If Music Be the Food of Ads, Play On

Warren Brown, Partner, Gutthink and Partners> Personally, I think having an idea of what you’re feeling music-wise, before filming, can help. I prefer being surprised by the magic that happens when a fresh ear gets involved.

Toby Talbot, Chief Creative Officer, Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand > That depends really. If it's a famous track, we get a ballpark song in mind and present it with the idea. If the client doesn't fall over in shock (most do) and commit to using the track, then we either start the process of negotiating rights to the master or consider another option. Negotiating rights can be challenging, as the artist (or if they're dead, their estate) has to buy into the idea or arrangement first. Basically, buying a track is a ball ache. I love composing for that reason and it's a wonderfully collaborative process.

Paul Coghlan, Creative Director, J. Walter Thompson Perth> It really depends on what the idea is, and also more broadly what the brand activity is. If you’re launching a new brand platform, you’d brief the music company or musician well before you’ve filmed the vision. In these moments, music is a fundamental brand element, just as important as vision and words. Some directors like to have the music nailed so they can edit perfectly to the music – a certain tempo can really discern how quickly or slowly films are edited together. It can also dictate the overall mood of the film – bring it up or down, and even influence grading.

Pat Baron, National CCO, McCann Worldgroup Australia> There are no rules. It depends on the role music will play. If it’s integral to the idea - then as early as possible!

Shaun Branagan ECD, Ogilvy Sydney> Right at the beginning. Music is 50% of the film and can make or break the spot, so the earlier you have conversations with musos the better!

Warren Brown> Employing a music company at the end is risky if you have little time. A very clear brief is important, as is using a brilliant musician.

Toby Talbot > Yes, they have to work at your speed. Which is nearly always bloody fast. They need to be good listeners. The best I have worked with are great collaborators. The worst (a fractious moment with Michael Nyman springs to mind) can be very hard indeed. Arrogant. Intransigent. Inflexible. Making ads has to be a fluid process to work well.

Paul Coghlan > It’s not often that the music company would come in at the end of the process. But if they do, it becomes a balance discussion – i.e. we have the vision and a solid idea of how that will come to life; the music then becomes a reinforcement of the ultimate feeling we’re after. Hopefully, because a piece of the puzzle is already solved, it’s a quicker process to get the music to the right place to balance the film out.  

Pat Baron> Depends what you mean by the ‘process’. In advertising, the musical treatment can make or break a commercial and leaving it to the end of the production process - regardless of how big the budget is - is a risk. There are some amazing musicians and production companies and, if the deadline is tight, then I look for a combination of talent, experience and a proven track record. Crafting with music is an enjoyable experience, so try not to rush it. 

 

Shaun Branagan > Not ideal but sometimes necessary. Under time pressures you have to nail the track quickly. There’s little time for experimenting, so a clear brief or point of view of the genre is needed.

Warren Brown> Initially the music you choose comes from the heart. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always gel with the film, so anyone involved in the process should be free to offer a suggestion. You just never know where the magic will come from.

Toby Talbot > A few golden rules: Never choose an obvious piece of music. If you were doing an ad involving lots of sailing you wouldn't really want to use ‘Sailing' by Rod Stewart. Irony is a great lever to pull here. Speights recently did a nice spot through DDB which uses a Celine Dion track. The fact that the main protagonist is a slightly overweight guy, who’s struggling on a diet, makes you laugh out loud when set against Celine's dulcet tones. I love finding a track that people would never expect - especially if the track juxtaposes the action like Speights’ does. I did a campaign last year for McDonald’s in Australia using Handel's Zadok the Priest. Not your typical music for a Maccas spot.

Paul Coghlan > For me, music is always linked to the kind of emotion we’re trying to unlock with our story. Do we want the audience to laugh, think or cry? This can also be influenced by what I’m hearing in my life at the time. Sometimes, whether I’m acutely aware or not, I will hear music in a movie or TV show and subscribe to the kind of emotion it’s unlocked. I then use that as reference or inspiration for the composer I’m briefing, as I’m chasing a similar emotion or reaction.

Pat Baron > I often turn to inspirational references from performing artists, music videos, films and other commercials. Collaborating with a musical editor you trust is important as their musical knowledge and intuition can elevate the end result. Be open. Inspiration can come from anywhere but always listen to your musical director.

