soundlounge sonic branding blog» Sound of the Brand

Coca-Cola: The J.S. Bach of Brands

soundlounge — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 17:43:54 +0000

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

Coca-Cola: The J.S. Bach of Brands is a post from: soundlounge

Coca-Cola Sneaks their Sonic Logo into K’naan’s World Cup Anthem

soundlounge — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 22:47:40 +0000

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)

Coca-Cola Sneaks their Sonic Logo into K’naan’s World Cup Anthem is a post from: soundlounge

BBC vs ITV

soundlounge — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 01:41:56 +0000

As expected after England’s exit from the world cup, the football themed adverts seemed to have ceased as brands scramble to show anything but football on their adverts! However, the world cup IS still going on so it’s left to the BBC and ITV to continue with their world cup campaign.

Both opt for adverts full of energy, although ITV are full pace from the start, whereas the BBC gradually builds to a climax bursting with energy and color. The big difference however is BBC’s editing, which is done to fit the music perfectly and therefore create an ad with far greater impact than ITV (1-0 to the BBC).

ITV’s music choice is the massive “Fire” by Jimi Hendrix. A big license for a big event, but you do question how fitting it is when compared to the well-chosen and well-synched African influenced track supporting the BBC ad. Here the track mirrors the visuals in terms of using both traditional and contemporary influences… a strong 2nd goal by the BBC.

Despite the domination by the BBC, the scale of ITV’s music choice certainly grabs attention, and the pace of the advert does excite the viewer (2-1). However the BBC gave a much stronger performance overall with a far more evocative ad, which shows how an unknown track can be so much more effective than a well-known alternative.

Final Score: BBC: 2, ITV: 1

Matt Lee, Music Supervisor
soundlounge

BBC vs ITV is a post from: soundlounge

The Sound of Brazil

soundlounge — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 06:28:38 +0000

“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

The Sound of Brazil is a post from: soundlounge

Brazil Vs Portugal…a Preview!

soundlounge — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 03:27:02 +0000

In anticipation of the big game between Brazil and Portugal today we couldn’t resist revisiting this old Nike ad from 2004:

Nike always seems to capture and evoke the appropriate emotions perfectly in their football adverts. This playful, Latin-influenced track by Perry Como sets the mood brilliantly. The Brazil team have featured heavily in Nike’s adverts over the years, and each time Nike have used another great Latin track: Papa Loves Mambo, Mas Que Nada, and Soul Bossa Nova.

But what happens when Nike feature some of England’s players on home soil? The classic grey backdrop of an English summer coupled with the English distinct lack of rhythm that the Brazilian’s Samba style football oozes is hardly synonymous with Latin music. This can only mean one thing…Blur!

Watch on YouTube

“Parklife” is, if anything, even more emotive than Nike’s Latin alternatives. Its classic 90’s Britpop feel helps the ad resonate with every Englishman’s memories of playing football with their mates, which is exactly what Nike intended. From an English perspective, this is possibly Nike’s best football advert, so It just goes to show that you don’t need the Brazilian flair to make an exciting football ad…the right music will do it perfectly!

Our next blog will be on Monday 28th June…let’s hope we’ll be doing a feature on songs to celebrate an English victory rather than songs of commiseration!

Matt Lee, Music Supervisor
soundlounge

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Inspired By Vuvuzelas!

soundlounge — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 09:58:22 +0000

South Africa’s team is now officially out of the running, but in honor of their valiant effort, we present…a post dedicated to the infamous South African vuvuzela!

The noisy tradition of vuvuzela “playing” has gotten a bad rap this year. Maybe it’s not the most beautiful instrument in the world, but it can at least produce sounds beyond the droning buzz heard in crowded stadiums.

This Vuvuzela Orchestra has fun with them and knows how to make them sound at least halfway decent:

Dr. Bruce Copley is pretty passionate about raising the profile of his instrument:

And finally, the sound of the world’s largest vuvuzela, created by Hyundai:

Charlie McCarron
twitter.com/soundlounge

Inspired By Vuvuzelas! is a post from: soundlounge

A Different Take on the World Cup

soundlounge — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 05:08:09 +0000

What do you imagine when you think of the World Cup? Probably words such as “passion”, “excitement”, and “despair” pop into your head, which is probably why we often see adverts such as Nike’s “Write the Future” made for the World Cup, which encapsulates all these emotions beautifully.

The Guardian & Observer however have taken a much more light-hearted approach with this playful and happy cartoon accompanied by a very witty folk-style song.

