‘The Sound of the Super Bowl’

The Super Bowl may be over with the winner taking all, however the discussion of the advertising threaded throughout the game continues to be a hot topic. From client to agency, to production and post, each element contributes its own singular craft in an ultimate composition of successful branding.  

Creative music/sound design shop, Elias brought their A-game to a few of Super Bowl XLVIII’s most popular campaigns; including Audi’s ‘Doberhuahua’ spot from Venables Bell & Partners and the MetLife pre-kickoff spot with an emotional arrangement of the ‘Star Spangled Banner’.

“The Super Bowl is a huge opportunity to reach a massive audience. For us, we get the chance to capture the viewers attention and connect them emotionally to the brand through music,” notes Elias’ Executive Creative Director Brent Nichols.  “The added hype and expectations with Super Bowl spots promotes an enriched collaborative process with our agency partners, which is cool.”

Elias partnered with renowned Creative Director Ari Merkin for MetLife’s spot featuring the iconic cast of Peanuts discovering the MetLife Stadium. The spot features the tremendous stopping power of the National Anthem through the touching simplicity of a solo piano rearrangement of the Star Spangled Banner.

“Ari was very much involved in the direction of the piece, musically, and in wanting it to sound authentic,” remarks Nichols. 

“For the Super Bowl, we used almost all live session recordings. Authenticity of the tone, the instrumentation, and more importantly, the emotion conveyed through our music was and is extremely important to us,” notes Elias’ Executive Producer Kate Dohaney.   

Elias showcased their talents further composing the game’s ambitious :90 Ford Fusion ‘Nearly Double’ campaign starring Rob Riggle and James Franco; beginning with a calming piano piece, the soundtrack shifts the moment Franco appears onscreen. Elias hired a full orchestra to record the epically theatrical piece that plays as Franco adventures through a montage of extravagant scenes.  

The composition for Audi’s comedic ‘Doberhuahua’ spot was a suspense-building, orchestral arrangement befit for a blockbuster action film. Elias also contributed the sound design for MetLife, as well as the Chevy ‘Romance’ spot featuring the classic ‘You Sexy Thing’ by British group Hot Chocolate; Honda’s ‘Hugs’ starring Bruce Willis, additionally highlights Elias’ expertise featuring a selection from their extensive Library division.  

Dohaney adds: “When it come to the Super Bowl, there’s an increased element of performance expectation, the stakes are high; when we see our music air on the highly anticipated day it’s such a proud moment for us all.”