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Elton John’s ‘Your Song’ Anchors Ikea’s Sweet Story About Home

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By David Gianatasio

“I don’t have much money, but, boy, if I did. I’d buy a big house where we both could live.”

Rising artist AHI performs a passionate cover of Elton John’s “Your Song,” wringing fresh nuances from each familiar line as Ikea Canada launches a revamped brand platform themed “Bring Home to Life.”

This husky, expansive version drives the short film below. It tells the tale of an immigrant family’s arrival in Toronto, opening with a young father’s first glimpse inside their new apartment.

He’s greeted by an odd tableau: In otherwise empty rooms—with no furniture, carpets or even pictures on the walls—about a dozen people wait, frozen in space and time. The action mainly transpires in the father’s imagination as he contemplates a joyous future in this place, surrounded by family and new friends, with items from Ikea completing the scene.

Ikea | Bring Home to Life

Directed OPC’s Gary Freedman, a minute-long edit of the dreamy, cinematic narrative launched during last night’s Emmy Awards.

“We’ve been working on a new Ikea brand platform for more than a year, and this spot is the anchor of that new platform,” says Michelle Spivak, creative director at Rethink, which crafted the campaign. “We looked to tell a story that demonstrated how Ikea helped bring a home to life in a heartwarming way. We loved the idea of that moment when you walk into a new home for the first time, and all you can see is potential.”

The work feels like an extension of recent brand efforts focused on reimagining what home can be. These include introducing a cheeky Ikea collection to ease the transition of returning to the office, and transforming actual Toronto-area houses into showroom displays. “Bring Home to Life” expands on such notions. The push explores many vibrant physical, emotional and social aspects of home, with the retailer’s products and services adding special significance.

In the launch film, “you see the bare space and think of the people who will fill the room,” Spivak says. “The people who will sit at the table. The friends who will gather on the sofa. Ultimately, a house can be filled with a number of items, but it’s the moments and memories we create around those pieces that give them significance. We took that thought and added a bit of magic by having everything frozen until Ikea is added to the home. As our main character arrives to his empty apartment, he’s met with the vision of the housewarming celebration he’ll throw the day his wife and young daughter finally join him.”

That’s a lofty, poetic conceit, well-realized and visually striking, if a tad difficult to fully grasp without repeat viewings. Still, the heartfelt remake of “Your Song” and those intriguing images should enchant ears and eyes, even if the storyline feels elusive at first.

The team shot footage over four days in Parkdale, one of Toronto’s most diverse neighborhoods. “The bodega is real. The bike shop is real. It’s a very authentic place for a newcomer to start their life in Canada,” Spivak says. “The interiors were matched to the exterior of the building but were actually captured in a custom-built set.”

And yes, those actors had to hold their positions, like statues, often for several achy minutes per take.

“As part of the casting, we asked people to freeze in place,” Spivak recalls. “We needed people who could translate emotion without words, but also without moving. That’s when it became apparent how difficult being frozen—while looking natural at the same time—would be. We did as much in camera as possible, with some of our talent propped up on apple boxes and stools we removed in post.”

As for the song choice, “we cast a wide net across genres, but always knowing we wanted the performance to be intimate and personal,” says Johanna Andrén, head of marketing at Ikea Canada. “The lyrics needed to punctuate the story. The voice needed to feel authentic. Our music director found this amazing singer, AHI, a local, Juno-nominated artist with a voice we loved—emotive and warm. He had a young family of his own, and you could feel his tribute to them in his performance.”

“Your Song” mentions home fleetingly, but the vibe’s just right. And you really can’t go wrong with Elton John. Kudos for passing over more obvious choices, like “Our House,” a very very very fine track, to be sure, but too on the nose.

Ultimately, “while there is Ikea furniture in almost every scene in the spot, the aim was to inspire a feeling bigger than the collection of products,” Andrén says. “There is real magic in how every individual home comes to life in its own unique way, and we want to celebrate that idea with this platform for years to come.”

