A Content Analysis of Music Placement in Prime-Time Television Advertising

Music is very popular in advertising. You can hear as much music in commercials as you can on some commercial radio stations.

A Content Analysis of Music Placement in Prime-Time Television Advertising

David AllanSaint Joseph's University

When watching television, it is almost impossible not to be inundated by a profusion of popular music in advertising. This research analyzed one week of prime-time television commercials from ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC (N= 3,456) to determine not only the frequency with which popular music is placed in commercials, but also, when employed, various aspects of the relationship between the advertised product and the type of music accompanying it. Centrally, then, this research examines how popular music is currently being used in...

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