Joe McKinney waits for his pint to settle in the iconic Guinness ‘Anticipation’ advert from 1994
Joe McKinney waits for his pint to settle in the iconic Guinness ‘Anticipation’ advert from 1994
There is a generation of people in Ireland who will recall with some fondness the jingle that accompanied the TV ad for Jacob’s Kimberley, Mikado and Coconut Cream biscuits in the 1970s and early 1980s.
Apart from affording Irish Biscuits the opportunity to promote three completely different brands in the one song, the light-hearted ditty that accompanied the TV ads – one of which featured panto queen Maureen Potter – made a lasting impression on a generation of people who lived and consumed products in a pre-McVities Ireland.
Jacob’s of course is one of many brands that has used music as an integral part of the advertising messages down the years.
Who remembers seeing the first iteration of an Aer Lingus campaign from 1989, featuring the hauntingly beautiful Gabriel’s Oboe, written by Ennio Morricone?
Or the toe-tapping sounds of Perez Prado whose Guaglione was used by Guinness in its famous 1994 ad, with actor Joe McKinney as the so-called “dancing man”.
The use of music in advertising was, of course, nothing new at the time. Often referred to as “sonic branding” in the advertising world, it can trace its origins back to the early days of radio in the 1920s.
The advent of TV advertising in the 1930s ushered in a new era for advertisers as the fusion of sound and vision offered a much bigger creative canvas.
But it was the Mad Men era of the 1950s and 1960s when the true creative possibilities first started to flourish.
Coca Cola’s 1971 ad, which used the New Seekers’ song I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing, for example, is viewed by many advertising analysts as one of the earliest and best examples of brands harnessing the power of music for their brand.
Somewhat ironically, it also paved the way for future collaborations, many years later, between its rival Pepsi and singers like Michael Jackson and Madonna.
While music can make a brand or ad more memorable, it also has the power to evoke strong emotions and build emotional connections, some of which can help shift consumer behaviour and ultimately, their purchasing decisions.
A 2021 report carried out by the research firm Kantar, for example noted a strong relationship between consumers who enjoy music in an ad, and those who feel an emotional connection with the advertiser.
AI is already capable of creating lyrics and tunes with predetermined emotionality
Similar research carried out in the UK by the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) found that TV ads that use music are 20-30pc more effective than those ads without music.
Then there is the science underpinning some of this which shows that when we hear music, it is received in our limbic system, the part of the brain responsible for processing emotions, controlling memory and which triggers the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that can lead to sensations of pleasure, well-being and, occasionally, fear.
It is in the field of science, and particularly artificial intelligence (AI), that, perhaps, the next stage of sonic branding is heading.
While AI has been used in the music industry for a good number of years now, some artists have moved away from manual production are now using AI in the production process.
AI is already capable of creating lyrics and tunes with predetermined emotionality, pushing the boundaries of music in hitherto unimagined directions.
This trend will only accelerate in the future.
Suddenly, the prospect of joining up all the dots from an advertisers’ product and how the type of music used will influence and nudge consumers into becoming customers, might not seem as fetched as it would have back when Maureen Potter was singing about Kimberley, Mikado and Coconut Creams.
Who can forget the earworm ditty for the Kimberley, Mikado and Coconut Cream ad from the 1970s and 80s?
With the countdown to the Marketing Institute’s All Ireland Marketing Awards 2023 already under way, judging of the 115 shortlisted entries over 23 categories is set to conclude next week.
One of the highlights of the annual marketing calendar, the MII’s awards, which are co-sponsored by Mediahuis Ireland, publisher of the Sunday Independent, will be held at a gala black-tie dinner in the Clayton Hotel, Burlington Road on Thursday, May 18.
In one of the biggest semi-state rebrands in recent years, Irish Water unveiled its new corporate identity this week after officially changing its name to Uisce Éireann. The rebrand was managed by the branding agency RichardsDee and is intended to reflect “a vision of sustainability where water is respected and protected”.” The company operates 1,073 water and wastewater treatment plants and over 90,000km of water and sewer pipes.
