Ad Roundup – #10 October 2021

What do Bisto, John Lewis, eBay, IKEA and EE all have in common? They’ve all been hand-picked as the best uses of music in advertising in October 2021. Thunderous applause ensues from our resident Music Consultant Lizz Harman in this months ad roundup.

Bisto – ‘Sticking Together’

Well, well, well, after 9 extremely humble, entirely modest and all-together self-effacing ad-round ups (Sept missed due to being on holibobs), the time has finally come to toot our own horn! Yes folks, this month I’ve decided that DLMDD’s very own top Production Director Greg Moore should be rightly bestowed a place on my highly esteemed list of “best uses of music in advertising” for the month of October. A month primarily famous for its pumpkins (…spiced lattes), ghosts, ghouls, the latest instalment of Michael Myers’ seemingly never-ending murder spree and now… gravy! For context, our Greg worked closely with composer Ben Cocks to pen the charming tune “By Your Side” for Bisto’s new spot “Sticking Together”, their first spot in 6 years, in fact!

Ben’s wholesome vocals and simple lyrical themes support the film’s authentic aesthetic whilst providing additional layers of emotional nuance that feel true to and representative of the story.

“Sticking Together” tells the touching through-the-ages story of two women’s friendship over the course of 30-years and many shared roasts. From Sundays spent at each other’s houses, to student digs, to boyfriends, to break-ups, to finally having families of their own; the spot champions the humble Sunday roast as a timeless bonding ritual. The glue that keeps their friendship strong when everything else around them is changing. (and, really, is there a better glue than gravy?) But, what does a wholesome film about friendship, roast dinners & gravy need, you ask? Well, an equally wholesome song about the power of friendship, of course!

The original composition (produced by us, DLMDD) is wholly reflective of the spot’s distinctly human tone. Ben’s wholesome vocals and simple lyrical themes support the film’s authentic aesthetic whilst providing additional layers of emotional nuance that feel true to and representative of the story. Ahh, besties.

Agency: McCann London, Prod Co: Sweetshop, Director: Nicholas Jack Davies

John Lewis – ‘Let Life Happen’

This spot spawned substantial online hysteria from the usual sad slew of bafflingly distressed keyboard warriors (and has since been pulled…!) because 1. Boy is dancing whilst wearing dress and make-up 2. Boy is allowed to wreck house whilst mum and sister quietly watch on, leading people to believe John Lewis supports misogyny. 3. Boy is intentionally destroying household contents – resulting damage to said household contents would likely be deemed ‘non-accidental’ and would, therefore, not be covered by John Lewis insurance i.e. John Lewis is propagating misleading insurance information (god help us all). The list goes on.

So, not only do these Westboro Baptist Church cast-offs not appreciate joy or a child’s right to freely express their creativity in whichever way they choose (sad) they also CLEARLY have no respect for the sanctity of Stevie Nicks’ 1981 classic “The Edge of Seventeen”. Or, as I prefer to think of it, the soundtrack to Joan Cusack and Jack Black getting drunk together in the 2004 classic, ‘School of Rock’.

Luckily for you, John Lewis, I have the utmost respect and appreciation for a child’s right to creative expression, Stevie Nicks, and good value home insurance. Meaning you have, therefore, earned a deserved spot on my Ad Round-Up. For sheer good taste.

Agency: Adam&EveDDB

eBay – ‘Buy a Thing, sell a Thing’

eBay is inspiring members to get into the recycling habit and earn a little money too by selling off unwanted items instead of chucking them in the bin (which is what I always believed to be eBay’s sole purpose but perhaps the general population needed a musical reminder!?)

Tapping into growing environmental awareness among consumers ‘When you buy a thing, sell a thing’ serves to extend the shelf life of our treasured goods beyond a single owner, highlighting the material and emotional value unwanted commodities can bring in the right hands.

The campaign cleverly uses a bespoke musical number to safely deliver its message of encouraged sustainability. The vocal delivery is relaxed and engaging, the conversational tone drawing listeners in with ease, the intended message is received loud and clear, whilst the playful backing vocals and upbeat instrumentation keeps the overall tone fun, bright and charming – all key to distract from the ad’s real reason for existence: the fact that the planet is dying at an exponential rate x

Agency: McCann London, Prod Co: Riff Raff Films, Director: David Wilson

EE – ‘Phone Smart’

Another brand harnessing the power of musiqué to cleverly get their point across. This time, it’s to teach kids about the dangers of the modern adult’s closest friend and sworn enemy… their phone!

The initiative, called PhoneSmart, is a free-to-access online course aimed at 10–13-year-olds getting their first phone, and is designed to educated them on how to stay safe and be kind online… BRB signing up to this course (she says as she willingly facilitates her phone’s rapid draining of her life force day by day without making a single effort to stop it).

According to Oxfam, 81 per cent of 12-15 year olds have had at least one potentially harmful experience online in the past year. Which seems low considering I have a harmful experience every single time I open Instagram.

Musician Clement Marfo delivers an at once witty, insightful and somewhat unsettling rap performance, highlighting not only the breadth of fun things that can be done with a phone, from creating new dance routines to learning a new skill, but also the dangers that children may be exposed to.

According to Oxfam, 81 per cent of 12-15 year olds have had at least one potentially harmful experience online in the past year. Which seems low considering I have a harmful experience every single time I open Instagram.

But, anyway, good on ya EE.

Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi, Prod Co: Blink, Director: Will Hooper

IKEA – Every home should be a haven

Bears. Beats. Sampa the Great.

Solid.

Agency: Mother, Prod Co: Pretty Bird, Director: Tom Noakes

Go on… Read more of Lizz’s ad roundups here.