At a moment when there are increasingly limited ways for artists in this country to make money, a surefire bet is a big-brand ad. In my career Iâve written for many of the companies advertising during the games, including CBA, Woolworths, Optus and McDonaldâs â companies I call âblue chipâ as they are the only ones with decent TV budgets. Having a song âsyncedâ in a 30-second marquee spot for these guys can be worth more than being the theme song on a hit show, or even being featured in rolling NRL coverage. It makes having your song played in the background for 30 seconds straight after the 400m relay look like peanuts â and can genuinely change an artistâs life.