Music can be used in advertising in four main ways: 1) to gain attention, 2) to establish mood or emotions, 3) to evoke a time period, and 4) to identify a brand. Around 40% of TV commercials by major advertisers use music, though that percentage rises to 85% during prime time. A study found that music lowered purchase intentions for highly involved groups but increased them for less involved groups. The document encourages applying these principles by setting a small, time-bound goal to use music in an ad.

1. Music and effects
Music in ads
Prepared by J. Scott Armstrong (details on him at jscottarmstrong.com).
Please inform Scott about errors and also make suggestions (armstrong@wharton.upenn.edu)
Scott has taken these slides from adprin.com, a site that he founded. That site contains interactive versions of these
slides, along with linked references, videos, and webcasts, all in PPT and PPTX format that you can download.

2. Music in ads
How can music be used in advertising?
Click for a list.
Adapted from AdPrin.com 2

3. 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
Evidence
• A study shows that the high-involvement group
had lower purchase intentions when hearing
music, and the findings were reversed for the
low-involvement group (Park and Young 1986 - see Persuasive
Advertising p 272)
• See AdPrin.com for more information.

4. 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.
Adapted from AdPrin.com