Last week we brought you Coke: The J.S. Bach of Brands. Time now to highlight Audi, who have certainly been taking a few notes from the master of Romantic opera: Richard Wagner.

Wagner, arguably one of the most brilliant and insane composers of his time, built his reputation on epic operas that lasted well beyond the attention span of most listeners today. His infamous Der Ring des Nibelungen, which took him 26 years to complete, clocks in at around 15 hours of performance time! You might imagine audiences would drift off after the first few hours, but how could they with ballistic themes like the legendary ‘Ride of the Valkyries’?

So what do Wagner’s epic dramas have to do with the 30-second commercials Audi has been putting out lately?

Turns out they both use musical devices known as ‘leitmotifs’. A leitmotif is a recurring theme that represents a certain idea, emotion, or character. Leitmotifs can be heard everywhere from Star Wars to The Who’s Quadrophenia to the Final Fantasy video game series. Though Wagner didn’t coin the phrase ‘leitmotif’, he used them extensively as building blocks for his operas. He referred to these themes as ‘guides-to-feeling’ and believed he could convey complex emotional ideas by combining and developing these basic motifs throughout a piece of music.

Audi, as we’ve mentioned before, have been doing something quite Wagnerian with their brand’s sound. They’ve been busy recording instrumental riffs, vocal melodies, heartbeats, even noises from the cars themselves to create their own unique ‘sound style guide’. They can then draw from this palette of themes to compose soundtracks for their future commercials. Just like Wagner, Audi are creating logical frameworks for their music, in hopes that they can more effectively tug at the consumer’s heartstrings.

Will we ever hear a 15-hour Audi opera? Let’s hope not. But if any brand is going to spawn a cult following of music theory nerds, it’s Audi.

Charlie McCarron, Sound Consultant
Matt Lee, Music Supervisor
soundlounge

It’s easy to get swept away by Inception’s stunning visuals, but it seems the music and sound design are getting just as much press.

The Guardian revealed last week that Hans Zimmer’s entire epic score stems from one old French tune – Edith Piaf’s recording of “Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien”. In the film, the dreamers use this song to “kick” themselves awake. Dig a little deeper, and you’ll hear that the main Inception theme is basically a remix of Piaf’s song. Very clever!

Zimmer apparently had some fun as a musical prankster:

“Just for the game of it, all the music in the score is subdivisions and multiplications of the tempo of the Edith Piaf track…I was surprised how long it took [fans] to figure it out.” (New York Times)

Zimmer’s score is an incredible example of how one small piece of musical “DNA” can permeate the entire soundtrack. It’s like a Bach motif woven throughout a piece of music (or Coke’s sonic logo woven into a K’naan track). Even if we’re not fully aware of this DNA, it gives the music a deeper, almost subconscious structure.

The sound design of Inception is just as layered and intricate. Take a peek at this wonderful Sound for Film Profile:

Charlie McCarron, Sound Consultant
soundlounge
twitter.com/soundlounge

After finding out about Coca-Cola’s clever injection of their own sonic logo in K’naan’s World Cup song “Wavin’ Flag”, many of our readers called Coke out as being sneaky and/or cheeky. So we at soundlounge are here in defense of their brilliant (if a bit devilish) sonic branding strategy.

In the brand-sphere, Coke have proven to be masters of this kind of “audio watermarking” – subtly embedding their brand’s sound in the music of their advertisements. But the idea of a sound signature is hardly new. In fact, the original master of audio watermarking lived and died three centuries ago: J.S. Bach.

Most composers think long and hard about the structure of their music. But Bach took it to an extreme new level. As both a musical and mathematical genius, he composed pieces so intricate and layered that scholars today still find secret meanings in his work. Some say he used the Golden Ratio and the Fibonacci sequence (1, 1, 2, 3, 8, 13…) as guides for his compositions.

But his most famous hidden message is just four notes: B-flat, A-natural, C-natural, and B-natural. In the original German spelling…B, A, C, H!

It’s the Bach motif! It appears in so many of his pieces that scholars agree it’s there for a reason. It was Bach’s way of “signing” his compositions. Was it vanity? Or was it just a quirky sense of humor? We can’t be sure, but whatever his reason, this recurring theme connects his pieces on a deeper level. It might not be as obvious (or catchy) as Coke’s audio watermark in “Wavin’ Flag”, but Bach’s audio watermark is one of the most popular of all time. Over 409 works by 330 composers have used Bach’s motif in memorial to this brilliant man.

