Document 6482736

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How to make the best use of music in an ad
Music can be a powerful enhancement for an ad, when it is used well. Although
the use of music does not automatically confer benefits, the inspired use of the
right music can affect every aspect of an ad’s performance.
Music is a regular component of TV advertising. About seven
in 10 ads in our Link™ database have some form of music, but
it varies enormously across the world, ranging from around
95 percent in Romania and the Ukraine, to under 40 percent in Denmark, Serbia and Montenegro, India and Egypt.
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While most ads have some music, its presence or absence
has less impact on the commercial’s performance than the
way in which the music is deployed.
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Engagement
However, this result is not guaranteed. An ad for a body
moisturiser featured the well-known music Bittersweet Symphony by the Verve. It performed well. Two alternative versions were also tested with unknown music. One performed
significantly worse, but the other performed as well as the
Bittersweet Symphony edit.
The biggest benefit of using music is that ads with music
tend to be slightly more enjoyable; this effect is a little more
marked in Europe.
The use of music which has been specifically adapted for the
brand can further boost levels of enjoyment. So too can the
use of well-known music.
The way the music is used can have a powerful effect on the
levels of interest in the ad. In Australia, an ad for a non alcoholic beverage, featured a well-known piece of music. While
the visual pace of the ad remained fairly level throughout,
the music began after the first six seconds of the execution,
and built in intensity. The music then stopped for about five
seconds, before continuing quietly in the background for the
remainder of the execution. The interest trace clearly demonstrated the impact the music had on interest in the ad.
Two versions of an ad for a mobile phone network were tested. The ads were identical, except for the choice of music.
One used a well-known song, Teenage Kicks, the other used
a song that had not been a hit. The differences were clear:
the Teenage Kicks soundtrack positively benefitted both rational and emotional responses.
How to make the best use of music in an ad
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© Millward Brown July 2008
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and a focus of recall from the ad, but branding of the ad
was weak. The ad was re-edited, with the brand name being included prominently in the song. The ad’s efficiency
doubled.
The interest trace closely reflects the changing use of music
Understanding
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Music build
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When the music has been used before, understanding is
boosted, particularly in North America , indexing at 103.
Music containing the brand name has a similar beneficial
effect on understanding. However, in Europe, the use of
prominent music tends to weaken understanding (indexing
at 98).
Background
music
No music
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Time (seconds)
Branding
When the music has been used previously in ads for the
brand, branding indexes at 103. Also, incorporating the brand
name into the music can have a beneficial effect on branding; here the branding score indexes at 104. The use of
jingles, not surprisingly, also aids branding, which indexes at
103. It is of interest to note the decline in the use of jingles in
the U.K. and the U.S. (the two countries where we have been
monitoring this information over the longest time period).
An ad for a brand of beer was tested in two edits: one featured mellow music, the other featured upbeat music. The
version with mellow music was enjoyed more, and was considered easier to understand (84 percent vs 71 percent).
Analysis showed this was because the upbeat music actually drowned out some of the key parts of the conversation
in the ad; respondents were unable to follow the story.
Communication
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Overall, there is little evidence that the use of music aids
communication, even when it is connected to the message.
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Nonetheless, on an individual basis, there are exceptions
to this pattern. Two ads were tested in the U.K. for a car
launch. The ads were identical except for the music. One
used the well known song Anything You Can Do, the other
a song less well-known. Responses to the ad were markedly different. Communication from the Anything You Can
Do edit focused far more on an argument between the
characters in the ad, whereas the alternative version was
less confrontational. As a consequence, the ad with the less
well-known music produced far stronger results, and was
the version that was successfully aired.
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Music can provide a powerful influence on branding. In the
U.K., when asked for their memories and associations with
Cornetto ice cream, 25 percent of respondents mentioned
the music, a variant of O Sole Mio, even though it had not
been used by the brand for 12 years. An ad for a deodorant featured the song Move Closer. The song was well liked
How to make the best use of music in an ad
© Millward Brown July 2008
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Persuasion
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Overall, the use of music has no effect on persuasion. In
specific instances, however, if the right choice of music enhances communication, it can improve persuasion. In one ad
we researched for a brand of ice cream, a change in music
highlighted a change in atmosphere in the ad, which helped
clarify the story and enhance the communication. Persuasion improved from an already strong 16 to a powerful 24.
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Wear-out
One issue facing ads which are reliant on music is the possibility of wear-out. Wear- out is rarely seen in TV ads, however, when the ad is reliant on a fashionable song, an eye
needs to be kept on that fashion. An ad for a confectionery
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How to make the best use of music in an ad
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It isn’t just the song that counts, the part of the song you
use can make a difference. One brand made two edits of
an ad, both featuring the song Always Look on the Bright
Side of Life. One focused on the upbeat chorus, while the
other included the downbeat verse “If life seems jolly rotten…”. Since the ad was structured around a problem/solution scenario, this latter approach was more suitable. Enjoyment of the ad grew from 42 percent to 59 percent.
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The way the music is used can also have a major effect. In
the U.S., ads in a campaign for a food brand all featured the
same song, but in different edits, with some being more upbeat than others. While the ads with the most upbeat music
were enjoyed the most and were found to be the most involving, branding and communication were strongest when
the mid-paced music was used.
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The edit
Choosing music that is enjoyed can boost an ad. Looking
at U.K. ads, when the music is liked, not only are the ads
enjoyed more and found more involving, but branding is also
stronger, and so is persuasion (when advertising is disliked,
this can depress the persuasion score — see the Knowledge
Point What Makes an Ad Persuasive for more details).
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Enjoyment of the music
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© Millward Brown July 2008
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brand was focused around a hit song. It was aired in three
bursts over two years and targeted teenagers. By the third
burst, endorsement of “It’s amusing” had dropped from 81
percent to 63 percent, enjoyment from 71 percent to 56
percent, and a quarter found the ad irritating.
Music can be hugely beneficial for advertising, but only when
its role has been carefully thought through.
Knowledge Points are drawn from the Millward Brown Knowledge Bank,
consisting of our databases of 80,000 brand reports and 40,000 ads, as well
as 1,000 case studies, 700 conference papers and magazine articles, and
250 Learnings documents.
www.millwardbrown.com
How to make the best use of music in an ad
© Millward Brown July 2008