Mastering the Magic of Music in Xmas Campaigns

Bowie, Prince, Cohen, Brexit and the small matter of Trump in America – this year wasn’t exactly made of dreams. Put simply, 2016 has been absolutely rubbish.

Brands reacted by offering something a little lighter to lift the spirits. So rather than making us reach for the Rennies, John Lewis changed its menu for what is rapidly becoming a hallmark Christmas calendar event: its festive advert.  

Buster The Boxer followed the retail giant’s tried, tested and gift-wrapped recipe for Christmas ads by soundtracking dash animation with a cover and female vocals – but that’s where the similarity to previous years ends. Nostalgia was given the cold shoulder, whilst comedy – unusual in John Lewis ads – nuzzled its way nicely into the picture.

The creatives at adam&eveDDB made the decision to go with the mood of the nation rather than the tradition of being sentimental. Joe Public didn’t want overly festive messages or sickening displays of Christmas gluttony on TV last year. We just wanted to raise our glasses, have a chuckle, kick-back and hope 2017 is an improvement. 

Some people argued that John Lewis got it wrong and ruined Christmas (because Santa didn’t make the trampoline and because apparently the dog represents Trump). I personally think they got the tone just right. Bouncing dogs and taking the micky out of Christmas? Yes, that will do nicely, thank you. John Lewis clearly wanted its audience to identify with and feel connected to its brand, so it delivered sentiment through music rather than the visuals and as a result didn’t shove the spirit of Christmas down anyone’s throat. 

The advert featured a cover of Randy Crawford’s One Day I’ll Fly Away by upcoming British act Vaults. Known for their melancholy electronica and the powerful bronchial tracts of Blythe Pepino, the cover was sleigh rides away from their trademark sounds.

Teamed with soaring strings, Pepino’s voice offered some magical mystery to the piece, while the lyrics left us with a feeling of hope. The creative team clearly thought about how the music would work with the imagery, tone, and dare I say, politics and the mood of the nation. Well played John Lewis. 

Vaults very much capture the spirit of emerging talent right now. Melodic, downbeat electronica has been gaining momentum over the last few years and if you’re a guzzler of music that’s left of centre, you can’t walk a step without being immersed in lush, woozy synths. Vaults have already featured on the 50 Shades of Grey soundtrack and I hope their work with John Lewis propels them even further, lest we forget what happened to last year’s musician of choice, Aurora... 

However the most memorable Christmas ad of 2016, in my humble opinion, was from Wieden+Kennedy and TK Maxx. The Sing-Along featured an a cappella cover of Misirlou, a track famous for its use in iconic Tarantino film Pulp Fiction. Utterly ridiculous and hilarious, in line with the retailer’s ‘surprising’ price positioning and on trend – Santa hats off to you for this commendable effort, W+K.

We also raised our glasses to Harvey Nichols and adam&eveDDB who used one of Audio Network’s tracks for Britalia, a festive ad with an Italian twist. Subtitles, silliness and a piece of classical music made for a most amusing take on a posh Christmas – comedy can work so well to help seasonal ads cut through the noise. 

As a general rule of thumb, Christmas ads are either on brand or on trend and sometimes, both. For example, Boots kept it on brand with a gritty, honest ads that wasn’t overly festive, whereas other high street giants opted for the unexpected covers route, markedly on trend. Brands that don’t take themselves so seriously or that are not considered premium can often be more daring in their approach to music and advertising.

There is a science behind the art of choosing the right music for a campaign, be it for Christmas or otherwise. Brand analysis will help by producing a number of key words, thoughts and feelings that align with the brand’s ethos, while competitor analysis can help to work out where a brand fits in with its peers. From that point onwards, a sound ‘mood board’ can be built and the process of working out what a brand sounds like can begin. 

When it comes to picking the right track to sync, this really needs to be considered right at the very start of the campaign. The winners are often built from the music upwards, while the losers have any old jingly thing slapped on at the last minute. Our ethos is to work as closely with our clients as possible so that they’re remembered beyond the festive period.

So if you’re suffering from the New Year blues, listen to some music you love, turn it up loud and dance. Music is Christmas dinner for your soul and guaranteed to make you feel a lot better as 2017 rolls in.