Is Coke taking a few notes from Bach? Since the start of their Open Happiness campaign, they’ve “given” their melody to dozens of international music superstars. K’naan is just the most recent in a long list of musicians to use Coke’s motif.

But “Wavin’ Flag” has seen success far beyond any of the other Coke-watermarked songs. The beauty of this for Coke is that they own this hit-single melody. They can reuse it in their advertising without any licensing fees, unlike say, the McDonald’s/Timberlake “I’m Lovin’ It” scenario. Ideally for Coke, people will hear their melody in the next Coca-Cola commercial and get all nostalgic about that fun song from the 2010 World Cup.

If any brand comes close to musical genius, it’s Coke. Will their melody last for three centuries though? We (probably) won’t be around to report on it, but don’t hold your breath…

Charlie McCarron, Sound Consultant
Matt Lee, Music Supervisor
soundlounge

And the soundlounge award this year goes to…(drum roll please)…a totally brilliant piece of sonic branding from the Coke team of music supervisors. Those who have been following soundlounge’s extensive blog coverage of World Cup advertising music will know that there were dozens of contenders for the crown. However we are all agreement here, that apart from the vuvuzelas, the most recognizable sound from this year’s World Cup has come from a previously little-known Somali-Canadian artist.

Thanks to Coke, K’naan’s song “Wavin’ Flag” has reached an amazing number one in eleven countries (and still counting). With over twenty regional remixes featuring local superstars, “Wavin’ Flag” has become the most popular and memorable soundtrack to South Africa 2010.

Coke has made K’naan an international superstar by modifying his song and promoting the “Coca-Cola Celebration Mix”. But this socially conscious rapper and poet insists this relationship with Coke doesn’t affect his integrity as a musician: “I don’t work for Coke or anything; what I do is my music.” (Billboard).

So isn’t this just a piece of band-brand marketing? Whether or not listeners are consciously aware, Coke have used a technique we call audio watermarking. This is a popular and well-known trick that has been around for centuries and used by composers and producers to weave a sound/motif into a piece of music. Unlike say the Audi sonic logo, which sits at the end of a commercial, watermarking acts like an ‘earworm’, which gets inside our brains and becomes so compulsive that we go around humming it as we walk down the street and not understanding why. We effectively become living, walking, singing commercials for Coke. Whatever K’naan would have his fans believe, embedded into “Wavin’ Flag” is an interesting piece of branding, and Coca-Cola have been priming us to wave their sonic branding flag for a while now…

Watch on Vimeo

We’ve actually been hearing this melody for years in Coke commercials. But this time the branding is even less obvious than their original “Open Happiness” song. By sneaking the Coke melody into an otherwise musically unbranded song, they’ve seen incredible success in the charts. In our opinion, it’s a much more intelligent form of branding than paying artists to name-drop brands in their lyrics.

So why doesn’t the average “Wavin’ Flag” fan connect the dots? It took us a few times before the penny dropped and we started to research. It’s as if Coke wants their motif to be subliminal, so that listeners recognize the sound but can’t say exactly why they recognize it. No other hit single has captured the sound of a brand in such an effective and clever way. Even Billboard didn’t come out and say it’s the Coke motif:

‘["Wavin Flag"] features many elements of the original song but includes a pre-chorus that sets the uplifting, unified tone of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, turning the song into one that is “more open, more inviting, more celebratory”‘.

Coke has clearly been steering the ship, taking K’naan on a grand tour of 84 countries. The big question though – what happens after the World Cup? A&M/Octone Records CEO James Diener says that Coke is “invested in K’naan for the duration of his career” (Billboard). That’s a bold statement given the fickle nature of musical popularity. If K’naan loses momentum, will Coke drop him for a fresh new artist or another ‘local’ artist for the next big sports sponsorship? Until then, will they be moderating all of K’naan’s music and infusing it with the sound of Coca-Cola?

You can be sure soundlounge will be listening out for the next Coke advert. And now that you know the Coke motif inside and out, keep your ears open and let us know if you do hear it anywhere else!

