What Does The Future Of Advertising Sound Like?

Managing Director of Squeak E. Clean Studios, a creative audio network crafting culture-defining soundtracks for brands & entertainment.

When the pandemic rendered communities worldwide housebound overnight, marketers (who were in the same strenuous scenario personally) were forced to pivot their messaging or risk offending audiences. Given the unprecedented nature of this occurrence, it was no surprise that most — if not all — of them played it safe. With production halted, stock footage was used to craft fresh video content. When it came to music and sound design, this “safe” lane was accompanied by an overly prevalent shift toward somber melodies. This sad piano trend became so ubiquitous that it was spoofed in several faux ads by industry insiders. As we cautiously look toward a more hopeful future, what will advertising in that new world sound like?

A Reflection of Culture

With the collective slowdown that came along with the pandemic, a critical focus on systemic disparities finally reached a breaking point after many of these key issues were stifled beneath the surface for too long. The powerful Black Lives Matter movement, as well as timely and provocative conversations surrounding climate change and gender and racial disparities in the workplace and beyond, rapidly had a profound influence on art and culture. Yet, these hot button issues that have been dominating headlines were largely ignored in brand marketing for an all-too-familiar desire to play it safe. While the fear of being canceled as a brand in 2021 is one that should not be taken lightly, audiences — especially younger audiences — appreciate when brands weigh in on timely issues and have a distinct cultural point of view.

While companies in the advertising space certainly engaged in dynamic conversations surrounding these seismic shifts, as work gradually returned to pre-pandemic volumes, the issues have remained, but the focus immediately reverted back to the advertising industry’s all-too-familiar grind mentality. Instead of leaning into the cultural renaissance that has occurred over the past 18 months, the industry’s attention is once again focused on the never-ending rat race to ride the latest trend or hashtag.

The undeniable emotive power of music is something advertisers should harness to bring meaningful support and messaging to these vital cultural and societal movements. Closely following the cross-section of artists and genres helping to drive these movements is key to adding value to the conversation and the cause, and avoiding passive bandwagon participation. So which artists and musical trends are the most passionate about these cultural and societal issues? And how are those artists expressing their thoughts, feelings and frustration through their music? Culturally, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done, which means that music — whether in pop culture or in advertising — should avoid relying on playing it safe and instead make a step toward affecting real, meaningful change.

Authenticity Begins Internally

Companies can no longer get away with pushing DEI initiatives down the priority list, but many are making promises they soon stray away from. We are passionate about bringing a diverse lineup of composers, sound designers, engineers and producers to our projects. While these have always been goals for us, as a small company they were shifted away from a top priority. However, we have deliberately renewed our focus from the top down to filter every business decision through other points of view. We will continually evolve, questioning and challenging ourselves to be open to hearing things from a different perspective and empowering voices with a platform to reach wider audiences. Not only do we want to continue to expand our internal team to be more reflective of the audiences we aim to reach with our work, but also we are passionate about supporting the music community by partnering with emerging artists who bring an authentic cultural perspective to the work.

Recently, we created an original track for Herradura Tequila that featured our intern, whose parents are from Zimbabwe, and her knowledge of contemporary African Dance music. She helped us capture the infectious dance sound that represents current global club trends and avoids any stereotypical choices that may be seen with a Mexican tequila brand. She worked with our creative director to explore bass-heavy, contemporary Pan-African dance music with lyrics written in Shona, the predominant language of Zimbabwe. The lyrics “ndiri kufamba, ndiri kutamba” translate to “I am walking, I am playing,” which is a common expression from the region for having a great time. In this project, we were able to weave in an authentic global viewpoint to create a sound much more interesting and representative of the brand’s vibrant international consumer base.

Listen to the Voices of the Next Generation

Historically, musical trends have always been defined by the younger generations. With Gen Z embracing a more fluid identity structure, the music they are creating follows a similar dexterity. Artists breaking out today are not encumbered by a narrow genre. Instead, they are continuing to evolve their sound across multiple musical genres, with no walls or limits existing with what they do with their art. In 2021, music culture is soaring and both its trajectory and style are something that can’t be pinned down — and that’s exciting. The artists emerging today are embracing the process of using music to express their many points of view. While Lil Nas X soared to viral popularity with his country rap single “Old Town Road,” both the music and the art he’s released surrounding his music have continued to bring fresh new sounds and perspectives that can’t be contained within a single style. In advertising, the shift toward a fluid musical style opens up endless possibilities for broadening reach with a sound that folds in influences from a wide range of genres and cultural perspectives.

What does the future of advertising sound like? It sounds like the reverberation of the collective cry for change that has run rampant across the globe. It’s the sound of new voices opening the eyes of others to rich, diverse international cultures. It sounds like something fresh, vibrant, resilient and constantly evolving. What does it not sound like? The familiar tones of what it used to be.

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Author: Hamish Macdonald, Forbes Councils Member