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.

Re-evaluating iconic brand assets in a post-pandemic world

Article • Dr Gemma Calvert, Win Ee Chun and Dr Eamon Fulcher, WARC Exclusive, June 2020

Distinctive brand assets have a powerful role to play in ensuring top of mind recall with consumers – but in a world changed by COVID-19, a strategic reassessment of assets is needed.

Almosafer: As far as we go

Case Study • Tahaab Rais, WARC Prize for MENA Strategy, Shortlisted, 2020

Travel platform Almosafer reversed declining market share through an emotive Ramadan film in Saudi Arabia.

The anatomy of a TikTok meme

Article • Alex Brownsell, WARC Exclusive, June 2020

How a single post on TikTok can inspire millions of videos and create buzz across other online platforms.

The power of audio in the attention economy

Opinion • Cari Kesten, June 2020

The hunt for attention It seems our days are getting longer and our attention spans are getting shorter.

How to do video on LinkedIn

Article • Brian Carruthers, Event Reports, IAB research webinar, April 2020

LinkedIn undertook research into the top-performing videos on the platform across EMEA to understand what works best.

Dove Hair: My Hair My Crown

Case Study • SABRE Awards, Gold, North America, 2020

Dove, a personal care brand, elevated Dove Hair's brand equity in the US through a product-agnostic campaign designed to spark a national dialogue around broadening the narrow definition of beautiful hair.

How livestreaming enabled Ambev to connect with Brazilian consumers during COVID-19

Article • Stephen Whiteside, WARC COVID-19 Series, May 2020

Ambev, the brewer, has tapped the power of livestreaming to connect with Brazilian consumers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Finding the right notes: Lessons from the top five best audio brands

Article • Michele Arnese, WARC Exclusive, April 2020

Insights from amp’s 2020 Best Audio Brands Ranking, and the top-ranking brands, Mastercard, Shell, Apple, Google and Amazon.

Hsu Fu Chi: Chinese New Year Memory Train

Case Study • Benjamin Condit, Chaojie Miao, Air Luo, Sienna Zhang, WARC Awards, Entrant, Effective Content Strategy, 2020

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.

Instagram X Columbia Records: Mark Ronson – Pieces of Us

Case Study • Jane Kinnaird, Philippe Naughton, WARC Awards, Entrant, Effective Innovation, 2020

Social media platform Instagram, and music label Columbia Records, collaborated in the UK on the first truly native Instagram music video.

Capitol Records UK: Liam Payne becomes a Pinball Wizard

Case Study • Vanessa Bakewell, Nigel Kendall, WARC Awards, Entrant, Effective Innovation, 2020

Capitol Records UK the music label used an augmented reality pinball game as an innovative way to launch Liam Payne's new single Stack it Up in the UK.

Fruit Shoot: Fruit Shoot for the Moon

Case Study • Polly Goodman, Craig Adams, WARC Awards, Entrant, Effective Innovation, 2020

Children's drink brand Fruit Shoot implemented an integrated and innovative communications strategy in the UK to increase sales and move the brand from terminal decline into growth.

Sunsilk: Be #ExtraReady Tap Tap Game

Case Study • Tricia Cruz, Kitty Faustino, WARC Awards, Entrant, Effective Innovation, 2020

Sunsilk, a shampoo brand in the Philippines, used a campaign that integrated music and gaming to stand out in a cluttered market.

Clear: Wait for my rock!

Case Study • Ma Miaojun, Xiong Ying, Wu Shufeng, Yu Junqiu, WARC Awards, Entrant, Effective Innovation, 2020

Clear shampoo's traditional education-based marketing strategy was not reaching Chinese Gen Z consumers so it partnered with a popular programme on the iQiyi video platform to run a campaign focused on individualism.

The Alzheimer Foundation of Thailand: MEMO_o_ke

Case Study • Kongpope Siriwattanagarn, Tanachai Sutthisareesakul, Nattanyaporn Jiragoontansiri, WARC Awards, Entrant, Effective Innovation, 2020

Health organisation The Alzheimer Foundation of Thailand created a tool to help slow the rise of Alzheimer's disease in Thailand.

100Plus: Aktifkan Potensimu (Activate Your Potential) – AME 2019

Case Study • Su Ling Chan, Danesh Asokkumar, Nichelle Ng, WARC Awards, Entrant, Effective Content Strategy, 2020

Isotonic drinks brand 100Plus increased sales and reach among millenials in Malaysia through a collaboration with an upcoming band.

Renault: This is Renault

Case Study • Fabio Belfiori Belfiori, Corrado Gallo, Valentina Geria, WARC Awards, Entrant, Effective Social Strategy, 2020

Automotive brand Renault Italy harnessed the power of the playlist to strengthen its links with its fan base and further increase loyalty.

AXE: Lollapalooza 2019

Case Study • Guilherme Aquilante, Verusca Casciano, Gabriela Amato, Carolina Buzetto, WARC Awards, Entrant, Effective Social Strategy, 2020

Antiperspirant body spray brand AXE looked to Lollapalooza for the launch of a social-powered campaign that would boost engagement with its target audience in Brazil.

Almosafer: As far as we go

Case Study • Tahaab Rais, WARC Awards, Gold, Effective Use of Brand Purpose, 2020

Travel platform Almosafer reversed declining market share through an emotive Ramadan film in Saudi Arabia.

Tanqueray: #FFAB60 – Searching for the special colour of Seville

Case Study • Sergio Garcia, Jacobo Pérez, WARC Awards, Gold and Partnership Award, Effective Innovation, 2020

Gin brand Tanqueray implemented a colourful multi-channel campaign in Spain to drive growth and stand out from the crowd.

Master Kong Express Noodle: The Makeover of the Four Immortals

Case Study • Jenny Hanghal, Cathy Sun, WARC Awards, Bronze, Effective Innovation, 2020

Instant noodle brand Master Kong Express updated its brand image, protected market share and grew sales in China during Chinese New Year.

Non-Korean consumers’ preferences on Korean popular music: A two country study

Article • Jungyop Ryu, Erik Paolo Capistrano, and Hao-Chieh Lin, International Journal of Market Research, Vol. 62, No. 2, 2020, pp. 234-252

This research employs a mix of theoretical and data-driven approaches to understand how Korean pop music (KPop) consumption, despite physical and social barriers, is currently at unprecedented levels.

Toyota: Pudgy, a dog with infinite energy

Case Study • Case Studies on WARC, 2019

Car manufacturer Toyota increased sales of its hybrid vehicles in Costa Rica through a humorous commercial that showcased the benefits of hybrid technology.

Music & sound