Ruth Simmons, Managing Director
Matt Lee, Music Supervisor
Charlie McCarron, Sound Consultant
soundlounge

If you enjoyed our article, feel free to say hello on Twitter – @soundlounge (and @soundequity for Ruth)

“Football” and “samba”. Two words anyone would use to describe Brazil as a brand. And the two often intertwine. The most popular football-related songs? All sambas. Take “Que Bonito É” for example. It was used in newsreels during football video coverage and is forever associated with the game:

The people of Brazil have been brought up with music and football as such an important part of their lives, its no surprise the two have practically overlapped. “A Taça do Mundo é Nossa” (The World Cup Is Ours) was composed after Brazil won their first world cup in 1958. Here’s a slightly more up-to-date version:

This song is testament to the combination of Brazil’s biggest passions with lines such as “Good in samba, good with leather” as well as “Dancing the samba with the ball on the feet”.

Samba is undoubtedly the sound of Brazil, and is instantly recognizable despite vast variations over the decades thanks to the following rhythm:

This rhythm lies at the heart of a samba, and is played by numerous percussion instruments in a traditional samba. With the addition of some melodic instruments such as guitars and trumpets, it becomes an unmistakable sound, which can be applied across many genres of music.

So if you can sum up a whole country with a simple rhythm and a collection of instruments, the same can definitely be done with brands. One brand that has done this to great effect is Audi, who have taken Sonic Branding to the next level to find and create their sound.

Matt Lee, Music Supervisor
soundlounge

As we’ve mentioned before, there’s no end to the deluge of football-themed music this year. But one compilation album recently caught my ear – a 32-track tribute to all 32 countries in the World Cup. The Irish label Indiecater rallied some of their “favourite bands” (mostly Irish) for Fast Forward: An Indie Music Companion To South Africa 2010.

They could be accused of jumping on the World Cup bandwagon, but really it’s just a fun way to discover some pretty cool artists. You can stream all 32 tracks on the album’s site:

Listen at Indiecater.com

I thoroughly enjoyed the whole album. Nothing formulaic here – each track is an imaginative production, and each band lends its own quirky charm. But since they’ve bracketed the songs World Cup-style, I decided to pick a “finalist” from each group.

Group A Winner: France
“Irlande” by The Very Most
A catchy tune from a lyrically clever US group that admits they may never actually visit France…but they still love the French aesthetic and the healthcare system.

Group B Winner: South Korea
“Jongmyo Shrine” by Pearse McGloughlin
A fittingly Eastern-influenced track with beautiful pentatonic melodies.

Group C Winner: England
“St George’s Day” by Detox Cute
If the music isn’t English enough for you, the quotes from Henry V should work.

Group D Winner: Germany
“Meet Me At The Red Light” by Betty and the Cavalero
Probably the most lighthearted song about the Red Light District you’ll ever hear.

Group E Winner: Holland
“Wooded Land” by Burning Codes
Whispery harmonies might not be the best way to pump the team up, but it’s a beautiful track nonetheless.

Group F Winner: New Zealand
“Aotearoa” by Adam and Darcie
A refreshing bassy track with a great buildup intro.

Group G Winner: Portugal
“Dry Dry Land” by Tap Tap
This songwriter really knows how to change key a ridiculous amount of times and still make it sound easy.

Group H Winner: Chile
“Chile La Roja” by Manwomanchild
An epic yet fun retro groove – most likely track on the album to be heard in a football movie.

Did I get my “finalist” picks right? Comment away. Hope the album brings you some joy during the potentially heartbreaking World Cup eliminations coming up. Again, you can hear all these songs at indiecater.com.

Charlie McCarron
twitter.com/soundlounge

In honor of France’s match today, we present one of the most poetic goalies of all time: Joël Bats.

In 1982, right in the middle of his successful football career, Bats was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Apparently part of his therapy was writing poetry. He later set his poems to music and performed one of them to his teammates before their trip to Mexico in 1986. I couldn’t find an English translation of his poem, but it must be something extremely touching and heartfelt…enjoy “Soli Solitude“:

Bats also wrote a hit children’s song, “L’Escargot (The Snail)“:

Charlie McCarron
twitter.com/soundlounge

It’s World Cup season, and with it comes all the buzz about football-inspired music from both opportunistic songwriters and true fans of the sport. We thought we’d feature some of the music made by footballers themselves.

