1. When to Use Music in Commercials View as slide show Adapted from AdPrin.com

2. How can music be used in advertising? Click for a list. Music can be used to 1.gain attention, 2.establish mood or emotions, 3.evoke a time period, 4.identify a brand. Percentage of TV commercials (by major advertisers) that use music: 40%, although 85% in prime time Adapted from AdPrin.com Music in ads 2

3. List reasons when music might be persuasive in commercials – and when it should not be used When you have written your list, go to the next slide.

4. Do not use music for high-involvement products with strong arguments Experiments have found that music interferes with the ability of customers to understand new information. Thus, music is not recommended for high-involvement products with strong arguments that are new to the target market. (e.g., see Park and Young 1986).Park and Young 1986 Non-experimental data analyses have reached the same conclusions. Summaries of the evidence can be found in Persuasive Advertising, pp. 272-273.

5. French and German wine experiment You go to a supermarket. While there, you walk past a wine display with German and French wine. German music is playing. Would this make you more likely to purchase German wine? Click to see how it influenced others in an experiment. If German music, twice as much German wine. If French music, five times as much French wine. When asked why, only 2% mentioned music, and 86% said music had no influence on their choice (North, Hargreaves, and McKendrick 1999).North, Hargreaves, and McKendrick 1999 If music or sound effects are used, make them relevant to the product (10.3.2). Adapted from AdPrin.com5

6. Based on this exercise, write a small application step for yourself, and set a deadline, preferably within one week. If you are working with someone else, share your application plan and the results of your application. For example, review some of your TV commercials for high- involvement products. Did they use music? If so, were the arguments weak and was the music relevant to the product? Adapted from AdPrin.com Application