Music is perhaps the most powerful weapon in our arsenal for emotional storytelling.

Of all the components which comprise a great commercial or web video, from poetic writing to breathtaking cinematography to flawless performances by actors, music has the greatest potential for influencing our emotions.

Researchers tell us that music stimulates more parts of the brain than any other human function. They say, “Our physical responses to music are rooted in the brain and the way it processes information. There’s evidence that we are born with brain structures that allow us to experience music both emotionally and physically. And today many scientists are convinced that there is a biology of music, a hardwired capacity for musical appreciation and expression.”

Filmmakers have known this for years and have used music to evoke whatever mood or feeling they want to convey. Likewise advertisers have used it, sometimes masterfully. In many cases, the music actually makes the TV commercial.

But most advertisers have failed to exploit its true potential. Perhaps because of simply bad taste in music or more likely a result of too many cooks in the kitchen.

Aside from the creative team, which initially chooses a music track, there are at least a half-dozen other people who weigh in on the matter. And each has their own music tastes. In the end, it’s generally reduced to the least common denominator—a track nobody loves but nobody hates.

This shouldn’t be.

Without a doubt, music tastes are subjective. But there are people who seem to have a better ear than most when it comes to finding the perfect track. In the same way there are great DJ’s and not-so-great DJ’s.

Smart ad agencies and film producers hire skilled music supervisors/producers. These are people who have a very eclectic ear and a knack for finding a fresh, rare, and/or unused tracks with a great melody and hook, irrespective of genre. They listen to a lot of music and are generally well connected to the music industry.

A good example of how this formula is applied is at TBWA Media Arts Lab in Los Angeles, which creates all the advertising for Apple. They almost always have great music in their commercials, and it’s almost always fresh, new or pre-released music. They rarely ever use classics.

Using fresh, new music has given Apple and other brands the additional advantage of helping to make their brands feel fresh and new. Whereas agencies that typically use familiar music automatically infuse their ads with a sense of staleness. The exception being a song that is remixed or re-performed.

Often there’s a debate about whether the high cost of licensing a music track is worth it. The answer is, it depends on the song. A great track can add incredible stopping power and is definitely worth it.

To illustrate the power of music, we’ve compiled 22 TV commercials and/or web videos that succeed in exploiting it’s true potential.

1. Schweppes - Water Balloons

This commercial uses super high-speed film and a beautiful music track by Cinematic Orchestra and Patrick Watson. The music has an anthemic quality to it, with vocals and music building to a crescendo. It’s reminiscent of Phillip Glass, helping to drive a sense of awe and wonder.

2. Mercedes - Presence

This commercial is dark and mysterious, with music to match. The impending bass strumming quiets the room and then is accompanied by mournful strings, creating an atmospheric sound to match the visuals, which are stunningly beautiful. At first glance, it appears to be a trailer to a new film with Josh Brolin, then it’s revealed to be a spot for Mercedes.

3. Casey Neistat - My Birthday Video

This video by Casey Neistat is an inspiring piece. It’s mostly a time-lapse video of Casey’s holding his hand up to the camera, showing a countdown until his birthday. In some places we see him reliving moments from his youth by juxtaposing video of him from childhood. We get a sense of a person’s whole life and the music helps a lot. The track is Dull To Pause by Junior Boys, which has a very childlike and infectious melody, joined by an emotional, almost sorrowful vocal. It really helps make the video.

4. Apple - iPod Nano Video

This TV spot featuring the first iPod Nano video is about as simple as it gets. We see a stack of iPod Nanos being removed one-by-one, while a music video plays on screen. It’s a catchy music track called “1,2,3,4” by Feist, a little know music artist. After this TV spot aired, Feist was suddenly on everyone’s radar and record sales soared. This is a common outcome for bands who’s music appears in Apple ads. It’s a wonder that bands don’t pay Apple to get their music in the spots, instead of the other way around.

5. Guinness - Swim Black

This spot was produced nearly ten years ago and uses the classic track, Mambo No. 5 by Perez Prado. Even though the track isn’t fresh and new, it succeeds because it’s not mainstream and therefore has no baggage. The celebratory feel of the music and visuals together make for a really fun spot. One of our all-time favorites.