So in honor of today’s matches, here are a couple of soccer legends that also have a knack for songwriting…

Gadji Celi – Côte d’Ivoire

As if leading his team to victory in the African Cup wasn’t enough, Gadji Celi managed to become one of the most popular and respected songwriters of his country. He is currently the president of Côte d’Ivoire’s Union of Artists (l’UNARTCI).
According to allmusic.com:

“Although he built his reputation on songs about soccer teams participating in the annual African Cup competition, his songs have increasingly reflected on more romantic issues.”

Enjoy this retro music video of his, which combines his singing, football-playing, and elephant footage…

Watch on YouTube

Pelé – Brazil

When it comes to football, Pelé needs no introduction. But how many people knew he composed and sang soundtrack music for his 1977 documentary?

Pelé’s main theme for the film is really quirky, but it’s a fun elevator-ish tune:

Meu Mundo E Uma Bola (My World Is A Ball)

You can find out a little more about Pelé’s music at footballandmusic.co.uk.

Charlie McCarron
twitter.com/soundlounge

Silence can be deadly, especially when it’s a hybrid car sneaking up behind you. So for the first time in history, automakers are working to create synthetic engine noise. And they might start calling on everyone from sound designers to film composers to music supervisors for the sounds of these new cars.

Sound like science fiction? Just take a peek at this Batmobile-like hybrid from Fisker Automotive:

Watch on YouTube

The cool part is that this car’s “takeoff” sound came from a set of external speakers. In theory, you could replace this sound with anything you want, just like changing a cell phone’s default ring. Will customizable engine sounds be the next “ringtone” craze? Will we one day download our car’s tones from iTunes? Will artists of the future collect royalties on mileage?

There are obviously some legal hurdles before we hear anything too unique on the road. But the door is currently wide open for automakers to experiment with new sounds. It’s only a matter of time before the big brands will be racing to create the coolest-sounding electric car. What a fun time to be in the audio branding business!

Charlie McCarron, Sound Consultant
soundlounge

Special thanks to @soundseller for pointing out the Fisker Karma Hybrid video.

At soundlounge, our job is to seek out the most talented musical minds for any given commercial brief. Our music supervision team can attest to the abundance of talented new composers eager to write original scores for TV ads and films. But what if we were able to tap into the minds of past geniuses like Bach or Beethoven? What if original music could be composed from beyond the grave? It might sound ridiculously farfetched, but through the power of computer processing, one clever composer has found a way to ‘reanimate’ the dead masters…

The folks over at Radiolab spoke with David Cope about his controversial dead-composer-resurrecting software EMI (Experiments in Musical Intelligence). His program can analyze sheet music and spit out an entirely new piece, based on the compositional style of the original music. Cope has tried it out with just about every famous composer, from Mozart to Scott Joplin, and the results have been eerily on-the-nose. When performed by human players, these pieces often turn out to be beautiful and moving.

Have a listen to the Radiolab conversation:

Cope admits that he gets criticized more often than praised. He has been in shouting matches and has even been physically attacked by people who feel threatened by his experiments. Cope explains:

“If you’ve spent a good portion of your life being in love with these dead composers…and along comes some twerp who claims to have this little piece of software…that can move you in the same way, suddenly you’re saying to yourself, ‘Well what’s happened here? Certainly my relation to the original pieces of music has cheapened in some way. Is Chopin really just nothing more than a bunch of clichés strung together?’”

It’s an unsettling thought for most music lovers. If we’re moved by a piece of music, we like to think it’s because the composer felt that same emotion, and was brilliant enough to put the emotion into musical notes. We’d feel like fools if we got emotional over a string of random notes.

But Cope’s invention upends the idea that the composer is the only emotional genius. In a way, it gives the performers and listeners more credit. As performers, we can take computer-generated sequences of notes and convey a meaningful story with them. As listeners, we hear these performances and create our own meaning. The emotions we feel are entirely from within, from our own musical background, from our own life experiences.

What are your thoughts? Does Cope’s software cheapen the work of the great composers, or does it honor them? Would you pay to see the premiere of a ‘new’ piece by Beethoven? Would you be offended if it showed up in the next car commercial?

You can listen to the entire Radiolab episode here. You can hear Cope’s EMI pieces here.

Charlie McCarron, Sound Consultant
soundlounge