an anchor point. Music is a key piece of the puzzle."

If you're nearly fifty, and aspire to a city lifestyle: why not move to the bloody city instead of buying a pair of trousers?