One of our BMIM x ESNS sessions focused on music’s leading role in advertising. Music used to be an afterthought for advertising campaigns, but not anymore! Brands increasingly recognise that music is the star player in their branding strategy. It’s a positive shift that gives composers and music creators a more prominent role in the creative process. Producers, composers, and artist managers sit at the table with the creatives to produce the best possible campaign.
Key takeaways from the experts
Together with Dan Burt (Music Producer, Wunderman Thompson), Darre van Dijk (Creative Director, TBWA\NEBOKO), and Els Dijkhuizen (Head of Marketing, Heineken), we took a deep dive into their dos and don’ts about working with copywriters, art directors, clients and composers. Read our key takeaways below.
The importance of music in advertising, explained by our experts
Darre van Dijk: ‘When you use music, it can replace the voice-over altogether. Music brings across emotion. Advertisements mostly want to tell the audience a story, which easily becomes very rational. Music makes it emotional and lets the message resonate with people’s hearts.’ Els Dijkhuizen adds: ‘Research shows that sometimes our musical memory is stronger than our normal memory. When building a storyline at Heineken, we choose a song that fits and emphasizes our message. Don’t see music as a tool anymore, but see it as a way to showcase your brand story.’
Don’t see music as a tool anymore, but see it as a way to showcase your brand story.
Els Dijkhuizen, Head of Marketing, Heineken
1. Work with options
Final is never final. At Heineken, the team loves to have options. Els Dijkhuizen explains how their process works: ‘We always start our process by selecting three serious options for music. When we start editing, we’re trying to determine which song or sync works best. Sometimes, we opt for an original track; sometimes, we require a bespoke remake. When we have at least three options for music in the back of our minds, our videography for the ad is an easier process.’
2. Think outside of the box
Going viral is always what brands hope to achieve. But to do so, you have to go at it differently than you would typically do. Darre van Dijk explains how he does that: ‘We worked on a campaign for McDonald’s’ Maestro burger, a company with a classic advertising approach. Our team at TBWA sat together with their creative team to work towards a more epic and emotion-provoking approach and work the feeling of unique experiences into their ads. We created a spectacular ad that runs for two minutes, which is way longer than a standard ad. We incorporated a whole concert in the ad, which adds to the theme of the Maestro burger. The big orchestra playing for you in the ad is quite the bizarre and humouristic approach, but it worked. It went viral and got 90 million views worldwide in two weeks, which we didn’t pay for.’
3. Be flexible
Dan Burt knows how challenging and sometimes stressful this line of work can get. His role at Wunderman Thompson is all about the execution, and people come to him with pitches for music. One big lesson: be flexible at all times. ‘We worked on a commercial where NFL athletes dance to a track; that’s it. So we went through thousands and thousands and thousands of tracks. We finally found one. We got the rights for it and it was almost signed off. Right before, we discovered one of the artists had made a mistake. We used the replacement track, our second choice because we had to be flexible. Gladly, our six writers all answered their phones at the right time so we could work with our second choice, which turned out to be the best choice ever. The track got a million more streams after we listed it. And, of course, being flexible with budgets is always quite the challenge.’
4. Be clear in your briefings
A good briefing shouldn’t be extensive. Els Dijkhuizen explains why. ‘If your briefing says a campaign should be fun, explain what fun means to your brand. Define what that means for your brand and set boundaries for where copywriters, composers, or other creatives can go. Before you start, choose your intentions for the ad and be very clear on how you want your tone of voice to come across.’
One last piece of advice
‘Don’t force anything. If something doesn’t fit your brand, don’t do it. Keep it true to your company’s purpose, and be very clear about what the purpose is.’
