50 ads where music made the difference – and why agencies should think of music first, not last

Nice list. I’d definitely add the current crop of John Lewis ads from the UK to it – Fyfe Dangerfield’s cover of Billy Joel’s ‘always a woman’ on the first in the series is surely one of the best ever ad music choices: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHcm1ec7CcY

Toohey’s tongue advert for sure.

I remember seeing this Nike spot in the early nineties as a young ‘un and loving the track – it was John Lennon’s Instant Karma. I read somewhere that this was the first time a Beatles (or ex) was licensed for an Ad (true?)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JB49FHuR_rQ

Just discovered after posting this that the ad was directed by David Fincher of all people…

And let us not forget that Nike almost bought back Elvis from the dead ten years ago…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egNMC6YfpeE

One of the greats from Gatorade – any kid who loved hoops in the 90s had this song burned into their brain. I still want to Be Like Mike.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0AGiq9j_Ak

We are emotive people and especially for those auditory people out there, it adds that extra dimension and depth to a commercial. I’m surprised that this is usually slapped on last since it’s usually a beautiful tune that sticks into my mind and makes me google the thing later on…

Love Sony’s approach to balls and paint…and Schweppes – just magic!

Good music + effective ad = a decadent sensation for the sense

(than just the usual assault of BUY ME CUZ I’M AWESOME)

/edit “senses”

(for those fickle few)

Nice work.

But how the hell could you not have Heineken’s The Entrance in that list?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4m5Wkywew0

The choice of Eddie Vedder for the Kangaroo Island ad really irritated me, why use an American artist to advertise a local destination – especially when there is so much good local music material?

The tonality and the accent of the singer seems totally out of synch with the destination. Given the budget for the ad (which must have been considerable) a cover of the song by someone local seems more appropriate

The Citroen Robot ad I remember featured the song ‘Jacques your body’ by Les Rhythmes Digitales. It fit a lot better than the James Casey song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVprhGtCls0

My absolute favourite is this Adidas Originals ad which uses a remix of Dee Edwards’ ‘Why Can’t There Be Love’. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv-pZq_VHHo

@michael combley,

you can use an international artist because the emotions that music represent are universal, because music taps into fundamental human truths.

what’s ‘australian’ music anyway? All the early bush/australian folk music was basically imported from England/Ireland.

Leaving the didge out of it, there IS no Australian sound.

How about the Sorbent toilet ads of the 1990s the way the jingle was used to build the tension in the story. Brilliant & annoyingly brain sticky.

@Hmmm…… Well maybe I’m a pedant but Vedder’s accent really gave me the ‘irrits’.

Irritation was the very specific emotion that the sound track created for me as a consumer.

I appreciate that music is global and that influences are international which is why I specifically used the expression local not Australian.

The ad is a very good one but perfection is in the details.

If I hear that Schweppes music on an ad or trail one more time…..

It’s great, but a bit overused and cliched now (though arguably Schweppes got to it before everyone else)

Chivas used it a few years ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49Yzx06RLUo
And it’s been used for about a million TV shows: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T....._Orchestra

The thing that made me laugh about the KI ad was the movie that the song originally appeared in, ‘Into the Wild’. Dying alone in the wilderness: I don’t know if that’s exactly the message…

The FIAT ‘Figaro’ commercial – ‘Handbuilt by Robots’ – has to be mentioned in any discussion of music in commercials. The footage is good too.

Shame about the car; no wonder the acronym was known in the English-speaking world as Fix It Again, Tony. Those robots unknown to their masters were injecting rust into every car body.

the sixth most google term overall is coles ad? somehow i doubt that.

I think Tourism NZ should be on that list without a doubt

Forever Young

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dl2su4enJhI

I also like the Moove Ad – very nostalgic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7q2-6674-k

Good examples without having to go too far overseas.

ok – so ad related not total searches.

phew, i had begun to lose hope in humanity for a second there!

Nice list.

I’d add this Nike Air ad to it – featuring Johnny Cash: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9xLOC5QmKM

Miller Lite, He aint heavy. You will smile. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvJyZ9fm73M

Great list! To your point about soundalikes when an agency can’t afford a track or the artist refuses to licence it for advertsiing, Sigur Ros have a great blog post (worded very carefully to avoid legal issues) about TVCs from around the world that sound very much like their music: http://www.sigur-ros.co.uk/med.....romage.php

Yeh music is not cheap

We paid $400K out of $1 million TVC budget for a classic older song, but it was worth it as essentially you are trading on the song’s fame and likeability for which the creator deserves a fair return.

I won’t say what client I am as I shouldn’t be telling amounts, but fuck it.

Robin Hicks, you’re a gem for bringing this up. Having repped a great music production house in New York for a few years (Elias Arts) I totally hear you. I was amazed that music was such an after thought, but in some cases the smart clients know how important it is. Check out this young composer David Wittman’s reel for some pretty fantastic music such as Nike “Magnet”, Nike “Tag”, Jordan “Second generation”http://www.davidwittman.com/portfolio-page/commercials/

Why has ‘jingle’ become a dirty word in modern advertising? Most ads we fondly remember have a great tune – we rarely remember the ‘art direction’, occasionally we remember the ‘copy’ (not happy Jan) but it’s the music that makes us feel.

I’ve had so many wrangles with agencies over the ‘afterthought’ of music, even when famous music has been part of a brand’s dna.

Thanks for this timely article

Was the Levi spot using Joe Cockers ‘The Letter’ in here? Late 80’s early 90’s from faded memory, but that was cracking. Can’t find it on the tube, but for those that do…

Bonds ‘Twelve days of Christmas’ sung Nick Cave style deserves a mention.

Noticeable omission is the Kia Sportage ad. Tim Burrowes wrote that this was one of the five best ads in 2010. Of course, music is key to this ad: https://mumbrella.com.au/encore-annual-2010-year-in-tvc-71462

See the ad here: https://mumbrella.com.au/rapper-grandmaster-melle-mel-makes-kia-the-message-31293

Eat football. Sleep football. Drink Coca Cola.

http://youtu.be/1aH1jKzgIUc

Unfortunately not a great recording of a 1998 ad but it really caught the mood at the time.

What about the worksafe homecoming ads using Here with me (Dido)?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bozWuGzRik

This for mine, is the most effective use of music in an ad
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHyXdyRXMsg

Can’t believe the Eminem ‘made in Detroit’ ad hasn’t been cited yet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqr-gguaeDY