The relationship between advertising and both established as well as emerging musical artists is increasingly becoming closer. Bands realize the potential of reaching a wide audience through their music being featured in spots, and advertisers can break through the cluttered space by associating their brands with tunes audiences want to hear.
To better facilitate its relationship with recording artists, Leo Burnett USA, Chicago, earlier this year established a musical artist in residence program, whereby performers visit the agency for a day or two, meet with creatives and producers, and perform for the staff. The idea is that artists and the agency creatives and producers will be able to establish relationships, and hopefully collaborate on ads, whether through the licensing of existing tracks, or composing an original tune. Since launching in March, Burnett has hosted four acts: Good Charlotte (who had already worked with the agency on a Nintendo project prior to the program being launched), Collective Soul, Chaka Khan and the Kaiser Chiefs.
The program has already produced results, noted Ira Antelis, director of music at the agency, who also heads up the shop’s Music Aid division. Collective Soul will be collaborating with the shop on some undisclosed work. “People will come here for awhile, but the litmus test will always be [whether or not collaboration happens]. If they don’t get anything out of it, I think the whole thing would fade,” related Antelis, “but Collective Soul got two things already.”
Cheryl Berman, chairman/chief creative officer of the agency, was the prime architect in establishing the artist in residence. The concept helps eliminate red tape, and makes the relationship between artists and the agency more direct, she notes. “Music is a really important part of advertising and communications. It sets a mood, and it can make or break a spot,” said Berman, who has often composed tracks for spots. “Music can really put something over the top.”
Many artists–everyone from Sting to Madonna to Bob Dylan–noted Berman, have either appeared in or had their songs used in spots, and others are interested in having their music in the ad arena. “It hasn’t hurt them,” she explained. “In fact, the shift has helped their careers, helped get their music out there, so my point of view is we need to talk and work with these people.”
“What we’re offering,” she continued, “is an environment where they can come in and meet with the creative groups. And what’s great about Burnett is that it’s like a big candy store–we have so many different kinds of clients, so there’s so many opportunities for so many different kinds of artists.
“Burnett has always been a musically oriented agency, and we’ve dealt with artists in the past,” added Berman. “We’re in a brave new world now, and I think this is a brave new way of dealing with artists.”
Antelis related that the visits by the music acts have sparked interest from both creatives and clients, and have helped in developing a rapport between the shop and the acts. “It’s a natural evolution of where this has to go,” stated Antelis of artists working, and meeting, directly with agencies. He added that when people meet in person, it helps facilitate a stronger dialogue then just have a publishing or record company send over CDs. “This is the future of this industry in terms of relationships with artists,” said Antelis. “[The program] has really been beyond–including mine–expectations. Everybody is calling and saying, ‘Can we come in?’ ”
The decision on what acts to have at the agency is based on which artists will match up with Burnett clients. Bonny Dolan, a producer in the music department, coordinates with the acts, and works with Antelis and Berman to determine who will take part in the program. When artists come to the shop, the creatives and producers head down to the Music Aid studio, where Antelis leads a discussion about the group’s history and hits, as well as what they might be interested in working on. The band then plays a set. Antelis notes that it’s a win-win for both the artists and the agency. “If [an artist] is visually in a spot, or even if just the music is on it — record sales go through the roof,” he explained. “So it’s definitely a proven commodity–that if you can get on a spot, you’re going to create a buzz, and your record sales are going to go up.”
The agency reports a great deal of interest from musical acts; the initial plan was to have the artist in residence program happen on a quarterly basis, but because of the good response, Antelis and Berman both report that the frequency will increase. Berman and Antelis are exploring bringing in more diverse acts–everything from country to R&B and hip-hop. “Our size really helps us right now–to have a big agency, with big clients who can afford to do this,” said Berman, of the reasons why a variety of genres works for the program. “There are so many opportunities, and it’s such a great starting point for the agency and for the artist.”
Antelis believes the program will help in facilitating projects. “Advertising has come to the point where you need to think outside the box,” related Antelis. “It’s way beyond radio and TV. There are other things you can do, and relationships you can develop, and that’s what this is all about. If record artists are now becoming the in thing, which has been happening for years with licensing of music, then why not have a relationship with the artist? The day that you can call up whoever the band may be, and ask them to do a track for you, is coming.”