 

Shaun Branagan > Probably all of the above. The issue with reverting to your own collection is that you’ll never be surprised. Some of the most serendipitous moments happen in the edit suite, when the editor or director pulls a total unexpected track that just fits like a glove. It may not be to your personal taste but, if it works, then pause your Spotify playlist!

Warren Brown> Having a composer is always preferable to library music as library stuff always tends to be more of a best fit, and doesn’t quite nail it.

Toby Talbot> Yes. Library music is, as a rule, generic. Granted, there are some exceptions but let's face it, who wants to make a generic ad?

Paul Coghlan > Agree. Music, without overtly intending to, becomes a key brand asset. So, any opportunity for a brand to ensure their assets are unique and distinct, you have to take. Composed music absolutely gives a brand that opportunity, above and beyond any library music which runs the risk of other brands using the same asset. I have personally experienced an unfortunate situation where library music was used for a big campaign and another campaign broke two weeks later with the same library music – what are the chances? But it happens.

Pat Baron > A musical composition can give you more control and flexibility, but these days musical libraries offer a wide selection. Depends who’s doing the composition. JAY-Z?

Shaun Branagan > Historically and anecdotally, composed music is the preferred option. There are a couple of reasons for this: one, creatives are snobs and they want something unique, two; editors like a bespoke track that lines up perfectly with the pictures. And, until now, library music was generally rubbish. However, that has changed considerably in the past few years.

Warren Brown> I think musicians are less precious than they used to be and are now happy to see their ‘craft’ being applied in a more commercial way (except for maybe Bob Dylan).

Toby Talbot > As a rule, these days, no client I know wants to spend $250k on a track - especially when most clients have less than that in their whole production budget. There are always exceptions, of course. What I prefer to do is find something unusual that may be out of copyright, or at the very least is reasonably cheap to buy the master, and do a great reinterpretation of that track.

Paul Coghlan > The budget landscape is certainly changing, which means the kinds of chats I’m having with producers is changing. Ten years ago, it was a given that you could nab a high-quality composer to create a score for you. These days budgets are certainly forcing you to put more options on the table. On the flipside, I feel like there’s been more access to up and coming musicians based on the hope they can get more exposure through commercial work.    

Pat Baron> In my experience, if the idea inspires musicians, then it’s not always about money. I’ve been surprised by the quality of talented musicians who will be interested in working on a project.

Shaun Branagan > Definitely. Bands, musos and record labels are all much more open to doing ads these days. It used to be the death knell for any band if they released one of their songs for advertising.

Warren Brown> Music and film in perfect harmony is always a wonderful thing. Sony’s ‘Balls’ ad with Jose Gonzalez, Levi’s ‘Laundrette’  with ‘Heard it Through the Grapevine’ and ‘Twisted’ with the Pepe Deluxe track were great. In film, it all changed when Kubrick used the Blue Danube on the rotating space stations in orbit in his film 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Toby Talbot > I love ‘Night Driving’ for Volkswagen where they used Richard Burton's voice reading ‘Under Milk Wood’ by Dylan Thomas. It's not exactly music, per se, but it was lyrical and beautiful like music and I bloody love it. Chipotle used Willie Nelson to interpret Coldplay's ‘The Scientist’ for that beautiful animated spot, 'Back to the Start'. Had that been Coldplay themselves, it would have been okay but because they chose a principled country singer to sing about a principled farmer, it became iconic. That is the power of a great music choice right there.

Paul Coghlan > There are three very different examples which spring to mind: one, the Stranger Things title sequence. It’s just a fantastic blend of visual elements and a now iconic musical score. The combination of synths and effects with bold type transitions, took me back to my eighties childhood. Two, Platoon - the death of Elias scene. Just a heart-breaking combination of sweeping strings with powerful, heart-breaking imagery. Three, IKEA ‘Lamp’  – one of the most genius films ever created. The perfect balance of imagery and music drew the viewer in and made them really feel for the lamp. Of course, this emotional manipulation is then crudely interrupted by a twist at the end that leaves us all feeling a little silly. Brilliant storytelling, made perfect with great music.

Pat Baron > There’s been so many great examples of music in commercials. Southern Comfort’s ‘Beach’ is a great example. No one wants to watch an overweight man in a Speedo strut down the beach without a great track. Metro Trains’ ‘Dumb Ways To Die’ was another memorable example, where the charming choice of music is combined with the gruesome deaths of its characters.