In another sign of how hard it has become for recording stars to make big money by simply releasing songs, pop star Madonna debuted the first single from her upcoming album “Hard Candy” not online, not on radio, not on a CD, but in an advertisment for Sunsilk hair products.

Well, she is the “Material Girl,” after all.

Sunsilk is a line of hair care products manufactured by Unilever, and in the past Madonna has appeared in Sunsilk advertisements for their “Life Can’t Wait” campaign. But this new gimmick takes music promotion to another level with the debut of new single “4 Minutes” in an ad.

In a statement, Unilever said the new ad also launches Sunsilk’s “Shower to Style Collection,” a group of products that “actually start styling hair in the shower.”

The new ad with “4 Minutes” began running today, March 17. The album “Hard Candy” is scheduled for an April 29 release.