6. The Social Network - Trailer

This movie trailer uses a boys choir version of Radiohead’s “Creep,” which is both beautiful and haunting. The opening is most compelling with close-up images of people’s photos and Facebook posts. The music works because it’s an obscure rendition of a classic Radiohead song and because we just don’t hear this kind of music in a movie trailer. This instantly makes it stand out.

7. Honda - Mix

This spot uses a music track composed by J. Ralph, a world-class music composer. It shows the outcome of various things mixed together, then reveals them to be metaphors for the new Civic Hybrid. The track has an incredible melodic piano hook—just seven notes—that leaves you wanting to hear the rest of the song. It really elevates the spot, infusing emotion, despite the stark, clinical imagery.

8. Ikea - Lamp

This famous TV commercial, filmed by Spike Jonze, features an old desk lamp that is thrown out by its owner. We simply see the woman carrying it out to the curb with the trash. But we feel something for this inanimate object because it’s filmed in a way that evokes a sense of humanity in the lamp, and because it’s accompanied by very cinematic and emotional music. It comes together perfectly and is one of the more memorable TV commercials in recent memory.

9. Nike - I Can

This Nike spot was produced many years ago, but the music track still has great emotive power. It’s set to Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve, which is one of the more anthemic rock tracks of the last decade. The word is, The Verve experienced a revival in record sales after this TV commercial aired nationwide in the US. Which proves that commercials can be a powerful vehicle for driving interest in little known or under-appreciated bands.

10. VW - Big Day
On paper, this spot would seem ho-hum. A man in a tuxedo races to get to a wedding on time. We are lead to believe he’s the groom but later realize he’s not. Instead, he’s the bride’s true love as the she’s standing at the alter with another man. But, it’s filmed beautifully, the subtile performance are excellent and it has an amazing music track. Again, the music here is a piece composed by J. Ralph. It’s electronic with a nice melody, sampled elements, and a woman’s haunting, operatic voice. It’s hard to imagine this spot being as good with any other track.

11. Great Nights Start With A Phone Call - web video

This web short is about three attractive young women going out for a night on the town, and is reminiscent of a fashion brand film. It has a handheld, first-person feel about it. And it’s cut nicely to an infectious, dance-able music piece, which provides a nice emotional hook to enhance the story.

12. Audi A4 - Life
This commercial uses a super-catchy Nina Simone track, Ain’t Got No (I Got Life). We see various people and scenes, while looking out the window of a car, each person or scene matching the lyrics of the song. This is one of the exceptions to the rule of using fresh, new music tracks as often as possible. Nina Simone has such amazing soulfulness and heart, that it’s irresistible. Plus the song is one of her lesser known works, so it’s not overplayed. It really makes the spot. Literally.

13. VW - Protection
The classic spot, filmed by Jonathan Glazer, is shot entirely in slow-motion. The black and white imagery is breathtakingly beautiful and the vignettes are dramatic. The music, from Requiem by Fauré, is powerful, haunting and makes the scenes more profound. This is a really great use of classical music with sensational impact.

14. Nike - Magnet
This Nike spot focuses on Lance Armstrong riding cross country on a personal journey through various environments. Some moments are poetic, others whimsical. But all of them beautiful. The acoustic guitar and piano driven music helps carry this spot, infusing a sincere, from-the-heart melody, with light touches of vocals, as if a gospel singer is humming quietly. The spot has some nice emotional power. Particularly when we see children with cancer cheering Lance on, and a little boy riding a tiny bicycle, trying to keep up.

15. Levi’s - Go Forth
This spot uses a beautiful orchestral piece entitled Prelude, from Wagner’s Das Rheingold. It’s about a small, rundown town in Pennsylvania, that needs to be revitalized. We see people going to work to improve their town, set against the Wagner music, which it builds very slowly with a layering of horns, eventually reaching a crescendo when the tagline “Go Forth” is shown written against the sky. The imagery is shot beautifully and the music is really elevates it.

16. Jaguar - XK06
When this spot launched, it was unlike any car spot on TV. It was criticized by some in the industry for lacking any concept and being more of a mood piece because it used pretentious fashion models and graphic design. But that criticism didn’t change the fact that it was memorable and stood out from other car spots. And music helped play a key role. The infectious track is ‘I Turn My Camera On’ by Spoon.

