Tracks & Fields 2021 review – Episode 02: Epic proportions

Our second episode of our 2021 review is all about epic usage of music and sound.

There are various reasons as to why a company might choose to use epic music in their advert. Sometimes it can be to simply create a feeling of grandeur or importance, in order to convey the idea that the product is of high quality or is something special. Other times, it may be used to create an emotional response from the viewer, in an attempt to make them feel more positively about the product.

As a first epic dimension we selected a project that – at the point of releasing this post – is on heavy broadcast rotation. It’s an advert by Zalando, the fashion e-tailer. The song we cleared and licensed for this project is ‘Outro’ by M83. Instead of underlining wide or huge imagery, the piece unfolds the inner grandeut of strong emotions during Christmas time that people experience when sharing a moment together.

Epic music soundtracking epic imagery is a weel-working couple. In a project we did for Toyota, the task was to translate the force of nature as well as the power of the product into music and sound design. We did that by creating a build-up like in a hollywood trailer. It starts with reduced sound design, then continuously builds up in tempo and energy to reach its climax by a string and rhythm theme.

Lastly, epic music can be even used in a humorous context. When working on a project for Telekom, the classical piece by Carl Orff ‘O furtuna’ was the perfect choice to convey the idea of small things of epic importance. Add some godzilla reference and it instantly turns into a short movie that makes you smile.