\nClassical music – and by that we mean anything within the realm of Baroque to 20th century – is an interesting thing. It represents the sounds that, regardless of birth year, we\u2019ve all grown up with. Whether you were forced to take music lessons at a young age or not, nobody goes their life without familiarising themselves with the likes of Beethoven\u2019s fifth symphony or Mozart\u2019s \u2018Eine kleine Nachtmusik\u2019. In short, it\u2019s iconic, world-round, and you\u2019d know it if you heard it.<\/p>\n
Of course, within the realm of advertising, that can be a very potent tool. The power of music is seldom lost on people in today\u2019s era, but when you\u2019re playing with tools that EVERYONE will recognise, both the potential for success (and disaster) scale dramatically. When done right, it can bring together the best, amalgamating creativity with the unexpected-yet-familiar, providing expressive and defiant tuning and elevating the work. But on the other hand, badly-selected music can make a mockery of the work, proving cheesy, stuffy and problematic, and making listeners shake their heads in disappointment.<\/p>\n
With that in mind, to discuss the good examples of classical music in advertising, and how to avoid missteps in this regard, LBB\u2019s Josh Won Neufeldt sat down with some of the industry\u2019s brightest musical minds.<\/p>\n
An important prerequisite of the classical music world is deep knowledge of the repertoire. It takes someone who understands classical music to be able to successfully use it in a modern arena. From Bach to Stravinsky, there\u2019s something deeply human embedded in the harmony and organic qualities of orchestral and chamber music. When you can tap into that human aspect, it can elevate almost any message you\u2019re trying to convey.<\/p>\n
For my work on the Coca-Cola \u2018Scream\u2019 spot, having the ability to point out Rossini’s \u2018La Gazza Ladra<\/a>\u2019 as a musical representation of its piece required both knowledge of the repertoire and an understanding of the mechanics of opera overtures. They\u2019re energetic, always changing, and contain a lot of musical information. So, editing around it can be tricky, but the end result is worth it.<\/p>\n