17. Saturn - Numbers
This spot for Saturn, filmed by Mike Mills, is a great example of a voice-over-less, music-driven spot that makes a simple point... you’re are not treated as a number at Saturn. The spot shows the lifespan of a woman through the years and how her life is reduced to a series of numbers. At the end, she’s greeted by name in the Saturn showroom. A simple yet powerful idea and executive wonderfully. The instrumental music piece has a playful, matter-of-fact-ness to it, then crescendos with a strong piano riff. Great, simple, emotive storytelling.

18. Sony - Cybershot
This anthem spot for Sony Cybershot digital cameras is a low-concept, montage spot, showing people from various walks of life snapping photos. The line is, “Don’t think. Shoot.” It’s filmed beautifully and filled with interesting, quirky or playful scenes. The music track gives it tremendous gravitas, with a track that makes you move.

19. Visa - Running Man
This weird spot for Visa starts out with a naked man running cross-country. We seem him traverse various terrains, getting help along the way (because he has his Visa card). In the end, he shows up just in time for his wedding and you get the idea he was the victim of a terrible prank and had to travel all that way to make it. The music track really carries the story with a driving guitar riff and great melody. It’s a bit hard-edged, which helps counter the expected stodginess of Visa, a financial brand.

20. Australia Tourism - Walkabout
This beautiful (albeit melodramatic) TV commercial shot by Bruce Hunt and Baz Luhrmann is about a corporate executive who’s life is out of whack, with her marriage apparently on the rocks. Suddenly, a ghostlike Aboriginal kid appears and whispers into her ear. Soon after, she’s in Australia, with her marriage mended and her spirits lifted. Yes, it sounds like a cheesy concept on paper, but it’s played well and the cinematic music has a dreamy, epic quality to it. It was composed by Nylon Studios and really elevates the spot.

21. Life in a Day - Trailer
This trailer features a montage of people from around the world and incorporates two different pieces of music. The first is a poignant, Phillip Glass inspired piece. The second is a pretty folk-type melody. You really feel the sense of global humanity and the music joins them together. It really succeeds in evoking some emotion.

22. US Cellular - Bunnies
This TV spot uses a super charming track by male/female duet singers, accompanied by nothing more than a ukulele. The melody is sweet and the vocal harmonizing is sublime. It really succeeds in infusing the spot with a lot of emotion.

23. Bonus: Jack Leroy Tueller
This is a really moving story about how an American soldier in WWII used music to disarm the enemy.

There are many more great commercials, trailers and videos, with great music. Perhaps in the future, I'll compile and post a second volume.

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References/Quotes:

1. NPR.ORG “The Power Of Music To Affect The Brain"

2. The Power Of Music by Elena Mannes

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Creativity

10:21 AM

The overwhelming consensus among my many advertising friends and associates is that clients located in middle America are the least savvy when it comes to marketing and advertising. If you’re in advertising, particularly agency-side, you’re likely nodding your head right now.

No doubt this subject could stir a passionate debate, maybe even offend some people. But it’s something that is rarely (if ever) discussed and it needs to be.

Over the years we’ve seen many companies relocate their operations—including their marketing departments—away from the coasts and into middle America in an effort to save money. Tax incentives and the promise of a better quality of life offered by some states has succeeded in attracting the attention of CEO’s who are always looking for ways to reduce costs.

But if I could speak directly to all the CEO’s in America, I would tell them, “Whatever you do, do not move your marketing department to middle America. If you do, your brand will suffer.”

Most CEO’s would scoff at this notion simply because it makes more sense to have all your employees located in one place, rather than sprinkled here and there. The problem is, they aren’t considering the downside, which could end up costing them more money in the long run.

WHAT’S SO BAD ABOUT MIDDLE AMERICA?

Overall there is nothing wrong with middle America. Whether it’s Kansas City or Nashville, Cincinnati or Boise, these places are less congested, less polluted, more peaceful and more quiet. Great places to raise a family. People who live in middle America are by and large more genuine and family-oriented. They seem to have a better work-life balance, which makes for happier families. The quality of character of people in middle America is outstanding. Chances are you have even relatives who live there and you know they’d give the shirt off their back to help someone.

