The Good, Bad and Ugly Ways Brands Work with Bands

As Advertising Week Europe comes to a conclusion, we look back on Spotify’s I’m With The Brand workshop and see how the internet has affected the links between adland and musical talent.

The music industry and commercial brands come from two different worlds, but partnerships involving more than just big money deals are evolving and thriving.

Both parties clearly benefit from working together; brands can get endorsed in an authentic way and inspire music lovers to buy products, while musicians can reach new audiences and build a fanbase.

Panellists at Spotify’s Advertising Week Europe session said partnerships between brands and musicians have entered a new level since the age of online music downloads.

“Obviously money does come into it because of the way the landscape has changed. Brands help fund bands’ very existence,” says Matt Everitt, radio presenter and producer for Radio 2 and BBC 6 music.

“Bands recognise that the more platforms they can tap into, the better. You can’t just rely on radio anymore and the turnover is so great that any foothold you can get, be it with a small clothing company or a huge thing with Red Bull, is vital.” 

Very little revenue has come from music’s move to the World Wide Web – CD sales are a fraction of what they once were and illegal music downloads are almost impossible to stamp out. Perhaps music can no longer pay its own way?

There are many examples of partnerships where both the artist and the brand have excelled.

Justin Timberlake has embraced working in advertising – from his decision to revamp the McDonald's theme song I'm Lovin' It, to his pairing with Pepsi. He’s now embraced branding further by becoming creative director of Callaway golf equipment.

Amy Winehouse and Fred Perry are also a fine example – the brand chose to work with her because she openly loved wearing the clothes.

The partnership was believable, both fans and consumers bought into it and that meant it had longevity. The relationship continues to live on after Amy’s death; with Fred Perry making seasonal donations to The Amy Winehouse Foundation.

Bob Dylan has even got involved in the brand game, recently making a hit commercial for Chrysler, which aired during the Super Bowl earlier this year.

Spotify’s Chris Maples says 78 per cent of brand managers claim music plays a big part in developing their brand. It’s no longer a case of sticking any famous face with any brand – the partnership has to be a good match.

However this, arguably, wasn’t the case if you look at this year’s South by Southwest (SXSW) festival, where the big boom in musicians working with brands is more evident than ever.

Big brands dominated the performance space with Jay Z and Kanye West taking to the stage for Samsung, Coldplay rocking it for iTunes and Lady Gaga puking (yes, puking!) for Doritos.

The singer has never gone down the ‘cheesy’ route with her performances, and she certainly didn’t let her link to the brand hold her back.

After smothering herself in barbecue sauce she invited a fellow performer to vomit green liquid all over her. Not exactly a performance that urges people to start munching on a bag of Doritos!

Another question that needs to be asked is whether new artists could be suffering due to brands plucking the crème de la crème of the music industry for their ads?

“There are a lot of brands who are really targeting up-and-coming artists rather than big names,” reassures Charles Fitzgerald, head of artist partnerships at PIAS.

“They all want to be a part of how these artists broke. If you can land that hot new band it’s great and the beauty of it is it costs nowhere near the amount of a Jay Z or a Beyonce.”

One artist who emerged through working with brands is Ingrid Michaelson. Her song The Way I Am featured in an Old Navy commercial and she’s gone on to promote Google Chrome, Mott’s Apple Juice, Ritz Crackers and Stand Up to Cancer. The singer-songwriter’s work is rarely played on the radio but she now has 175,000 followers on Twitter.

Spotify is also using lesser known artists in its ads, seeking up popular YouTube talent rather than conventional celebrities.

“We work predominantly with new and emerging artists,” says Jack Milligan, head of branded experiences Europe at Spotify.

“This is partly because of how much they cost, but also because they’re much more interesting.”

Back in the 1980s, Michael Jackson’s signing with Pepsi was huge news. But it’s now commonplace for music artists and brands to work hand-in-hand – all thanks to the internet.