Along with TV, online video and social, the campaign will include traditional billboards and 3-D OOH activations.

CREDITS

Client: IKEA
Agency: Rethink
CCO: Aaron Starkman
CSO: Sean McDonald
ECD: Mike Dubrick
Creative Director: Michelle Spavin
ACD: Brendan Scullion, Max Bingham
Art Director: Max Bingham
Writer: Brendan Scullion
Strategy Director: Jay Fleming
Director of Broadcast Production: Shelby Spigelman/Nadya MacNeil
Broadcast Producer: Mark Pan
Senior Print Producer: Agnes Gilchrist
Print Producer: Jenna Fullerton

TV Production Company: OPC Production
Director: Gary Freedman
Line Producer: Max Brook

Post Production House: Nimiopere
Editor: Graham Chisholm
Executive Producer (Nimiopere): Julie Axell

VFX House: The Vanity
VFX Supervisor: Naveen Srivastava
Colourist: Andrew Axworth
Senior Producer (The Vanity): Katie Methot

Photography Production Company: Fuze Reps
Photographer: Chris Robinson
Director of photography: Zach Koski
Executive Producer (Fuze Reps) : Nicole Gomez
Associate Producer: Alexa Dimitruk

Audio House: Vapor Music
Executive Producer (Audio House): Kailee Nowosad
Creative Director (Audio House): Ted Rosnick
Engineer: Ryan Chalmers

Account Services:
Group Account Director: Kiara Wilson
Account Director: Sheldon Abreu
Account Director: Catherine Blouin-Mainville
Account Supervisor: Melissa Luk
Account Manager: Gabrielle Bergeron

Client:
Head of Marketing, IKEA Canada: Johanna Andrén
Director of Brand Marketing, IKEA Canada: Claudia Mayne
Country Marketing Campaign Leader: Jordan Sequeira
Marketing Communications Specialist: Carolyn Thrasher
Marketing Specialist: Noah Keefe

Additional Credits:

Media Agency: Carat Canada
Vice President: Karen Hrstic
Account Director: Tracey Cronin
Media Supervisor: Christine Ma

CRM: Wunderman Thompson
Account Director: Maryam Asad
Account Executive: Hannes Danielsson

 

By David Gianatasio

Sourced from Muse by Clio

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6 Key Sound Attributes to Help Your Video Go Viral

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By Jessica Entner

Looking for engagement? Make it meme-able!

There is a very long list of songs and audio clips that have helped create trends, new content, new followers and often help break songs or artists. Sometimes a trend happens using an “oldie but goodie” and introduces a younger audience to an artist from the past, as was the case for the resurgence of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams.”

I’m positive Fleetwood Mac, Mick Fleetwood and Ocean Spray all appreciated the opportunity (Mick even responded with his own video). In turn, that viral content also helped launched the career of Doggface (aka Nathan Apodoca) who is now taking on acting roles. The publicity behind this viral phenomenon was a win-win for everyone.

And then there are the missed opportunities. I’m sure you’ve seen the cutest audio bite—”I want to be a marshmallow”—being used in a variety of ways on socials. Who can resist that little voice saying “wobble ’round?” IMHO, this was a missed opportunity for a few key brands. Jet Puffed, Kraft and Nabisco, where you at? It was teed up so perfectly…

There’s also this year’s audio trend which is super relatable, unexpected, and is also my favourite morning mantra.

So what IS going on?

Sound trends are widely popular in the creator culture, but why? What makes a sound go viral? And why do people use it over and over again? The answer, for the most part, is fairly obvious.

Memes = Memorable

The majority of sounds used on TikTok and various social media platforms are comedic in nature and allow most creators to either jump on the bandwagon of a meme, or create their own version of a new meme in order to perpetuate the popularity of a chosen soundtrack. Sound clips, songs, or catchphrases are often dubbed over new content for weeks on end until the next audio trend is discovered.

Why is this important to brands and marketers? If you want an organic post to go viral, then MAKE IT MEME-ABLE!

