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Artists on fast track for exposure at Olympics

While Olympians like Bode Miller, Sasha Cohen and Apolo Anton Ohno go for the gold February 10-26 at the XX Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy, an array of music acts will be going for the platinum.

Established stars including Andrea Bocelli, Bon Jovi, Whitney Houston and Lou Reed, as well as new and developing acts like Switchfoot, Flipsyde, Morningwood, the Donnas, Rock 'N Roll Soldiers, We Are Scientists and OK Go are hoping for a boost from Olympic exposure either through appearances on NBC's commercials for the event or by performing in the nightly Olympics concert series.

By using hip, under-the-radar acts, NBC hopes to connect with the much-coveted youth demo. "We're constantly trying to get the 18- to 34-year-old attachment to the Olympics," says Vince Manze, president/creative director of the network's in-house NBC Agency.

NBC uses music in four ways for the Olympics: network campaigns in advance of the Games; co-branding opportunities; features and interstitial footage broadcast during the athletic events; and the nightly concerts.

As the network hopes to raise the cachet of the Winter Olympic Games and NBC among twentysomethings -- Manze says the 35-54 demo is already hooked -- the featured artists will be heard by millions of people in TV land.

Being associated with the Olympics can add to an act's prestige, Atlantic chairman/CEO Craig Kallman says. In addition to the Donnas and Rock 'N Roll Soldiers, NBC is using music from Atlantic's James Blunt and Big City Rock.