Commercial Sound

Abstract

Music is popular in advertising. It is the sometimes celebrated, sometimes mourned marriage of art and commerce. While many have theorized with respect to this relationship, few have observed and analyzed its results. This chapter reviews empirical studies on the reception of popular music in advertising in television and radio on attention, memory, attitudes, and purchase intention. Relevant experiments are summarized and analyzed, leading to the formation of comprehensive tables of independent music variables such as appeal, fit, melody, mood, and tempo and their effects on consumer attention, recall, attitude toward the ad and the brand, and purchase intention. A summary of empirical results will provide a foundation for future research into the commercial use of sound.