Ad Digger – 12.2.2016


 
Still reminiscing about last week’s Super Bowl 50, adland is full of Super Bowl lists, from the top adverts you should watch over again and again to the top 5 worst Super Bowl adverts of this year. But with the Super Bowl still top of advert news, it’s easy to forget that there is a big branding holiday just around the corner.
 

 

With Valentine’s Day this Sunday, some brands have already released their love themed campaigns, with one of the best coming from Netflix. Netflix’s Valentine’s campaign features a parody of The Proclaimers hit ‘I Would Walk (500 Miles)’, but instead of 500 miles it’s 500 hours of binge watching a Netflix original series.

 

For this week’s selection of the best licensed music in advertising, we’ve followed on the theme of love, with emotional, humorous and inspiring adverts.

 
Hershey’s – ‘My Dad’
 
An overworked father finds a cardboard replacement for his work meetings in Hershey’s emotional advert. Hershey’s advert sees a father unable to spend time with his daughter at home due to constant work Skype meetings. As his daughter decides to find a cardboard replacement to go shopping for Hershey’s chocolate with, the advert appears to be heading down the route of finding a replacement father figure. But the twist comes at the end, when the father uses the cardboard cut out to replace him on Skype. For the full effect of emotion, Hershey’s have pre-cleared a soft and powerful track for the advert. But in the theme of father-daughter relationships, Hershey’s sync license is not just any emotional song. It’s a powerful cover of the original Steve Winwood song by his daughter Lilly Winwood.
 

 
Song: Higher Love
Artist: Lilly Winwood
Agency: Arnold Worldwide
 

McDonald’s – ‘Sure Thing’

 
A good day is fleeting in McDonald’s Irish adverts. In a series of ads, McDonald’s Ireland are sync licensing the track ‘Good Day’ by Nappy Roots & Greg Street to encompass the good feelings of hopeful romantics. In this ad, one hopeful thinks he’s got lucky when he’s invited into the house at the end of a date, but to his disappointment it’s only to meet the parents. The humour of the advert comes with the use of music, with the licensed music playing just as the character’s hopes get up, then cutting out with the twist – the parent’s being home.
 

 
Song: Good Day
Artist: Nappy Roots & Greg Street
Agency: Cawley Nea TBWA
 
Adidas – ‘Nicole Winhoffer’
 
In a series of ads celebrating female strength and performance, Adidas are enlisting Instagram stars to show off their talents in their newest advertising campaign. In this ad, fitness artist Nicole Winhoffer’s Instagram account comes to life with catchy pre-cleared music from Matt Sofo. With licensed music that sounds like it would be heard in a fitness studio, the advert portrays the brand’s sportswear as powerful and inspires the audience to get active.
 

 
Song: Bend Yo’ Back
Artist: Matt Sofo ft. Coco
Agency: 72andSunny

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