When you are looking to boost engagement and brand loyalty while appealing to the creator community, you need a solid audio component to propel your post into a viral phenomenon.

Let’s evaluate how certain qualities of audio boost your chances for viral content.

Intentional Sound

Sound has power. Whether it’s a song or a soundbite, using audio as a memorable component to a social post should sound intentional. Brands that created original audio with their posts saw a 52 percent increase in 6-second view rates, compared to content that featured a registered track. With original audio, other creators can also repurpose it in a “meme-able” way, which can create clickback and substantial traction to the brand’s original post.

Sticky Sound

If you want content to stick with the masses, you should consider following these guidelines when creating your audio components:

  • Comedic in nature: Humour is one of the most memorable and emotionally impactful tools anyone can leverage. When using a funny song or sound, not only are you providing enjoyment to the listener, but a comedic sound has a much higher chance of “getting stuck” in someone’s head than any other type of content. People love to replay, and/or share, anything that can make them laugh.
  • Catchphrases or relevant lyrics: Lyrics or phrases in your audio that evoke a sense of familiarity have a higher chance of being repurposed by creators since they have already exhibited popularity and relevance.

Comedy and familiarity are two great qualities to make your audio “stick” and get picked for the next iteration of content consumption and sharing.

Well Placed/Paced Sound

Music that has a great tempo for editing or good pacing has a higher chance of resonating with consumers. If your lyrics are timed to imagery and the sound and visual compliment each other just right, the better the chance your viewers will share, and creators will repurpose.

Recently, I saw that one of my favourite artists, Woodkid’s “Run Boy Run,” was trending on IG with this new challenge of how well your friends know your passions. This is a great example of “well placed” sound and pacing.

Trending Sound

Jumping on mainstream bandwagons is a good way to boost your content. Whether there’s a new dance challenge, photo collage, or creator trend, getting your audio in conjunction with trending content, through aligned hashtags, is a great way to get recycled by social media algorithms.

A good example of a song that created a photo trend was “As it Was,” by Harry Styles. Creators’ interpretations of the lyrics incited a trend of posting photos of themselves over the years, documenting their personal change. The audio had great tempo for editing to the visuals, and the lyrics complimented the imagery well.

Although a lot of trends use mainstream songs, the thread between all of them is that they have been used as memes organically. Pay attention to trends on social media, and listen close to how the audio propels them.

Celebrity Sound

Any celebrity driven content, whether there’s use of a known song or an original, will always get attention. If a celebrity starts the trend, then the chance of it going viral and being recreated is even higher.

A good example of this is Lizzo’s song “About Damn Time.” Not only was her song already catchy and a popular hit, but it ignited a dance challenge that caught fire fast. The lyrics worked perfectly with the imagery, and the dance videos had the comedic and expressive elements we discussed earlier, especially since Lizzo herself got involved. Tacking on celebrity driven trends like these challenges, are a great way for your videos to get exposure, and for you to be a part of the chatter.

Nostalgic Sound

Many songs that have been trending well on TikTok, for instance, have displayed audio components that evoke nostalgia. Nostalgia is such a powerful emotion to tap into for brands, and a great way to ignite and connect different audience demographics. “Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush, is a great example of this. Not only is the 1985 hit trending again because of its recent resurgence in Stranger Things, but younger creators are now reposting videos of themselves in different contexts, some relating to the show, and some not at all.

The song’s combo of nostalgia, great tempo for editing, and imagery, made it a perfect recipe for viral content, especially since it was in conjunction with a hit show.

“The chances of going viral can be improved by choosing classic chart-toppers that may find a revival among younger audiences. When a beloved artist is found by Gen-Z audiences, it leads to gatekeeping by longtime fans, as well as counter-gatekeeping by fans who are thrilled to see a younger audience connecting with one of their favourite artists’ music.” (The Conversation).

Conclusion

When creating your content, remember to be intentional with your sound. How is it going to resonate, and why will it? What’s the tangible longevity of this campaign, and is it meme-able?

