New Leaps in Branding and Sound

Brands employ music and sound to tell a story, connect with people on a more profound level, and ultimately, gain customer loyalty (and certainly, a boost in sales doesn’t hurt!). Increasingly, the sophisticated use of musical collaborations, technology, and savvy marketing basics blur the lines between branding and entertainment.

First and foremost, brands use music as a storytelling tool—in these cases, Activia promoting healthy children in Brazil for the 2014 World Cup, or the inimitable sounds of GE machinery—and partnerships with big-name musicians expose your brand to a bigger audience. Brands also use music as a visceral and emotional bridge to the audience; you’ll see in the second video a sound manipulation technique called looping, which works to riveting effect.

Some brands go above and beyond with music by creating a joyful experience for the customer. From something as simple as altering a scan at a grocery store checkout to creating a luxurious, immersive theatrical experience in the heart of London, these two big brands harness the power of music in making an indelible impression.

Music also plays an integral part of engaging an audience—an important and seemingly Sisyphean challenge when you’re creating an airline safety video. Alaska Airlines, however, created a high-energy video of song and dance so entertaining it has been viewed on YouTube over 11 million times since October 2013.

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Image courtesy of Alaska Airlines.