But what makes for a friendly, balanced society does not make for a savvy marketing department.

THE REALITY TODAY

Business today is fiercely competitive. Consumers are more fickle than ever. Trends in the marketplace come and go overnight. Fortunes are made and lost daily. What’s hot one day is cold the next. Everything is moving at the speed of light and accelerating by the minute. Small, local brands are going national, then global, then getting bought up by larger brands. Consumers are being bombarded with more and more advertising, which creates more noise. This in turn evokes a consumer’s overload defense mechanism—which is to block it all out.

This is the reality.

To stay competitive in business, brands have to stand out. They can’t afford to be blocked out by consumers. They must break through the clutter, break down defensive barriers and reach their audience. If they fail, they’ll simply be ignored and fade away.

THE CULTURE OF NOW

When it comes to marketing and advertising—let’s just call it branding—culture is extremely important. What I mean by culture is that giant, ever-evolving, multifaceted, multicolored spectrum of human creativity and lifestyle. From which new and exciting innovations emerge. Things that have their own gravity. Things that fuel conversation and become viral. Things that make millionaires and celebrities overnight. Culture is a living, breathing thing. And in order to truly capitalize on it, you have to be swimming in it. Preferably in the deep end.

It just so happens that cultural epicenters are located in large, diverse, coastal cities and not in rural towns and middle American cities. Often, what’s hot right now in New York doesn’t even reach middle America for weeks, months or years—despite our digital age populated by tweets and posts.

A TALE OF ONE CITY

What people in middle America—and therefore marketing clients—lack most is an adventurous spirit. They generally don’t stray far from familiar surroundings. They prefer suburban neighborhoods and drive-throughs, cineplexes and department stores, large SUV’s and Costco. Their communities are mostly devoid of museums, wine bars, ethnic foods, artist communities, music venues, gourmet restaurants and symphony halls. They have little or no ‘cafe culture,’ where passionate people meet after hours to exchange ideas and inspire each other—where they can branch out into the unknown and unfamiliar. Their world is essentially homogeneous.

They also tend to be more risk averse. They have a greater fear of making a mistake which could threaten their job. After all, they’re likely to remain in their community for a lifetime and have no interest in shaking things up. This compels them to play it safe most of the time.

Living in middle America also tends to warp a marketing executive’s view of his or her brand’s audience. They’re more inclined to think that middle America is where to focus their messaging. In other words, people that look, talk, dress and act just like them. The mistake here is that innovations and trends work from the coasts inward, so it’s better to be unexpected and provocative, appealing to those on the coasts first, then let it permeate inward toward middle America. Coverage will be stronger and adoption will be longer lasting if it starts this way.

A TALE OF ANOTHER CITY

Conversely, a modern, coastal city is a rich spawning ground for new and exciting cultural shifts. It’s where passionate people flock. Places like New York, Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco and others (and perhaps Chicago). Only cities like these can feed cravings for technology, innovation, art, fashion, architecture, music, ethnic foods and diversity. People here crave new experiences, new insights and new adventures. They seek out the latest fads and trends. They are more ambitious. They are more vocal. They socialize more and have larger social networks. They act on spontaneity and pride themselves on having an open mind. They eat healthier and are more active. They pursue individuality and self-expression rather than conformity. In short, they are more passionate in their pursuit of a textured, dynamic life.

These epicenters are where influences from Europe, Asia and South America permeate society. Where a strong cafe culture thrives. Where entrepreneurialism thrives. Where knowledge increases through the exchange of ideas. Where it’s common to become engrossed in a two-hour conversation about camera lenses, mobile apps or music, after midnight on a Tuesday, and come away totally invigorated.

On the coasts anything seems possible.

CULTURAL CRASH AND BURN

In the past decade, numerous companies have moved their marketing departments from the coasts to middle America. In each instance, the company culture changed significantly. The vast majority of people in those marketing departments refused to move out of state and resigned. Those positions were then filled by locals from the community to which the company moved, with disastrous results. That’s because the marketing department mindset became safe, bland and corporate. The bold, savvy risk-takers were gone.