Watch on Youtube

The writers of this song did a great job in making a catchy and genuinely memorable tune which, coupled with the amusing rhymes and great animation, helps make a refreshing change from the other ads out there. Hopefully we’ll see more like this in the future.

Matt Lee, Music Supervisor
soundlounge

For the making of this advert, visit PepperMelon.tv

A Different Take on the World Cup is a post from: soundlounge

World Cup Ad Showdown: Coke vs. Pepsi

soundlounge — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 03:52:45 +0000

The World Cup has been with us for over a week now but it’s not just football matches that have kept us music supervisors entertained. There has also been a battle of the brands and with it a deluge of high budget football-themed adverts. The best and biggest of the bunch is of the course Nike’s “Write the Future” ad:

But what about the other adverts? We’ve been looking at a couple of match ups on the run-up to the World Cup.

Coke vs. Pepsi

Both brands start this match with a sense of fun but you get the feeling Coke have more conviction from the off with a strong use of actual match footage. Pepsi must be disappointed with themselves after trying to no avail to get their players to act…no doubt we’ll see plenty more acting from the players during the games! Coke then double their efforts with an online campaign to inspire viewers to upload their own celebrations and its 1-0 to Coke.

Never ones to be defeated easily Pepsi attempt to strike back with a heavily African influenced track, but it seems the pace is all wrong as Coke counter with their own African influenced track that is far more evocative and memorable, 2-0 Coke. The exposure of “Wavin’ Flag” means we’re all singing along with Coke’s ad, whilst Pepsi’s remains distinctly forgettable.

Pepsi continues to battle on and has one final chance with their use of a very strong cast. The big name players such as Henry and Drogba never fail to grab our attention (2-1), although they lack the flashes of skill we’ve all come to eagerly anticipate from the Nike ads. While the familiar faces draw us in, the music certainly doesn’t…an unfortunate end result for Pepsi.

Final Score: Coke: 2, Pepsi: 1

Matt Lee, Music Supervisor
soundlounge

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What Makes an “Official” World Cup Song?

soundlounge — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 05:10:34 +0000

Last week, our Music Supervision team was sent “The Official 2010 FIFA World Cup Album”. I know…we could barely contain our excitement either. It seems FIFA have been putting their name to a glut of songs from Shakira’s “Waka Waka” to K’Naan’s “Wavin’ Flag”, the latter isn’t even on the album. How can it be that there are so many so-called Official World Cup songs?

This year we’ve been granted the power to choose our own World Cup song, as there is no FIFA approved song for England. So, left down to popularity (surely the fairest way rather than whoever gives FIFA the most money!) we, the British public, have chosen “Shout For England” by Dizzee Rascal and James Corden. Like it or not, this has topped both the iTunes chart and the official UK top 40 this week.

The closest English competition came from…yes you guessed it, “Three Lions ‘98” at no 10 in the UK top 40. Terry Venables came a not-so-close 3rd with “If I Can Dream” coming in at 23, which The Sun has picked up as the soundtrack for its World Cup Campaign. They should possibly have taken a leaf out of Coke’s book who really did their research and sent out detailed briefs to get sent a list of 55 songs. Coke finally landed on K’Naan’s “Wavin’ Flag” which is arguably the most globally popular World Cup song this year:

So, if we can choose our own World Cup song without FIFA’s help, why can’t the rest of the World? For a start there’d be far fewer official songs, and maybe there’ll be one that the whole world can get behind and enjoy without the clutter of all the other FIFA approved tracks.

Matt Lee, Music Supervisor
soundlounge

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Inspired by the past…

soundlounge — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 00:00:18 +0000

Today there are 4 Spanish speaking countries playing in the World Cup so we thought we’d treat you to this 2006 advert from Adidas:

Up there as one of the classic football ads, this ad uses two great tracks for the two different sections. RJD2’s “De L’Aouette” is used during the picking of the teams and only helps with the dry wit and casual attitude of this surreal situation. As the teams kick off, Jim Noir’s “Eanie Meany” plays. The upbeat and lighter tones again just add to the sense of fun and transform the advert from good…to inspired!

In all the great football-themed adverts, the music plays a vital role in accompanying the visuals and setting the right mood. Over the next few weeks we’ll be featuring plenty more inspirational football ads so keep an eye out for your favourites!

Matt Lee, Music Supervisor
soundlounge

Inspired by the past… is a post from: soundlounge