The value of music to advertising

Why is music used in advertising?

• Sound helps to create an impression and promote a reaction. In adverts, music can be skillfully used to transfer the values and associations people attach to a piece of music to the product that is being promoted to them.
  
• Adverts borrow the mood conveyed by a piece of music, as well as other feelings and reactions associated with that piece of music and even the image of the artist that has recorded the music.

Songs can also reflect the culture of a specific time,  tapping into popular consciousness to prompt a wider range of cultural or lifestyle references and responses – eg consider the different impressions conveyed by jazz, rock ’n’ roll and classical music. 

A tune can evoke images associated with:

• a type of music
• the artist
• a period in time
• a demographic
• fashion and media

As such, music clearly has the ability to strengthen a brand, and can be an effective tool in driving product sales.

Task 3

Watch the following advert - the first time with the sound down, and then with the volume up:

• Why do you think it was chosen for the iPod? What values do you think it transfers?
  
• Is it important who the artist is? 

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Homework task

• Watch TV and chose an advert you like
• Why do you think the piece of music was selected to go with that advert? 
• What impression of the product does it give? e.g useful, exciting, etc
• Think of a product you would like to advertise. Choose a piece of music to go with it. Write 100 words on why you chose that piece of music and what it says to customers about your product.