To illustrate this, I’ll share a couple of real world examples.

Example 1: A few years back, some marketing executives at a large automaker (who had previously moved their marketing department from California to Nashville) needed to take a last-minute international trip to an automotive event to gain insight into the category. It was deemed vital that all the marketing people attend. The advertising agency folks (from LA) were quickly making arrangements when it was suddenly revealed that the majority of the clients that were expected to make the trip from Nashville did not even have passports. So they were unable to attend the event.

Now stop and think about this for a moment.

It is absolutely imperative that marketing executives—whether agency side or client side—are cultured. They must have their finger on the pulse of society, especially if they manage international brands. This means marketing executives must have a comprehensive world view. No true marketing executive can be savvy and well-rounded if he or she has never even ventured beyond the borders of their own country.

This incident spoke volumes about these automaker marketing clients. They should not have been in marketing. Perhaps accounting, manufacturing or operations would have been a better place for them.

Example 2: A dog food manufacturer located in Nashville was approached by a very popular rock band known for interestingly choreographed YouTube music videos that commonly went viral and received tens of millions of hits. This rock band was preparing to make another video, but this time with dogs. They approached the dog food manufacturer to be the sole sponsor of their new music video. The advertising agency of record was absolutely ecstatic that this rock band had approached them and very strongly advised the client to take the offer. Especially considering the price was a fraction of what a TV spot would cost. But the client lacked interest. First, they weren’t exactly sure who this rock band was. Second, they weren’t convinced that their core audience knew who this rock band was. Third, they weren’t convinced that their brand could benefit from merely sponsoring a YouTube video. After weeks of pleading by the advertising agency—and even with proposals by the rock band to dress the music video backdrop in the dog food brand’s signature brand color—the client still declined. So the deal never happened. Naturally, the rock band went on to produce the video without them. To date, the video has received over 13 million views on YouTube. Something the dog food brand could never hope to achieve on its own.

It’s pretty obvious that any savvy marketer would have leaped at the chance to partner with a well-known rock band for a few measly dollars. Sadly, this dog food brand in Nashville did not have a savvy marketing department, so they lost out on huge branding potential. Especially considering that these YouTube videos live on forever and continue to get more hits over time, like a gift that keeps on giving. They should have trusted their advertising agency and followed their recommendation, but they trusted their own gut instinct instead—which was dead wrong. They were simply out of touch.

These are just two examples but these types of things happen every day, keeping brands bland and invisible.

PLEASE

Moving your corporate marketing department from the coast to middle America is like trying to transplant a tree from sunny California to the arctic circle. Even if it does survive, it’s not going to flower.

If any CEO’s happen to be reading this, I implore you to please keep your marketing department in a major city on the coast. You can still have the rest your operations in middle America but you should keep your marketing department in a vibrant, innovative coastal community. Otherwise you’re doing a huge disservice to your brand image (and ultimately your shareholder value).

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Clients

8:22 PM

Brands always have a lot to say. And with the high cost of television airtime, they’ll try to get as much bang for their buck as possible. That often means a lot of voiceover copy.

But are people really listening?

Studies have proven that people are far more inclined to focus on the visuals than the audio in TV commercials. Which means, more often than not, visual and audio compete with each other.

Physiologically speaking, our brains can process a lot of information in a single glance with the eyes, compared to hearing an announcer speak, which requires more effort to process. This is particularly true in the context of back-to-back ads, when announcers are talking almost non-stop during a commercial break. It’s so much “noise” that people simply block it out.

So how do we as marketers break through the noise and still communicate a product benefit or attribute? How do we penetrate that defensive barrier put up by our audience?

The best advice is to avoid voiceovers altogether, and use a situational construct with on-screen dialogue instead. Or, just use supers. But if you have no choice than to use a voiceover, here are three principles that will help you make a great spot.

1. Say as few words as possible. The less you say, the greater the chance that people will retain it. Or even attempt to listen to it. This is easier said than done. It takes an incredible amount of self-restraint on the part of clients.

2. Say it very slow and deliberately. Commercial voiceovers typically speak too quickly. If you want to be heard, have the voiceover talent speak slowly, while enunciating and punctuating. But this requires planning ahead. Start by writing a shorter script.

