Music is hugely important in promotional campaigns and adverts. Often the music becomes synonymous with the brand. You can enhance emotional connections with your audience, reinforce your brand identity, and create memorable experiences that resonate long after the advert has ended.

Music has always been a large and considered part of advertising. But what are some of the most iconic and memorable adverts:

1. Coca-Cola: “I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke”

• Campaign: The 1971 “Hilltop” commercial.
• Music: The song “I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke,” sung by a multicultural group of young people, became synonymous with Coca-Cola’s brand image of unity and happiness.
• Impact: The jingle was so popular that it was re-recorded as a full-length song titled “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing,” which became a hit in the UK and US. This further solidified Coca-Cola’s association with positivity and global harmony.
• Coca-Cola clearly learnt from this success. They also annually broadcast their Christmas advert containing their iconic truck/lorry. This ad is accompanied by the ‘Holidays Are Coming’ soundtrack which for many heralds the start of the festive season.

2. Apple: “Silhouettes” iPod Commercials

• Campaign: iPod and iTunes advertising campaign (2003-2008).
• Music: Apple used upbeat, contemporary songs by artists like Jet, The Fratellis, and Daft Punk, combined with simple, vibrant visuals of dancing silhouettes.
• Impact: The music choices helped position Apple as a cutting-edge, cool brand and played a significant role in driving the popularity of the iPod. The ads also boosted the featured artists’ careers, in particular Feist’s “1234”. Steve Jobs originally thought the advert was too vague to be successful, however it became a phenomenon which evolved between 2003 and 2008. This included the ability for the public to create their own silhouettes.

3. Nike: “Dream Crazy” with Colin Kaepernick

• Campaign: Nike’s “Just Do It” 30th Anniversary (2018).
• Music: The ad features the instrumental track “Runnin’ (Lose It All)” by Naughty Boy ft. Beyoncé and Arrow Benjamin, which enhances the emotional intensity of the campaign.
• Impact: The music complements the powerful narrative of the commercial, which addresses issues of social justice, perseverance, and inspiration, aligning with Nike’s brand values and resonating deeply with its audience.

4. McDonald’s: “I’m Lovin’ It”

• Campaign: Launched in 2003, this global campaign used the jingle “I’m Lovin’ It,” sung by Justin Timberlake.
• Music: The catchy jingle became McDonald’s signature tune, widely recognized around the world.
• Impact: The jingle’s success led to it being incorporated into almost all of McDonald’s advertising, becoming one of the most enduring and effective examples of sonic branding in history. The jingle has therefore lasted much longer than the initial 2003 campaign. It’s hard to imagine a time when it wasn’t in public consciousness.

5. Intel: Intel Inside

• Campaign: The “Intel Inside” campaign.
• Music: The iconic five-note chime, created by Austrian composer Walter Werzowa in 1994, became the sound of Intel.
• Impact: This sonic logo is one of the most recognizable in the world, helping to establish Intel’s brand identity as synonymous with technology and innovation. It’s been used consistently in Intel’s advertising for decades. Hearing it reminds the user that their computer was powered by an Intel chip.

6. Old Spice: “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like”

• Campaign: Launched in 2010, featuring actor and ex-NFL player Isaiah Mustafa.
• Music: While not a traditional music-focused campaign, the use of a quirky, memorable tune in the background of this initial 30-second TV ad, combined with rhythmic and punchy dialogue, created a catchy and memorable ad.
• Impact: The campaign went viral, drastically shifting Old Spice’s brand image to be more modern and appealing to younger audiences. The music and dialogue became a pop culture phenomenon.

7. Volkswagen: “The Force”

• Campaign: 2011 Super Bowl ad for the Volkswagen Passat.
• Music: The ad featured John Williams’ iconic “The Imperial March” from Star Wars.
• Impact: The use of this well-known music instantly connected with audiences, leveraging the cultural relevance of Star Wars to create a humorous and relatable ad. The commercial became one of the most talked-about Super Bowl ads that year. When you consider the huge budgets and celebrities involved in the Super Bowl ads, that’s therefore no mean feat.

8. Budweiser: “Wassup?”

• Campaign: Late 1990s and early 2000s.
• Music: Although not centered on music, the campaign featured a rhythmic, catchy dialogue that became a pop culture catchphrase, enhanced by a subtle yet effective musical backdrop.
• Impact: The phrase “Wassup?” became a cultural phenomenon, showing how even minimal music can play a role in the success of a campaign by enhancing the memorability of a slogan. Even in 2024 I see the advert ‘doing the rounds’ on social media with users recreating the icon phrase.

9. John Lewis Christmas Adverts

• Campaign: Annual Christmas adverts
• Music: John Lewis often uses covers of well-known songs, reinterpreted by contemporary artists, such as Lily Allen’s cover of “Somewhere Only We Know” or Aurora’s rendition of “Half the World Away.”
• Impact: These music choices evoke emotion and nostalgia, becoming a central part of the UK’s festive season and greatly contributing to the success of the campaigns. The covers also often battle it out in the Christmas Number 1 battle. Every year there are rumours about who will be singing, and of course, what song they will be covering. It is as much a Christmas tradition as having pigs in blankets with your turkey at dinner!

10. Jet2Holidays: “Hold My Hand”

• Campaign: Launched in 2015, adverts for Jet2Holiday packages
• Music: Jess Glynne’s hit single ‘Hold My Hand’ is used in the background of the ads, as well as on board the aircrafts pre and post flights
• Impact: Despite the ads generating countless memes about being haunted by Jess Glynne, or the song reminding them about delayed flights, the association of the song with the brand is strong. Personally I cannot hear the song without thinking of flying, and if I board a Jet2 flight without hearing the song… well I almost feel cheated.

These examples demonstrate how music, whether it’s a jingle, a well-chosen song, or a sonic logo, can become an integral part of a brand’s identity and a powerful tool in marketing campaigns.

Click here to read our guidance about how to choose music for a promotional campaign.

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