Advertising best practice, evidence and insights

What we know about using music in advertising

Article • WARC Best Practice, August 2019

Provides marketers with information and guidance about the most effective approaches to using music in advertising.

How to choose the right music for your brand

Article • David Meerman Scott, WARC Best Practice, August 2017

This paper explores best practices for using music to build a brand – one of the least understood elements of brand building.

What we know about recall and recognition

Article • WARC Best Practice, January 2020

Provides marketers with information and guidance about using recall and recognition to test the effectiveness of a campaign.

Developing brand assets

Article • Dominic Twose, WARC Best Practice, January 2020

This article explores the importance of building strong branding into marketing activity and how to develop brand assets.

Nostalgia: why the desire to escape the present is unlikely to be short-lived

Opinion • Helen Rose, December 2019

UK consumers’ occasionally misguided nostalgia is an opportunity for advertisers, writes Helen Rose, Head of Insight & Analytics at the7stars.

Nostalgia – is it what it used to be?

Article • Research on WARC, December 2019

YouGov and the7stars joined forces to investigate the most fondly remembered parts of culturalhistory – and unpick exactly why the nation looks back on its past with rose-tinted glasses.

Volkswagen: Bye Bye Beetle

Case Study • Eliza Poor, Jordan Heathfield, Delinda Pu, WARC Media Awards, Shortlisted, Effective Use of Partnerships and Sponsorships, 2019

Volkswagen announced it would be retiring its much-loved VW Beetle, so it launched a farewell event in China to give the Bug one last sales push.

Nescafé: From Tianyi with Love

Case Study • Benjamin Condit, Chaojie Miao, Jerry Perez, Sienna Zhang, WARC Media Awards, Shortlisted, Effective Use of Partnerships and Sponsorships, 2019

Bottled coffee brand Nescafé Smoovlatte partnered virtual idol Luo Tianyi to grow sales and brand love among a youth audience in China.

Hsu Fu Chi: Chinese New Year Memory Train

Case Study • Benjamin Condit, Chaojie Miao, Air Luo, Sienna Zhang, WARC Media Awards, Shortlisted, Effective Use of Tech, 2019

Hsu Fu Chi, the traditional Chinese candy brand, recaptured the waning Chinese New Year food gifting market by using the nostalgic power of music to gain relevance and drive purchase.

Can-Am Ryker: A ride like no other

Case Study • Touché!, WARC Media Awards, Entrant, Effective Channel Integration, 2019

Vehicle brand BRP took an unconventional approach to publicise the launch of its latest model to a younger target audience, teaming up with pop culture icons to increase awareness and drive trial.

Babyshop: World Without Walls

Case Study • Tahaab Rais, WARC Media Awards, Silver, Effective Channel Integration, 2019

Children's retailer Babyshop used a multichannel approach to redefine its brand strategy during Ramadan in the Middle East.

Wingstop: 4/20 High-Atus

Case Study • Jessica Perrin, WARC Media Awards, Entrant, Effective Channel Integration, 2019

Wingstop, the global chicken wing restaurant chain hailing from Texas, boosted sales with a video campaign that targeted urban millennials celebrating 4/20 in the US.

Audi: Audi City Lab at Milan Design Week

Case Study • Philip Hewitt, WARC Media Awards, Entrant, Effective Channel Integration, 2019

Audi built on its aspirational positioning as the best-selling premium car brand in Italy with an awareness event at Milan Design Week, designed by famous architect Hani Rashid and installed in Milan's famous Piazza Sempione, to target 'premium progressives'.

Nivea: Sentuhan Ibu – A Mother’s Touch

Case Study • Rahul Divay, WARC Media Awards, Entrant, Effective Channel Integration, 2019

Skincare brand Nivea developed an integrated campaign to re-establish Nivea Creme as the market leader in Indonesia's all-purpose cream (APC) category.

Skittles: The Broadway Musical

Case Study • James Barnett, WARC Media Awards, Shortlisted, Effective Channel Integration, 2019

Confectionery brand Skittles reached a Super Bowl-sized audience by appearing on Broadway with a bespoke new production.

Dove: Be Free, Always

Case Study • Jamie Wang, Ha Mai Thu, Ha Tran, WARC Media Awards, Entrant, Effective Channel Integration, 2019

Dove increased sales of its bio-nourishing shampoo range in Vietnam with a campaign focused on unleashing a woman's bold and self-assured spirit.

Volkswagen: T-Dance

Case Study • Eliza Poor, Jordan Heathfield, Jim Lerch, WARC Media Awards, Entrant, Effective Channel Integration, 2019

Car-maker Volkswagen joined with online video-sharing and streaming service Miaopai to create a global, dance-based UGC campaign to appeal to young, potential SUV buyers in China.

P/S: The Adventure with King Leo and Friends

Case Study • MMA Smarties, Gold, X (Global), 2019

P/S, a toothpaste brand, created a 21-day tooth-brushing campaign for children in Vietnam, which used artificial intelligence and augmented reality to encourage them to change their toothbrushing habits.

Nestle Smoovlatte: Nescafe – From Tianyi With Love

Case Study • MMA Smarties, Silver, X (Global), 2019

Nescafé, an instant coffee brand, partnered with a famous virtual celebrity to create a campaign in which young Chinese consumers could unlock a personalised message by scanning Nescafé bottles.

Arcos Dorados Comercio de Alimentos Ltda: FriesList

Case Study • MMA Smarties, Gold, X (Global), 2019

McDonald's, the fast food chain, increased sales across Latin America by launching a campaign in partnership with Spotify, which enabled consumers to unlock special playlists using their fries.

PepsiCo/Mirinda: Laugh the Grudge Away for Tet

Case Study • MMA Smarties, Silver, X (Global), 2019

Mirinda, a soft-drinks brand, increased sales and consumer awareness through the use of a music video-led campaign that sought to unite opposing Vietnamese consumers over a glass of soda.

Samsung S10: Innovation at the Next Level

Case Study • MMA Smarties, Finalist, X (Global), 2019

Samsung, a smartphone brand, successfully increased sales and brand engagement using a campaign featuring its S10 model on an interactive HD video ad, which allowed customers in the Philippines to experience the product in an innovative way.

Klondike: The Revival of the Klondike Jingle

Case Study • MMA Smarties, Finalist, X (Global), 2019

Klondike, an American ice cream brand, launched dynamic audio assets that served tailored jingles, to increase awareness of its jingle among its target audience in the US.

Kraft-Heinz results: a return to sound marketing theory

News • 05 November 2019

Food giant Kraft Heinz discussed in its latest quarterly results call why its innovation and sales activations led to the brand’s woes and why it’s now re-focusing on building brands and growing from the core: key lessons in sound marketing theory.

How Jeep uses music to build its brand

News • 05 November 2019

Jeep, the auto marque owned by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), has made innovative use of music partnerships to engage consumers, as well as to create impactful TV spots.

Music & sound