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.

Coca-Cola Reconnects Myanmar Youth To Their Tea Culture

Case Study • SABRE Awards, Asia-Pacific, IN2, Winner, 2019

Heaven and Earth, the ready-to-drink tea brand, launched with an event day that utilised non-traditional methods to engage with media and influencers in Myanmar.

Horlicks: Emotional Nutrition

Case Study • SABRE Awards, Asia-Pacific, Superior Achievement in Brand-Building, Diamond, 2019

Horlicks, a sweet malted milk hot drink, connected with mothers in India by addressing the emotional needs of their university-bound children.

Singapore Tourism Board: Passion Made Possible

Case Study • Tammi Seng, Felicia Ong, WARC Prize for Asian Strategy, Shortlisted, 2019

The Singapore Tourism Board used an integrated approach based around passions to launch a global platform to attract leisure visitors to the island state.

Puma: Suede Gully

Case Study • Ketan Rambhia, Mehak Jaini, WARC Prize for Asian Strategy, Shortlisted, 2019

Sportswear brand Puma, promoted a street culture movement via a music video to markets its Suedes shoes in India.

Stayfree: Take Back Your Time

Case Study • Toru Jhaveri, Sanchari Chakrabarty, Natasha Bohra, WARC Prize for Asian Strategy, Shortlisted, 2019

Feminine care brand Stayfree adapted a value proposition in India to boost sales and redefine how women see sanitary pads.

McDonald’s Hong Kong: Shake and Dip

Case Study • Garron Chiu, WARC Prize for Asian Strategy, Shortlisted, 2019

Fast-food chain McDonald's created a surprise summer hit in Hong Kong to reawaken consumers' interest in, and drive purchase of, its most consumed product.

How small SUVs drove Mitsubishi to #1

Case Study • The Communications Council, Bronze, Australian Effie Awards, 2019

Mitsubishi Motors Australia, an automotive brand, increased sales of its new Eclipse Cross SUV by launching a campaign that promoted it as ideal for a drop it and go get away.

Programmatic audio: Using sound to create emotion and drive action

Article • Alex Brownsell, Event Reports, IAB Interact, June 2019

Though digital audio content consumption is rising, research by Xaxis and IAB Europe reveals brands are yet to capitalise on the full benefits offered by the medium.

Libresse/Bodyform: Viva La Vulva

Case Study • Cannes Creative Lions, Gold, Creative Strategy Lion, 2019

Libresse, a brand of feminine hygiene products, increased market share in Scandinavia by launching Viva La Vulva, a lip sync video that encouraged women not to be ashamed and to love their vulvas.

Does Highly-Awarded Audio Creative Sell?

Research Paper • Pierre Bouvard, ARF Experiential Learning, AUDIENCExSCIENCE, April 2019

Cumulus Media, a radio broadcasting stations company, completed a creative study conducted in partnership with audio testing experts VERITONIC, to examine ads from the most prestigious advertising and creative award shows.

BookMyShow: Introducing Whole New World Of Entertainment

Case Study • SABRE Awards, South Asia, Media Relations, 2019

BookMyShow, a ticket booking service, launched an Arabian Nights-themed media event surrounding the launch of Aladdin the musical coming to India.

Horlicks: Emotional Nutrition

Case Study • SABRE Awards, South Asia, Integrated Marketing, 2019

Horlicks, a malted milk drink brand, raised awareness of the issue of student suicides across India during exam season by launching PR and films that showed mothers the importance of mental nutrition, as well as physical.

Akbank Jazz Festival: Adaptive Jazz Radio Campaign

Case Study • MIXX Awards, Silver, Native Advertising, 2019

Akbank, a bank, created a location-based experience for jazz lovers to celebrate the 28th anniversary of its jazz festival in Turkey.

Cornetto: Mobile in Love

Case Study • MIXX Awards, Bronze, Video Advertising, 2019

Cornetto, the ice-cream brand, was able to reach 14 million users as a result of its collaboration with teen romance film 4N1K in Turkey.

Coca-Cola: Sunset

Case Study • Tahaab Rais, WARC Prize for MENA Strategy, Shortlisted, 2019

Soft drinks giant Coca-Cola used social media to drive its brand message during Ramadan in the Middle East.

Babyshop: World Without Walls

Case Study • Tahaab Rais, WARC Prize for MENA Strategy, Silver, 2019

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

Nescafé 3in1: University Pride

Case Study • Naila Fattouh, WARC Prize for MENA Strategy, Silver, 2019

Coffee brand Nescafé used TV, digital, outdoor and on-pack design to promote its single-serve Nescafé 3-in-1, following currency devaluation in Egypt.

Tunisie Telecom: The Unofficial Anthem

Case Study • Melek Ourir, WARC Prize for MENA Strategy, Entrant, 2019

Telecoms operator Tunisie Telecom (TT) used a multi-media campaign to become the number-one Tunisian brand associated with the 2018 World Cup in Russia and refresh its bond with Tunisians.

Coca-Cola: Never Take The Jersey Off

Case Study • Naila Fattouh, WARC Prize for MENA Strategy, Entrant, 2019

Coca-Cola, the beverage brand, thwarted competition from its main competitor and drove sales during the 2018 World Cup by running a promo campaign that appealed to patriotic football fans in Egypt.

Why an audio logo is essential for your brand

Article • Brooke Hemphill, Event Reports, Mumbrella Audioland, May 2019

Best practice advice for brands looking to create an audio logo to ensure relevance with consumers in non-visual contexts.

Audi/Vorsprung Durch Technik: Beautiful Cars With Amazing Brains

Case Study • Cannes Creative Lions, Bronze, Creative Effectiveness Lions, 2019

Audi, an automotive brand, overtook BMW in the UK by launching two series of TVCs demonstrating how the beauty and intelligence of its cars overpowered speed.

Puma Suede Gully

Case Study • Cannes Creative Lions, Entrant, Creative Effectiveness Lions, 2019

PUMA Sports, a sportswear and equipment brand, increased sales in India by creating a street collaboration and music video that used rappers to engage youth and encourage them to pay a premium for PUMA.

Coca-Cola: Share A Coke 1,000 Name Celebration

Case Study • Cannes Creative Lions, Entrant, Creative Effectiveness Lions, 2019

Coca-Cola, the soft drinks brand, improved awareness of the increased numbers of names featured on its packaging by creating a unique song for every name.

Music & sound