How often have you heard a great piece of music on a spot and said, "I know that song …"? Recognition of a brand is good, right?
As I talk to creatives regarding great music for their campaigns, I often find the word "authenticity" cropping up in conversation. We have all seen movies where the soundtrack does not truly reflect the visuals. Budget restraints aside, does anyone buy the story if the music isn’t equally as contemporary and relevant?
Pairing a great original picture with a great original song takes the spot to another level and maximizes its impact. Isn’t that what we’re all trying to achieve? Agency producers get to double the on-air value of their campaign dollars, as product and song become identified with each other, instantly. With a "jingle" you need repetitive play for the point to be made and for the "song" to stick in the mind of the consumer. Which means more money spent on broadcast. A recognizable song is capable of doing the same job in half the time.
Just as a director’s images drive home the musician’s "vision" in a great music video, so does original music drive home a director’s vision in a great commercial. After all, why spend X amount of dollars on location scouting, casting, shooting and post for maximum impact onscreen, and then settle for less when it comes to the soundtrack … something that’s less than an original—and in some cases—a direct rip?
We have all heard of and experienced situations whereby artistic integrity is undermined by certain "creative" processes. When musicians are asked to replicate a piece of original music, sufficiently altered to get past a musicologist, and pass it off as their own, it is not just the original artist who suffers. The whole process suffers. It’s energy vampirism. And I believe it to be unethical.
On the other hand, our culture’s current fondness for retro references gives us ample opportunity to ethically explore new approaches to classic older tracks. Remix, edit, scratch, cut and paste—and give a whole new twist to the original! A new generation of audiophiles is listening, remember, and they don’t listen the way we used to.
As a music producer and creative director within the advertising community, I see my job more and more as brokering great relationships, as well as great deals, between the two industries. Placement of their music in commercials supports and promotes the artist and spot alike. It’s a crossover effect that works for both. Additionally, at a time when CD sales are not holding economic ground, recording artists, publishers and labels are becoming more and more aware of alternative methods to generate income.
I am delighted when I see enthusiasm and energy during discussions with an artist regarding putting his music in an ad. Times have changed, and there is no longer any stigma attached to "selling a product." Indeed, it’s a bonus and extends the lives of the song and the ad.
Technological advances in music software and applications have opened the doors for a great many independent cutting-edge artists; many operate their own online sites where they make music samples available. Self-promotion doesn’t suck when your Web site looks and sounds great. And by way of introduction, the site builds awareness and creates a link. Creatives can get to know the personalities behind the music before they break big.
Trust in the talents of the composer’s original ideas and go straight to the source. Artist to Artist. Today’s composers do not have to be limited or restricted to a particular environment to be prolific, either. Indeed, most, if asked, prefer to work in their own space and at their own pace, where creative juices and fresh ideas can really flow. Our stable of artists operate from their own studios, and their creativity is not restricted by being in-house employees of a music house.
There is a piece of music out there that will elevate any spot, be it a scored piece by a composer, an underground treasure, or a track pulled straight off the dance floor or from the charts. In a recent "Best Work You May Never See" (SHOOT, 3/15), a Nissan is seen navigating European streets, seemingly accompanied by a pod of dolphins. The music used is an original track by Portishead. The tag line is "Intelligence Attracts Intelligence." ‘Nuff said!