“Songs with short catchy hooks that are attached to eye-grabbing visual sequences in clips that are sixty, or better yet thirty, seconds maximum are more likely to be picked up on and shared on TikTok.” (The Conversation).

In January 2021, The MIT Technology Review published an article entitled “The future of social networks might be audio.” With the upsurge of audio related content being made, it proves one point over and over again, we all just really want to be HEARD. People, brands, stories, theories, you name it, music helps us be heard.

As we continue to become more globally connected via social media the one thing that always stands true: the language of sound and music is universal.

By Jessica Entner

Jessica Entner is the founder and executive creative producer of JEM Music+Strategy

Sourced from Muse by Clio

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A primer for using music in marketing

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By Adrianne Pasquarelli.

Brand Playbook looks at best practices for using copyrighted music—and how to avoid snafus.

Indoor cycling company Peloton pedaled into some legal trouble in March—to the tune of $150 million—when the brand was sued for trademark infringement by a group of music publishers representing the likes of Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars. For Peloton, which has made a name for itself by selling a fitness experience built on music, the lawsuit exemplifies a larger issue that newer brands face as they grow from scrappy upstart to seasoned marketer.

“The small startups may get away with using music without a royalty for a couple of reasons: They’re unknown to musical artists or their publishing houses, or they’re just too small to be bothered with,” says Scott Rogers, a partner in the copyright and trademark litigation group at the law firm Ulmer & Berne. “But as companies grow, continued use of unlicensed music certainly has the potential to be a real problem for them.”

When Peloton debuted seven years ago, it was relatively small and unknown. But the brand has exploded in popularity in recent years, investing more in marketing and introducing a new treadmill product as it prepares to go public this year. While it eventually removed classes featuring songs by the popular artists in question, it has also changed tactics, recently counter- suing the group of music publishers, alleging anticompetitive behavior.

“Very often there’s a cavalier attitude toward licensing music, even though music is a big part of what they’re doing,” says Owen Sloane, partner in the entertainment, media and arts department at law firm Eisner, noting the risks could include complaints from brand investors.

Experts say there are several strategies marketers can employ to avoid musical snafus—as well as the unwanted press that goes along with them—and also get the most bang for their buck. Some tactics could even improve brands’ use of music in their marketing by encouraging more consumer engagement.

“Brands that incorporate a good music strategy play a role in the consumer’s life beyond the product,” says Eric Sheinkop, author of the book “Return of the Hustle: The Art of Marketing With Music,” and an executive board member of SoStereo, a company that provides sonic identities for brands.

Try a cover
Marketers that might not be able to afford the costs of securing licenses from all of the creators involved with a song—writers, publishers and
artists—could opt for a cover version of the song instead. In this strategy, the brand only needs to get rights from publishers and, in some cases, from others, but covers are much cheaper options, experts say. Brands could also personalize cover songs for different markets—an Italian version in Italy, for example.
“It gives you the ability to localize anthems or campaigns by doing covers,” says Sheinkop.

Experiment with shorter terms
When Budweiser aired its Super Bowl spot earlier this year, it paid top dollar for the rights to Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind” to promote its use of wind power—but those rights were only for a limited time, compared with the typical three-to-six-month minimums. Anheuser-Busch InBev had the Dylan rights for two weeks before turning to a rerecorded version of the song by the Cloves for future broadcasts. Using short-term rights is a smart way to save money but still make a big splash, experts say.

Do it in stages
Some music publishers are willing to work on alternative plans for startups short on cash, according to Sloane. He says that startups could devise a contract with a publisher that starts with a less expensive license, and builds to something more lucrative as the brand becomes more successful and has more money to allocate to music license fees. While this practice is not widespread, it could work for marketers like Peloton, which start small and grow more popular.

