Play On... Creatives Choose Their Favourite Music From Ads

In answer to Twelfth Night’s famous opening line, music is indeed the food of love. That is as much the case in advertising as it is in Duke Orsino’s land of Illyria. Except, unlike that particular whiny noble, the best ads succeed at seduction.

In the last month alone, both Jordan Brand and Coinbase have released ad campaigns in the style of Broadway musical adaptations - the latest in a long legacy that proves advertising is a medium made better through song (sometimes).

From a gorilla making rhythms for Cadbury, to Beatle’s themed Volkswagen send-offs, and Britney Spear’s and Pink singing “We Will Rock You” for Pepsi, music has long been deployed by the biggest brands to tug at the heartstrings or deliver surprise.

And not only do tunes help tap into the zeitgeist or set a tone – there is no doubt that they also add to effectiveness. Research carried out by sonic testing and branding firm SoundOut revealed that music can increase emotional responses to a video by 16.4 per cent. 

According to SoundOut, this is accentuated in peaceful, intense or defiant content (essentially, like Duke Orsino, everyone can benefit from music to explore and process emotion).

Kantar has also produced extensive research, including a detailed white paper, showing the role of consistency in sonic branding, and demonstrating how sound can create every emotion on the spectrum.

So, with the innate power of music in mind, we asked creatives across the industry to metaphorically pluck at their lutes, strum their guitars, and bang their drums for music in advertising.

Hywel Evans, Music Supervisor at BBH

I grew up on a diet of some of BBH's greatest hits. I think it's ok for me to say that, I wasn't working here at the time. Ads that jumped out of the TV and introduced me to Stiltskin, Mr Oiseau, Babylon Zoo.

Before that it was jingles. I can still sing every word of the jingles and songs for Milky Way, Club and Trio.

The ads I love now are the ones that give me pangs of professional jealousy. “Damn, I wish I’d done that!” moments and interesting, leftfield, unfashionable music choices that make you go “Oh! But yeah, OK.”

So in no particular order, here are some ads that make me want to be better. McDonalds 'Raise Your Arches': there goes one of the tracks I'd been keeping in my back pocket for just the right project. Bastards. But if anyone was going to use it, I'm glad it was Edgar Wright. 

EE 'Switch Off, Drift Off': banger, meets nostalgia, meets note-perfect casting and direction. 

IKEA ‘Silence The Critics’: so many questions but, ooh, it works. 

KFC 'Believe In Chicken': At a time when clients are reaching for the safe bet of recognisability, this ad strikes a blow for taking a confident punt on an unknown track with awesome results." 

Davide Mauroni, creative, AMV BBDO

Carlton Draught: Big Ad is a masterclass in how to repurpose a timeless classical piece for a modern, playful narrative. By taking Carl Orff’s iconic 'O Fortuna' and reinventing it through two contrasting choirs, the ad transforms a piece typically associated with epic gravitas into an unexpectedly humorous celebration of beer. It's dramatic and bold, yet lighthearted and funny. Its clever use music use not only captivates viewers from the first note but also creates an indelible brand association that resonates well beyond the initial viewing. A perfect example of how to amplify an ad’s theatrical impact whilst cementing the brand in people's minds in a fun and engaging way.

Esin Huseyin, creative, AMV BBDO 

A great track in an ad can move people. It can make you laugh cry, connect you to a story. But help you save a life? Now that’s an incredible track. Well over a decade later and BHF's 'Hands-only CPR' Vinnie ad is still my favourite. CPR - scary. Disco CPR - maybe something I could try. It's disarming. Yes, cleverly, 'Stayin' Alive' is the perfect tempo for chest compressions. But more importantly, it's become a life-saving anthem. Because when faced with a medical emergency and the panic and fear take over, and your mind goes blank… You just need to remember a tune.

Chris Clarke & Matt Moreland, T&Pm group creative directors

Man alive, this is like trying to pick your favourite child. We’ve heard so many incredible pieces of music that didn’t just soundtrack an ad, they helped make the ad. From Channel 4’s ‘Superhumans’ to Cadbury’s ‘Gorilla’, from Sport England’s ‘This girl can’ to Levi’s ‘Laundrette’… in fact, all the Levi’s ads.

But for us, our favourite piece wasn’t a licensed track. It was something written by the geniuses at W&K for the Honda 'Grrr' spot.

‘The Grrr song’ is an impossibly catchy tune born out of an engineer’s hatred of diesel engines. Not only did it make the beautifully animated film sing, but it also made the whole country whistle. And if your track becomes an earworm, you know you’ve got something very special. Special enough to win a D&AD pencil for music. Diesel coloured, of course.

Jess Ringshall, chief production officer, Saatchi & Saatchi

I always tense up when asked what my favourite anything is. I’m a fickle fish who has many moods (depends on my blood sugar levels) So I can only talk about the pieces of work that instantly spring to mind; first up - Schweppes ‘Burst’ from 2009, set to 'To Build a Home' by Cinematic Orchestra and directed by Garth Davis. It’s a cinematic feast that never fails to snap me out of the present and immediately into a calm, emotive moment of reflection.  It felt nostalgic and intimate 17 years ago (gulp), and it still manages to hit that note now. Perhaps the track's overuse on TikTok is testament to its universal emotive appeal. But set to the slow-motion visuals, it’s music in advertising at its best – when it taps into something deep and personal.

Then there’s the Lucozade Sport lite ad featuring Louder by DJ Fresh. I produced this one back in 2011. DJ Fresh wrote the track for the ad (more branded music video perhaps). 'Louder' debuted at the top of the charts in its first week - became the first dubstep track to ever become a UK Number 1 single. Still a track that makes my heart race even without liquid electrolytes. 

Finally, HSBC’s Personal Banking ad ‘lift’ using the sound track, Comptine d'un autre été, l'après-midi, by Yann Tiersen. A film depicting one man's journey, from the launch of his company up until the present day and tells the story of everything he's experienced in between. It’s always been one of my most loved ads and It’s my favourite piece of music in truth.