The initial plan called for Leo Burnett USA, Chicago, to have its just launched Musical Artist in Residence program consist of four sessions annually. But after the first two-day event (3/21-22), this quarterly timetable fell by the wayside, with the agency deciding to increase the frequency to six times a year.
Ira Antelis, director of music for Burnett and head of its Music Aid division, estimated that 200 to 300 creatives from the agency turned out to meet with–and hear a live performance by–the rock group Collective Soul, known for such hits as “Shine.”
Antelis described the get together held at Burnett’s offices as being “creatively invigorating for the agency.” Though he wasn’t at liberty to discuss specifics, he said that as a direct result of their meeting, a couple of Burnett projects entailing collaborations with Collective Soul are likely in the offing. Hence the decision to accelerate from four to six sessions annually with different artists/groups.
Antelis thinks other ad shops will start to host similar events in that more agencies are understanding the importance of cultivating relationships with musical performers–not just to gain access to their known songs, but also to have them create original music for specific clients.
“More and more, the advertising and music industries are colliding with huge benefits for both sides,” said Leo Burnett USA chairman and chief creative officer Cheryl Berman. “We want to lead the way in developing relationships that help us bring the right musical opportunities to our clients while helping musicians get their music heard via advertising–without all the red tape. Ultimately, we think the solution lies in bringing musicians and agencies closer together.”
Face-to-face working relationships will be key, observed Antelis, noting that Collective Soul also happens to have its own label E1 Music, meaning that the group exclusively owns the rights to the music it does under that label.
“One of the reasons we created E1 Music Group,” said Ed Roland, founder and lead singer of Collective Soul, “was to be able to explore, implement and streamline new and creative opportunities with our music. This groundbreaking program [at Burnett] allows us to deal directly with the agency and their clients’ needs by eliminating the bureaucracy that takes place in the old system.”
An advertising music veteran, Antelis observed that the industry has gone through several stages over the years–first jingles, then synthesizers/machines, then the notion that it’s most effective to make 30-second records rather than jingles, and next music licensing. The latter at first lacked the cool factor for artists. But that has now changed. “Advertising is no longer taboo for artists–the exposure it provides has proven to be a way to help sell millions of records,” said Antelis.
That’s why, he continued, the Musical Artist in Residence program makes so much sense. “We feel the need to get artists here, to get our creatives to understand them and their styles. That’s how we can identify the best projects on which to collaborate.”
However, Antelis noted that liaisons with artists represent a creative option, not a panacea. “There’s still plenty of work we need to go to specialty [commercial] music houses for,” he affirmed. “As an agency, we need to put our creatives in the strongest, most informed position to decide which of the options in the marketplace is best for each client.”