3. Say very little about your product. People are interested in universal human truths, poetic statements and interesting stories. So use storytelling. And keep it colloquial. Then just communicateone product attribute. Not two, three or five. Just one. Because, as soon as you launch into a sales pitch, the audience tunes out.

EXAMPLES

Let’s put this into context and look at a few examples. Two good spots and two bad spots.

1. Infiniti “Challenger” brand commercial. (BAD)

This 60-second Infiniti montage spot fails miserably. It attempts to hook the audience by showing innovators and paradigm shifts, such as Albert Einstein, Elvis Presley and the Berlin wall coming down. But it stumbles right out of the gates because it uses familiar corporate themes, such as “challenging the status quo.”

At 21 seconds into the spot, it really goes downhill. Infiniti starts talking about itself. They brag about their innovations, their “world’s first’s,” their “sexier designs” that “move you emotionally.” It’s clear that Infiniti is trying very hard to tell the viewer what keywords to takeaway, using cheesy, ham-fisted vernacular.

Nobody wants to hear a brand beat their chest. Cool brands don’t talk about themselves. They’re just cool. They let their reputation speak for itself. Or they learn to communicate using metaphors.

The wall-to-wall talking also kills any emotive power the spot has—which is very minimal. There are a couple cool visuals here and there but the talking kills it. And the music lends no help. It’s flat and uninteresting.

Overall this spot leaves us flaccid.

2. BMW “Only A Car” brand commercial. (GOOD)

This BMW spot is also a 60-second montage. Similar to the Infiniti spot, it communicates a lot of product attributes. But it succeeds because it’s written from a third person’s point of view. Instead of saying “we” did this and “we” did that, it says “it” has this and “it” has that. And it does so in an understated and mildly sarcastic way—basically saying, “luxury cars are all the same... or are they?”

Another compelling aspect to this commercial is that it mostly shows us car parts, filmed in a way that demonstrates an obsession with engineering, without have to say it literally.

And the music gives it a tremendous boost. It’s orchestral and dramatic.

The best part is, we only see seductive hints of the car. It’s not gratuitous. All of this makes for a memorable commercial, and a good feeling about the brand.

3. Cadillac CTS-V “Move Your Soul” commercial (BAD)

This Cadillac spot takes an approach similar to Infiniti. It features an announcer bragging about the car and telling us what to take away. It says it’s going to “move your soul,” while the car spins on a turntable, showing different angles. But this spot is actually worse because it doesn’t even try to lure us with an intriguing story, beautiful images or emotional music. Instead, it immediately launches into a sales pitch, with wall-to-wall sheet metal. Truly horrible. It’s as if they simply brought the showroom into your living room against your will. And you hate them for it.

4. Mercedes “Presence” brand spot (GOOD)

This Mercedes spot ran in the UK. It features Josh Brolin discussing “presence,” and how some have it and some don’t. The spot is moody and cinematic. It almost seems like a new movie trailer. Then we begin to see glimpses of a car. But only a few glimpses.

This spot succeeds because (1) it’s full of beautiful imagery, (2) it’s mysterious and intriguing, (3) it has a great piece of music, (4) it’s conversational, (5) it doesn’t brag, (6) it doesn’t bombard us with car features, (7) it makes the brand feel cool, and (8) it leaves you wanting more.

FINAL ANALYSIS

Too many marketing departments and CMO’s fail to understand that simple, understated, emotional branding will always beat heavy-handed sales and marketing. The audience doesn’t want to be vomited on, with a ton of product features. It’s what we hate most about advertising and why we love DVRs.

Here are the ingredients for a successful TV commercial:

• Keep it simple, preferably about one product feature.
• Use storytelling (through humor or intrigue).
• Keep it conversational (avoid clichéd, corporate vernacular and tech speak).
• Try purely visual solutions.
• Show your product in a subtle or seductive way, instead of a gratuitous way. Leave people wanting more.
• Use a great music track and try not to talk over it. (Or at least mix the audio so the music still comes through.)
• Keep it understated (instead of bragadocious).
• Think of your brand as if it were a person (act cool instead of telling people you’re cool).

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Creativity Perception

7:19 PM