The culture factor series: I. Music

Culture factor I. Music
Brands and bands: finding the perfect harmony
Music is present in virtually every known culture around the world, and is shaped by a range of factors, from social and economic conditions to climate and access to technology.

As the first part of an exploration aimed at discovering the various elements that make each culture so unique, Creative Culture will be looking at the relationship that exists between music and advertising. We’ll explore if the perfect musical match favours global consistency or local resonance (or a combination of both), and identify why this selection process is becoming a growing priority for global marketers.

Finding the harmony
Thought of by many to be a universal language that appeals directly to the emotions, music can invoke a happy, humorous, or hopeful response, based simply on its key, melody and lyrics. Perhaps one of the first cases of a brand scoring original music for advertising purposes was by Coca-Cola. Popularised in the 1970s, the advert’s song might sound a bit old-fashioned now, but the reality is that Coca-Cola broke from the familiar jingles of the day, creating something that no one else was doing.

The theme and lyrics were scored with the purpose of spreading happiness around the world; a universal sentiment the group has embraced since its inception. Fast forward a few decades, and this same melodious strategy is used by Coke, but this time in Turkey (see second video) – where their message of happiness was localised to create a strong connection with the target market.



 
Is localisation the way to go?
We see this question answered by German supermarket, Edeka, who recently underwent an image rebranding with the hopes of gaining a stronger appeal amongst a younger German generation. During a time when traditional campaign strategies position music in the background, Edeka’s recent advert took the form of an original music video, featuring a local equivalent to The Most Interesting Man in the World (form Dos Equis). This bizarre (yet extremely catchy) campaign certainly raises the importance of creating the talkability factor (over 15 million views).

But what made it work?

The ad shows how the right choice of music can effectively invoke an emotional response (Humour - which, contrary to belief, Germans can appreciate), all while connecting with the brand’s overall style – which, in this case, is supergeil (super cool/sexy).



Targeting music that strongly and authentically blends with the brand message should be the overall priority, and no aspects of the musical selection should be overlooked, including (and especially) the lyrics. Marketers who are a tactful enough (and a bit lucky) can craft a harmonious balance that yields viral rewards. 

This was the case with the Jeep brand, who partnered with an up-and-coming group, X Ambassadors, to help showcase its all new model of sport utility vehicles, the Renegade. The genius of this collaboration lies in the fact that the name of the song is actually tied to the product name, but also that the lyrics of the track speak directly to the target (US millennials), without a forced promotional push. 



A universal understanding
While localisation has proven effective in the area of music, there are also successful cases where not-so-localised music is used. One example of this can be found in a recent campaign by Cadillac, as they sought to prove that their human-driven inventiveness can compete with encroaching German automakers in the US.

While highlighting entrepreneurial examples such as Steve Wozniak and Richard Linklater, the brand challenges the viewer to dare greatly – an emotive idea that is effortlessly reinforced by the Edith Piaf classic, Non, je ne regrette rien. Why would a US-targeted ad choose an unmistakably French song? The bottom line is that language becomes less of a barrier here, as the timeless quality of the song helps to make an honest connection with the classic nature of the 112-year-old Cadillac brand.



A growing urgency
Advertising has come a long way since the jingle days.  An increasing amount of research suggests that the right song or musical soundtrack in an ad can increase attention, enhance emotional response, aid memorability, reinforce key messages, and influence purchasing behaviour.

Considering the increasing threat of 'distracted consumers' and the buffet of possible touchpoints, there has never been a greater need to grab attention, and create brand talkabilty. As the war of winning consumers’ undivided focus wages on, marketers have an opportunity to utilize music as a strategic tool in achieving this victory. 

Read more from Creative Culture in our Clubhouse.

 

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