Music should build the brand, not just the campaign

Watch how many advertising campaigns come together and you'll see a familiar pattern. The strategy is approved, the script is finalised, production is completed, and the edit is nearly locked. Then someone asks: "What are we doing for music?"

By then, music has become a problem to solve rather than a creative opportunity to explore. The brief becomes, "Let's find something like this reference track, but cheaper." With deadlines approaching, the result can be music that fits the edit without meaningfully contributing to the campaign.

That's a strange way to approach one of the most powerful elements of storytelling.

Music can change how we experience an image, how we interpret a message, and how we remember a moment. It can make us feel nostalgic, energized, inspired, or connected before a single word is spoken.

Yet music is still too often treated as a finishing touch rather than a strategic consideration.

The question shouldn't simply be what music works for this campaign. It should be what role music can play in building this brand.

The question shouldn't simply be what music works for this campaign. It should be what role music can play in building this brand.

Above: For POWERADE's 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign featuring Lamine Yamal and Rodrygo, SVP provided original music direction to help shape the storytelling for a global audience.

A great song isn't the same as a music strategy

There's nothing wrong with finding the perfect song for a commercial. I've spent much of my career doing exactly that. But selecting a great song and developing a music strategy are two different things.

A song answers an immediate creative need. A music strategy asks bigger questions: What does the brand stand for? Who is it trying to reach? What emotional or cultural connection does it want to build over time?

Sometimes the answer is an iconic licensed recording. Other times, it's original music, an artist partnership, or a recognisable sonic identity. The point is choosing an approach that serves the brand, not defaulting to whichever track fits the cut.

At San Vito Agency, we've seen how different objectives demand different solutions. For POWERADE's 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign featuring Lamine Yamal and Rodrygo, we provided original music direction to help shape the storytelling for a global audience.

For longtime partner BODYARMOR, our work has spanned original music and strategic licensing. More recently, we've licensed P.M. Dawn's Set Adrift on Memory Bliss for the BODYARMOR FIT launch featuring Joe Burrow and music from Benson Boone for a Flash I.V. campaign featuring NASCAR champion Ryan Blaney.

For Condé Nast, we've developed original music with acclaimed hip-hop producer Sean C, whose credits include Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, and Mary J. Blige.

These aren't interchangeable solutions. They're examples of choosing music in service of a creative and commercial objective. Brands invest enormous resources into visual identities, creative platforms, and marketing strategies. Music deserves that same level of consideration.

Above: Benson Boone's music was used for a Flash I.V. campaign featuring NASCAR champion Ryan Blaney.

Cultural relevance is built through relationships

Music is inseparable from culture. Artists shape communities and conversations, but featuring a popular song or recognizable face doesn't automatically give a brand cultural credibility.

Consider Gap's evolving relationship with music. Its 2025 Better in Denim campaign paired KATSEYE with Kelis's Milkshake, combining music, choreography, fashion, and an enthusiastic fan community. More recently, Gap announced a multi-year partnership with the relatively new boy band JYT, with plans stretching beyond advertising into content, live experiences, and fashion collaborations.

One approach draws on an artist's existing momentum; the other invests in emerging talent with room to grow alongside the brand. Both reflect an intentional relationship with music rather than a search for the next campaign soundtrack.

The strongest partnerships create value on both sides, giving artists opportunities to grow while helping brands build authentic connections with their audiences.

My years in major-label A&R taught me that meaningful artist relationships depend on creative alignment, trust, and understanding audiences. Brands can apply those principles without pretending every partnership needs to discover the next superstar.

Above: Gap's Better in Denim campaign paired KATSEYE with Kelis's Milkshake, combining music, choreography, fashion, and an enthusiastic fan community.

Put music in the brief, not the edit

If music can influence the story, it should have the chance to help shape it. That doesn't mean every campaign must begin with a song. It means bringing music strategists, supervisors, composers, and potential artist partners into the conversation while there's still room to make creative decisions.

At SVA, our original music sessions bring artists, songwriters, producers, and composers together around specific creative briefs, with music supervisors and brand creative executives providing real-time feedback and direction throughout the process. Rather than asking talent to respond to an almost-finished advertisement, we create opportunities for music and storytelling to develop together.

That can yield ideas a conventional search would never uncover, and open possibilities for future content or deeper partnerships.

Music shouldn't always have to fit the creative. Sometimes it should help shape it.

Music shouldn't always have to fit the creative. Sometimes it should help shape it.

Above: Recently, SVP have licensed P.M. Dawn's Set Adrift on Memory Bliss for the BODYARMOR FIT launch featuring Joe Burrow.

The creative and rights strategies belong together

The music decision doesn't end when the right song is found. A 30-second spot can grow into paid social, influencer activations, international versions, and new executions. Without planning, a straightforward license can become an expensive limitation.

Who controls the master and publishing? What usage is covered? Can the brand create alternate edits or extend the campaign without renegotiating?

Those aren't merely legal questions. They affect creative freedom, timing, budgets, and long-term value. And ownership isn't always the answer: an iconic licensed recording may be more valuable than a proprietary track, while original music may offer the flexibility a particular platform needs.

The key is knowing which questions to ask, and when to ask them. The right decisions made early can prevent costly limitations later.

The objective isn't necessarily to own more music. It's to make smarter decisions about the music a brand invests in.

The objective isn't necessarily to own more music. It's to make smarter decisions about the music a brand invests in.