Popular music has been used in advertising since the emergence of commercial radio
stations in the 1930s in the US. Popular culture has explored the impact of classic songs such as 'Stand by Me' on the success of major brands like Levi's, as well as noting how advertisements have contributed to the revival of artists and musical genres alike. Music, it seems clear, can provide the key creative spark to an advertisement, just as the mass broadcast appeal of television can give obscure musical numbers undreamed of broadcast exposure.
However, almost nothing is known about process by which particular pieces of popular
music are chosen: to what extent are the lyrics and music tied in with the brand values or
creative execution being played out? Taking into account the ease with which consumers
interpret and remember advertising music, no obvious explanation as to how or why a song is used has yet emerged.
