Music - The Super Bowl’s MVP

Adam Levine’s tattoos aside, music took centre stage at the Super Bowl this year causing shivers down spines and some jaw-dropping moments. The most talked about ad was a musical. 1,200 Skittles fans were treated to a one-off performance of the Skittles’ commercial – The Broadway Musical; performed the same Sunday as ‘The Game.’

And for those who missed the one-off event, the 19-minute long album - featuring original cast member Michael. C. Hall, the ensemble, and a bag of Skittles - included show-stopper numbers such as ‘Advertising Ruins Everything’ and ‘This Definitely Was a Bad Idea’.

Jon Burley quotes in Campaign that this was the ‘most extraordinary (and by some measure, most ambitious) noise-making Super Bowl work’. Skittles really turned the whole Super Bowl ad-slot idea on its head, creating a funny, ground shaking, audio heavy hole in the rest of the ad line up this year. Another clear example of audio thriving in any environment where it will find an audience.

Veritonic measured the effect of music in the Super Bowl ads, noting that brands like Pepsi and Michelob were leaning on ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) to make their ads more impactful. Audio is certainly proving to be enjoying a renaissance - as Nielsen Neuroscience reminds advertisers that ‘TV ads aren’t seen 61% of the time’. 

HSBC have wised up to this too. As part of its global brand refresh - it has created its first ‘sound identity’.

A musical piece created by Jean-Michel Jarre, with multiple edits and versions, gives the brand flexibility across its 66 different markets (including a stadium version to be used at sponsorship events). A stadium. A brand addressing its audience in a stadium - exactly the same environment where the Cannes 2018 Radio & Audio Grand Prix winner found its audience. 

Audio is everywhere and anywhere. 

It will continue to thrive wherever it finds its audience. Whether it’s over 100 million avid viewers tuned in to watch the Super Bowl, a stage on Broadway or one of millions of commuters listening to digital audio. It’s flexible - that’s why it’s the ideal asset for brands tapping into the consumer journey.

Maybe it is time to recognise that music is much more than Super Bowl’s MVP. 

It’s a brand’s MVP.

Jo McCrostie is creative director at Global