Pitching Melody: the power of music in branding and advertising

Mysteriously bound by magic, music owns a sort of exclusive way of printing a boundless array of emotions that makes the moment of interaction strikingly resonant to the soul to a degree of depth and purity unattainable to any other form of artistic expression—an elysian art whose umbilical bond with the human psyche has been widely explored over the years by the entertainment and marketing industries in order to expand the spectre and reach of their stories, products and services, thus turning the connection with their audiences into a much more emotional and personal one.

Today, music pervades every single particle of our lives. Not only does it articulate our emotions and bear witness to our presence in the world, it also influences and shapes our own behaviour and perceptions. When consumers are actively invested in deciding whether or not to buy any given product, music is likely to play a more peripheral role. However, it can greatly influence our consumption impulsions in subtle ways, providing enhanced attention, a positive emotional response, and improved brand recall, ultimately widening its effectiveness upon our perception and potential future decisions.

Tuning chemistry

Advertisers have long understood the emotional power of music on the human mind, and have meticulously employed its influence in the creation of memorable commercials that, in turn, ended up influencing our leaning towards a certain brand’s product or service.

In fact, research suggests that music enhances the science of selling. As it amplifies movement, colours, and words, often adding a form of energy available through no other source, it weaves a delicate nexus with the subconscious.

But why are human emotions and behaviour so subtly influenced by music? In a review paper, researchers highlighted how the neurochemical processes underlying music-evoked emotions can modulate levels of dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine, oxytocin, and other neurochemicals, all of which pull major strings in mood regulation, which is to say that listening to the same ad song 10 times a day can either uplift your spirit and, with that, make you sympathise with a certain brand, or cause mild to severe irritation capable of turning an already not-so-great day into a torturous ordeal.

Gentle echoes of yore

Another elemental factor that makes music such a mighty instrument in advertising is how effectively it can trigger the delicate yet compelling sense of nostalgia. The extent to which music is able to arouse emotional memories creates a virtually unbreakable chain between brands and our own history. All it takes is targeting the right demographics and picking the song that will tap into the audience’s beguiling attraction for the romanticised idea of the past—a point in time when they were younger, happier, and the world was, somehow, in a much less ruined era.

Take Volkswagen’s commercial featuring Nick Drake’s “Pink Moon” gently echoing under a Northern California’s serene, starry night as a perfect example of a commercial that remarkably captures the yearning for being returned to a placid, quintessential space-time, where simply driving a convertible through the night is enough to get you closer to nirvana.

It’s the real thing

Arguably one of the most iconic, jingle-led ads of all time is Coca-Cola’s “I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke”. Shot on the hilltops in the outskirts of Rome, Italy, with five hundred young people singing in unison, it was released in the U.S. in July 1971, immediately striking a responsive reaction.

As a consequence, Coca-Cola reportedly received more than 100,000 letters about the commercial and many listeners called radio stations begging to hear it. The ad, apparently so simple in its conception and execution, is even portrayed as an epiphany bestowed upon Don Draper’s ingenious mind in “Mad Men”.

The jingle has surprisingly withstood the test of time, having been consistently voted one of the all-time great songs to ever feature in advertising, which speaks volumes of the lasting connection it’s weaved with the public. The song version is still being sung in school glee clubs and church choirs and played by high school bands all over the world. Thirty years later, Coca-Cola still dwells in the public’s imagination as something far more substantial than the beverage itself—what else is it if not a universal symbol of connection between the people of the world?

Sonic mirrors

Much like colours, words, lines or packaging, music deeply reflects where a brand stands identity-wise. In December 2022, Dior’s Men Fall 2023 collection by Kim Jones, which drew inspiration from the house founder’s fascination with stars, symbols, and lore, took place under Egypt’s night sky, backdropped by the magically lit-up Giza pyramids, and followed by a gorgeous live performance of Max Richter’s recomposition of Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons”. Despite ornamental, the musical segment of the event comes across as a soothing manifestation of Dior’s values of resplendent elegance and the never-ending search for superior excellence through sublime soundscape.

In the visually simple but nonetheless compelling advert for Air France, isn’t it Mozart’s ethereal music that takes the idea of grandeur and elegance of flying with Air France to dreamier, exospheric heights?

Back in the 90s, if Microsoft hadn’t spent a reported amount of 3 million dollars to feature “Start Me Up” as part of their advertising campaign for Windows 95, would it have remained intact in our collective memories and as energising and timeless as the song itself?

Wrapping up

Music, transcending language and culture, has an innate ability to evoke emotions, recall memories, and shape perceptions. In the dynamic world of branding and advertising, it becomes an invaluable asset, wielding the power to elevate a brand’s message and forge deeper, emotional connections with audiences.

The carefully curated melodies in commercials, the iconic jingles that linger for decades, and the sonic logos that become synonymous with a brand’s identity—all underscore the potency of music in shaping brand narratives. But beyond mere recognition, music acts as an emotional bridge, converging the sensory with the cognitive, and making brands not just seen, but felt.

Now that we’re living in an era dominated by sensory overload, in which consumers are overwhelmed with information, the emotional resonance of music can set a brand apart, making its message not just heard, but remembered and revered. Brands that harness the power of music do more than just advertise; they create symphonies of experience, turning passive listeners into passionate advocates. As the lines between art, culture and commerce become blurrier, music remains a timeless constant forever orchestrating the future of branding and advertising.