It would seem that choosing the perfect music for a commercial is such a rare and special occasion that we almost speak in reverent, hushed tones when we discuss its success. But with at least £40million being invested in copyright music for UK commercials it would not be unreasonable to ask why so many tracks fall short of the mark. Music & image partnerships such as Leftfield & Guinness, Phil Collins and Cadbury’s, or John Lewis’ recent track record should give us the foundations to learn.
In the last few years, John Lewis has showed everyone how it’s done to such an extent that this year’s Christmas campaign was met with more anticipation than ever. Focus is on not just the story/visuals but also on the music that will accompany the visuals. The early rumors of a Smiths cover added to the excitement, as clearly we were about to see something different from last year’s Elton John cover. Now in it’s second week of airing, “The Long Wait” has had over 2.5 million hits on Youtube and so continues the series of successful Christmas campaigns by John Lewis.
So how do brands keep us hooked by the music they use? Here are a few tips to choosing the perfect track for your commercial:
1) Loving the music has to go beyond the inner sanctum of the editing suite. The consumers also have an emotional investment in music and it should connect with them too.
2) Music should support the visuals whether directly or ironically. If it is only to act as sound wallpaper, large sums of money spent on big tracks are often a wasted investment.
3) ‘The Whole Is Greater Than The Sum Of The Parts’ – Any music chosen should take a film to a whole different emotional level.
4) Unlike a feature film, commercials don’t enjoy the luxury of time – creatively we have a meager 30-60 seconds to make our point. The music should connect with the audience in seconds.
5) Any visual & music decisions should be made together to give the strongest impact. Trying to fit music to an already shot and edited ad can only have limited success due to the strict structure and timing of music.
Looking back we can see that great music choices work like a symbol for the brand, on as well as off screen. Therefore, when we hear that track in a different context or environment, we think about that product all over again. And if the creative teams have done their job correctly, they will have not only created a sound asset for the brand (music that goes on connecting long after we have reached for the remote control) they might even make us think of the brand in a more positive way!
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Great post! I love this topic and I’ve always been a strong advocate for successfully picking the right music/songs for visual content, especially within television commercials. While this is not necessarily “sonic branding”, it is still a strategic execution of effective music marketing and placement – which is just as important. At the end of the day you have to map the content to the core values of the brand. I also love the examples that you showcased above with the tips and analysis.
The more that we (audio branders) amplify the benefits and value of using the “right” sound and music to package with the brand’s identity, then stronger consumer relationships will follow.
Regarding using effective music in advertising – I actually also wrote an article on my blog not too long ago, referencing a “Nike ad”, where they used a classic Sam Cooke song. Feel free to check it out on my link below.
Cheers!
Adrion
http://www.adrionporter.com