Cam and Peyton aren't the only ones feeling some serious pressure right now. Identifying the music that will be heard by millions in a Super Bowl commercial is an inspiring, yet daunting opportunity. As the director of music for Leo Burnett USA, I've spent weeks tirelessly searching for that standout song, thinking the Big Game might be my big chance to get exceptional new music to the largest audience imaginable. But sometimes the idea changes. Or the commercial is pulled. Or we shift creative focus and end up finding the best possible instrumental track to more subtly and simply supplement the greater communication.
My job is to understand what's best for the creative idea and my client's business. And sometimes this means sitting back in my armchair and quarterbacking a music review of the Big Game I may or may not be playing in (he winks).
I encourage everyone to join this game within the game: Consider the specific musical direction for each commercial and think about how it shapes your opinion of each. Here are some guidelines to play along. How are your ears feeling?
Watch out for genre surprises and/or favoritism.
I'm interested to hear which flavor of electronic music will dominate this year, especially after big electronic dance tracks have broken in recent Super Bowl ads from a slew of artists beginning with "A:" Avicci, Afrojack, A-Trak. Even that shape-shifting, reggae-meets-trap-hop track in the Loctite commercial was a hit. I hope we have more instances of that style of music being used as comedy, too.
As for the favorite strategies, I expect marketers to continue to strike an emotional chord with the widespread appeal of classic folk or acoustic pop-based songwriting. We all loved Budweiser's use of "Landslide" a couple years ago, and it's not uncommon to have Mr. Dylan pop up one way or another. Last year, "Cat's in the Cradle" by Harry Chapin for Nissan's spot, and a cover of "This Land Is Your Land" by Woody Guthrie for Jeep sealed the deal. It's a powerful way to connect with viewers when the idea and song work together so well.
If it's a new song, did it blow you away?
I'm hoping Super Bowl 50 has some great musical surprises in store. We all remember fun.'s ascent to pop dominance via the Super Bowl, let alone classics like Ray Charles and the Pepsi girls back in the 90s. Last year, Coke brought us the incredible "Show Me Love" by Hundred Waters, but sadly the internet backlash around the concept seemed to lose the minimalism and vulnerability of the vocal performance and lyrics. A rare, but truly fulfilling occurrence is when a relatively unknown artist I love gets some national spotlight, which was perfectly captured conceptually and sonically in Audi's 2013 "Prom" spot featuring "Can't Win 'Em All" by Hanni El Khatib.
Book or the cover?
An always interesting battle to watch is that of the cover song vs. the original track. It's common for advertisers to create new, unique recordings of well known songs for creative reasons, or to save significant money by not licensing the popular master recording -- or oftentimes both. The extremely broad reach of a Super Bowl ad typically justifies paying for the most popular recording, but marketers are getting more creative lately. Last year alone, Capitol Record's artist Marc Scibilia did the cover for the aforementioned Jeep spot, as well as indie artist Sleeping At Last covering "500 Miles" by The Proclaimers for Budweiser. So listen intently to any recognizable songs and discern whether it's the classic recording, or an interesting new version. Sometimes covers fall flat, but there's nothing like fresh life breathed into a great song.
Even if your favorite team isn't in the game, I invite all of you to join me for some armchair quarterbacking. You might just find an old favorite band making a surprise appearance or even discover a new track that leaves you humming long after the victor's been named.
Following the game, I'll share what I consider to be the winners of the night on leoburnett.com.