When it comes to improving your advertisements, one little tweak can go a long way.
And yet, in a time when ad spots permeate virtually every form of media, how do you make your ads stand out in a sea of competition?
Even if you analyze your competitors with eagle-eye precision and develop the most innovative tricks to one-up their strategies, trends are often like fireworks – bright, shiny, and fleeting. Sometimes keeping up feels nearly impossible.
If you’re feeling defeated, we get it. But ask yourself this – are you thinking too big?
Of course, some higher-level thinking is a must. If you’re in advertising, you’re well aware that you need a big concept – whether it’s an amusing storyline or a persuasive argument – to drive your ad home.
And although this aspect is paramount, keep in mind that sometimes it’s the smaller details and final touches that really make an ad pop.
For instance, it’s not just what kind of background music you choose, but exactly where you emphasize it within the ad and how it coincides with the visuals.
The precise way in which you integrate music into your ads can determine the difference between your viewers skipping out and tuning in until the very end.
People’s attention spans are shrinking, so the background music needs to put a spell on the audience – instantly.
How do you make this happen?
1. Promoting Brand Values
Music can represent not only the feeling of an ad but the values of the brand as a whole.
For example, in 1971, Coca-Cola used an original song called “I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke” throughout the entirety of an ad to promote the idea of unity. People from all over the world stood on a hilltop in Italy singing the song and holding cokes.
The simplicity and sincerity of the message conveyed both sonically and visually made this ad a HUGE sensation.
2. Memorability
Once you’ve memorized something, it’s hard to forget. For instance, certain songs penetrate our psyches for life because of how often we hear them or sing them – I mean, no one doesn’t know the birthday song.
This analogy applies to ads, as well. For instance, many brands have found success in the name of consistency, and this includes using the same songs or jingles.
Think of the iconic five-note jingle in Intel ads. As short and simple as those five notes are, they’re burned into everyone’s brain.
Furthermore, it doesn’t necessarily need to be the same music throughout multiple ads to strengthen brand recall. In fact, the University of Leicester conducted a study that proved that ads with music (whether repeated or not) enhance brand recognition by 96%!
3. Activating Emotions
No matter where you’re from or what language you speak, music triggers the same feelings in everyone.
Want to create a feeling of excitement? Go for an upbeat track. Need to evoke romance? A softer, slower melody is your jam. Music is like the emotional paintbrush for your ad.
Furthermore, a study in the “Journal of Advertising Research” concluded that music contributes to 30% of an ad’s impression just by setting the tone.
If your background music is so gripping that it could pull tears from a stone, your viewers will be much more likely to stick around until the end.
4. The Structure of the Ad
The timing of the sounds in your ad shapes its narrative. For example, you can use music to either announce parts of the ad or to explain the entire concept without any voiceover.
John Lewis’ usage of the song “Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want” from the Smiths in a 2011 Christmas commercial exemplifies this idea. Slow Moving Millie covers the song – nevertheless, it still captures the longing feeling of the young boy in the ad.
The slow start of the song pairs fittingly with the boy who anticipates Christmas Day. As the music builds in volume and intensity, Christmas Day arrives and the boy is overjoyed to finally give a gift to his parents.
If you can figure out how to time the music to a tee, you can pull your viewers in like moths to a flame by cultivating powerful dramatic effects.
5. Unexpected Music
Keep in mind that music can also be used humorously. Not everything needs to be on the nose. Sometimes catching people off guard and leaving them befuddled is the best way to grab their attention.
For example, a Cadbury ad from 2007 features closeups of a gorilla with the song “In The Air Tonight” from Phil Collins playing in the background. Eventually, the camera zooms out, the gorilla plays the drums, and then the product is revealed.
It seems bizarre in theory, but the absurdity was ultimately a genius move that bumped this ad to icon status!
6. Beneficial Partnerships
Consider the power of partnerships. When you partner with a musician or composer to create an ad, they’re promoting your brand while you’re also promoting theirs.
Especially if you’re using a song that could potentially garner some substantial attention within the popular music landscape, this could become an equally beneficial partnership.
Remember “1, 2, 3, 4” by Feist? The song went viral after it was featured in an iPod Nano commercial in 2007, and Feist’s critical acclaim continued to help the ad.
If you’re still wondering if you can come up with any truly original ideas involving background music, consider the fact that sometimes the best ideas are born out of collaboration – it’s great to have a sounding board.
This is where our composers come in. They can get to know your brand and translate your ideas into sonic persuasion. Ultimately, you can increase your brand recognition with less work on your plate.
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