Music In Advertising
Music in advertising holds the ability to elevate an adverts memorability, emotional impact and even enhance or, in some cases – tell the story. It can express beauty, emotion and is one of the universal cultural aspects of society.
It can create a familiarity for your brand with your audience and even get them to do something about it. Some of the best adverts of all time involve music as a focal point, and we’re not just talking about jingles. Since the beginning of ad time, music and advertising have blended perfectly together. So, just what makes these two work so well together and, what can brands do to harness it?
Music and Memory
There are songs you hear that take you back to your first big breakup or your first proper mates holiday. Studies show that this is because music triggers the same part of the brain as where we process memory and emotion.
What this means for advertisers: if you really know your audience, you can speak to them not just in a language that they understand but in a time they grew up in. If you harness the power of music, you can enhance how your audience experiences your ad – you can take the memory they have for the song and create a link for your brand.
And what’s the point of every advert out there? Get your product into the minds of your audience, and keep it there.
Emotional Impact
It’s not just memory that music benefits either – music has the power to ignite a strong emotional response in its viewers. Look at horror films – without the intense and suspenseful music, they’re just a bunch of people scared of their new house.
Music has the power to change or heighten our mood in an instant – this type of emotional clout is hard to replicate.
Take this advert from Chevrolet.
Now take that same video, with this soundtrack.
This shows how important it is to establish the tone you want to set for your advert, the genre of music you choose is crucial in evoking the right emotional response in your audience.
Telling A Story
Music has the power to both strengthen memory and ignite a strong emotional response, but when paired with the right storyline it can drive the story home for the audience. When the music narrates what the viewer is seeing, and when the tempo of the music blends with what’s happening on screen, it creates an immersive experience.
The Beats by Dr.Dre ad is hitting the mark on all three areas covered so far. It creates an emotional response for anyone that grew up after 1940, taking them back to times watching this classic children’s film, and it’s the foundation for the whole storyline.
Drive Action
You’re out. You said you weren’t going to dance. Your song comes on. You can guess what happens next. Music has the ability to ignite this emotional response and explains music’s power to spark action in audiences. There’s a reason that we make playlists for working out, studying and the rest of it. Certain genres of music encourage us to complete certain tasks. Ever been looking for the perfect song to start your morning walk, and when you find it you look like this?
For us ad-landers, it means music can be used as the persuasive element in adverts. It can ignite a desire to get up and dance, or work out, or call to upgrade your life insurance. (You never know)
Turn It Up
When you choose the perfect soundtrack for your content, you turn up your brand image in your audience’s mind. You can create a memory link from an old experience and tie it to your brand. You can spark an emotional reaction in your audience that would not be possible through visuals alone. You can cause a fire in the belly of your audience that makes them want to do something.
Every part of your brand image needs to be consistent, so choosing the right music to represent your brand is crucial in creating the right message for your audience.
If you want help soundtracking your brand, get in touch at Hello@rascal.co.uk