The Importance of Music in Advertising
I have come to realize that many of my childhood passions have come and gone. One, however, that has not gone, and that I hope never will go, is my passion for music. Although I cannot play an instrument or read sheet music (because I was also a “quitter” as a child) I do enjoy singing by way of whatever comes out of my mouth.
My love and appreciation for music and sounds affects my life even now. Music has even had an influence on my personal preferences. In movies, for example, I very much enjoy watching musicals. Musicals offer the drama of acting and the entertainment of music and performance. In retrospect, it seems that the movies I have purposely watched multiple times have been musicals or movies that feature powerful music that most likely I have purchased on CD or on iTunes.
Music speaks to the soul—it creates a connection deeper than a visual alone can make. It is an important feature of musical movies and movies in general. Just as important as strategically designing or selecting music for movies, music selection is equally as important for the small screen when developing television commercials.
My recent postthat discussed my favorite commercials caused me to think about the characteristics of the commercials I enjoy most—one of the most common is the music. Clearly, the Honda—Crazy Train commercial is centered on a song. It is honestly my favorite commercial at the moment. It uses music to create an entertaining, fun, engaging, unique audio/visual connection.
Expert opinion on “What is the importance of music in television advertising?”
Music is essential for establishing mood and rhythm. It supports and helps drive all the creative elements of the commercial. – Clayton Ray, Art Director at Maple Creative, LLC
Music can be used to support messaging; it can be used to evoke emotion; music should match the scene/visuals. It often is what makes you remember the commercial. – James Nester, VP of Client Services at Maple Creative, LLC
Working in the advertising industry, we have had the opportunity to develop and produce television advertisements for a variety of clients. While personally, my portfolio is rather small in this realm, I have been around for and/or some part of a number of others—including two commercials featuring Nashville recording artists and a regional brand announcement for a publicly traded company.
Being involved in television commercial production, cost is something that must be considered in determining what song is the right song, as budget is most always a top client concern. That is why it is crucial for marketers to choose songs that are sure to “pay off”. The investment to incorporate a song, music, or jingle into a television commercial is a strategic decision with both a financial and creative side.
A song written and performed by a female country star in the 1980’s was proposed to our client at a cost of nearly $300,000 to use for a commercial (that was scheduled to run for 6-months)—with a client budget of $80,000 total (for total production). Instead, a local talent was used. The commercials produced results that exceeded expectations by launching one of the most successful banking product advertising campaigns in the history of West Virginia.
In this case, the financial perspective [from our client’s budget] required the creative direction to use alternative music for the commercial. Both perspectives must be parallel to create the most effective synergy and best decision for each situation.
the right music = emotional connection + creative cohesion + financial capability
Music can absolutely make or break anything of which it’s a part. What are some movie scenes or television commercials that you can say “hit the right note”? You’re your most memorable music moments. Link them if you can.