Mix it up
Some brands have found success in both avoiding lawsuits and keeping costs low by using a mix of music sources. Zumba, the global fitness brand based in Hallandale Beach, Florida, creates one-third of its music in-house as exclusives; sources one-third from lesser-known, independent artists; and licenses hits from established, popular musicians for the last third. The formula has worked well for the company, which can also claim it “discovered” several musicians who went on to larger success and recognition, such as Jenn Morel and Don Omar. Zumba works with thousands of artists.

“The Zumba experience has many different elements,” says AlbertoPerlman, CEO at the 18-year-old brand, noting switches from Reggaeton to hip-hop to salsa, for example. “When we can’t find the right song we say, ‘Let’s create one.’”

Consider tapping technology
There’s also more technology available to help marketers find the best music mix for their brands. Sheinkop’s company SoStereo has developed an AI tool that will create music in the vein of popular songs already in existence.
“It’s not all or nothing,” Sheinkop says, referring to the choice between expensive big-name artists or bland elevator music. “There’s a lot of opportunity in-between.”

Feature Image Credit: Tam Nguyen

By Adrianne Pasquarelli.

A reporter with Ad Age since 2015, Adrianne Pasquarelli covers the marketing strategies of retailers and financial institutions. She joined Ad Age after a dozen years of writing for Crain’s New York Business, where she also focused on the retail industry. Over the course of her career, she has won awards from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers, the National Association of Real Estate Editors and the Jesse H. Neal Awards.

Sourced from AdAge

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Want Your Band to be Famous? Then Get Your Music on Video Games

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There’s a whole genre of music that has grown inside the world of gaming. Many now-famous bands got their mainstream breakthrough thanks to this process. So if you have a band, you need to read this.

By Nicole Buckler

The symbiotic relationship between music and video games is now so established that a games studio called Bugbear Entertainment is searching for bands to submit music to them. The winning tunes will be played inside their latest racing game: Wreckfest.

Bugbear Entertainment specialises in action driving. They have been making car games for sixteen years, starting with Rally Trophy. They are best known for the critically acclaimed demolition racing series FlatOut (2004-2007, PC, PS2, Xbox, Xbox 360) and street racing title Ridge Racer Unbounded (2013, PC, PS3, Xbox 360).

As of yesterday, Bugbear are calling for bands everywhere to send in their tunes to accompany gamers while they race and smash the crap out of each other in their latest game. The winning prize is $3,500 and there are nine runner-up prizes of $1,000 per track. But it is not the money that’s the real prize: it is exposure to their gamers that is the real coup. There are hundreds and thousands of them.

The winning music will be featured on games released on Playstation 4, Xbox One and PC. Bands featured in previous Bugbear releases have included upcoming indie bands and household names like Megadeth, Rob Zombie, Fall Out Boy, Audioslave and Skrillex.

So if you have a band, get on it. You can apply here.

Want to check out the competition? You can listen to the other entries here.

This innovative approach to sourcing music is evidence of a growing realisation amongst game designers, that there are thousands of unheard of bands out there. According to Bugbear, “They just need the right chance to have their music heard internationally, and by the right demographic to get to that critical mass of fans to push them to the next level of popularity.”

For more established bands like Megadeth, putting their music inside high-selling video games offers a symbiotic relationship. Gaming studios can promote Megadeth music to their gamers, and Megadeth’s fans might be more open to buying games that have their favourite tunes in it. It’s a match made in cross-promotion heaven.

Bugbear is very interested in getting the sound right for their games, which is why they are letting their gamers cast their votes on the tracks they want to hear while playing the game. Happy customers, more sales. Well, in theory, anyway.

Music has always been a vital part of the gaming experience. The aim of Wreckfest is to create an immersive experience for the player, one where the in-game radio feeds the road rage in all of us. While you can blast your tunes out on your REAL car radio, you can’t smash the crap out of other drivers while doing so. But, in Wreckfest, you can. What’s not to like? Smashing other people up and decent tunes? It’s win-win.

The Wreckfest title will be published soon by THQ Nordic. While it is not yet for sale, you can have a little preview play of it here.

Drivers…start your engines.

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