For client Tanqueray, Grey Worldwide, New York, is building upon the spot soundtrack. The agency, along with Music Beast, New York, has taken the music from three commercials that aired last spring–“Gem Cutter,” “Iceberg,” and “Mmm”–and is creating three original songs: “Get Your Ice On,” “One Billion Ice Cubes” and “Mmmmmmmmartini.” And, there is more music on the way–just in time for the holidays.
The hip-hop song “Get Your Ice On” is the first of the three to be released on Sirius Satellite Radio. For that outlet, the full-length song was adapted to fit into the two-minute and-thirty second advertising slot on Sirius stations Maxim Radio, ESPN Radio, NFL Football, Cracked Up Comedy, Raw Dog Comedy, OutQ Radio, and Sports Byline. The songs “One Billion Ice Cubes” and “Mmmmmmmmartini” will be released in the future on Sirius, most likely on a quarterly basis.
The impetus for the full-length versions of the songs mainly stemmed from viewer-generated interest. Going forward, the agency will consider full-length versions when they create music for spots in the campaign. “What we’re hoping to do with Tanqueray is establish it more as a musically driven brand, as a cool brand,” states Jared Schlemovitz, the Grey music producer on the project. He notes that if the music is good, consumers won’t be too concerned that it’s a branded piece.
When the music plays on Sirius stations, the screen that tells a listener the name of the song and artist will simply say “Tanqueray Get Your Ice On.” A rapper performs on the song–his identity is being concealed so the focus remains on the brand. The Sirius version also features an introductory line from Tony Sinclair, the humorous spokesman for Tanqueray, who stars in the aforementioned spot. The song does mention the brand, but the hope is that when people listen to the tune, they won’t notice that it’s advertising unless they look at the Sirius screen identifying the song with Tanqueray. “I think the great thing about putting a song like this on Sirius is that instead of just selling and pushing Tanqueray in people’s faces, [consumers are] going to hopefully hear this song and not right away recognize it as a Tanqueray track and then think, ‘What was that great song on the radio?’ and pass it on to friends,” relates Schlemovitz. The benefit to the brand is that if it catches on through word of mouth that Tanqueray has great music, it makes the brand seem stylish and cool, especially if DJs start spinning the track at clubs.
The yet-to-be released tracks have a chill-lounge feel that is in line with “Get Your Ice On.” “One Billion Ice Cubes” has some vocals, primarily clips of Sinclair’s voice, but no real lyrics and doesn’t mention Tanqueray. “Mmmmmmmmartini” has a similar sound.
When Schlemovitz approached Music Beast about creating music for the spots, the agency didn’t have plans for full-length tracks, but ended up with a lot to work with. “I went to [Music Beast] and said, ‘Listen, this is an underscore but — I want music that is cool as hell, make a great track, don’t just give me a standard underscore,’ ” Schlemovitz relates. Alfred Hochstrasser at Music Beast along with the unidentified rapper and Schlemovitz were composers on “Get Your Ice On.”
The agency approached iTunes with the project, but the tie to alcohol didn’t work well for the outlet, explains Glenn Porter, the creative director on the project. The agency also looked into traditional commercial radio stations, but to play the track, they would have been required to include legal information along with the music, which didn’t appeal to them. “What’s cool about the satellite radio format is they don’t put all of those restrictions on you,” notes Porter. “And to me it seems cooler to be on Sirius satellite than it does to be on a regular radio station.”
“Get Your Ice On” is also being distributed on a CD single at stops along comedian Mike Epps’ national “On the Edge” comedy tour, which Tanqueray is sponsoring. Internet surfers can download the song off of a banner ad running on Yahoo! Music.
HOLIDAY VIBE
The idea of creating full-length tracks for the brand from the inception of a spot is already a reality in the case of Tanqueray’s holiday-themed spot “Lapland.” Directed by Ben Mor of Smuggler, the ad features Sinclair along with a glass harpist playing “Deck The Halls” on the rims of glasses. The images and sound will be also be available as an e-card, reports Grey content producer Tyler DeAngelo, who worked on the spot as well as the card. The e-card, which will be available via a Web site, is an extension of the spot–both feature Sinclair partying with friends in a tent in the middle of the Arctic.
The music in the spot and on the card will feature the glass harpist as well as a remixed version of the Christmas carol, which will be turned into a full-length track. The tune, along with the aforementioned songs, as well as another version of “Deck The Halls” from Soulive, a hip jazz band whose music has been featured in Tanqueray radio spots, will be available on a Virtual CD (VCD) that the agency is creating with Blue Maze Entertainment, New York. (Also available on the VCD is the song “She’s Hooked” from Soulive.) All of the music from the VCD can be downloaded for free except “She’s Hooked,” which is from the band’s latest album Break Out. The virtual CD will be available at tanqueraytracks.com, which goes live Nov. 15. From Schlemovitz’s description, the VCD appears on a computer screen, looking just like a traditional CD. The “case” will include artwork and open up to reveal the mp3 links.
Schlemovitz says Soulive’s vibe was a perfect match for the brand. The agency licensed two of their songs “Break Out” and “Reverb,” also off the band’s latest album, for two :60 radio spots that aired during the summer. As is the case with many artists who are putting their music into advertising initiatives, the partnership with Tanqueray gives Soulive exposure to an audience that may not have sought them out.
Generating revenue from selling a record or just the songs is not the agenda, says Porter, the creative director; the project is more about connecting with the consumer. He refers to “Get Your Ice On” as a “brandtrack,” and explains that it is an effort to lure the consumer toward the brand instead of overtly reaching out. “I think even for Grey it is a first of its kind,” says Schlemovitz. “We’re creating songs that we’re just trying to get into the culture and let them seep into everyone’s iPods.
