Music engages most of our senses, but the strongest of them is feeling. (You thought we’d say hearing, right? Wrong!) That’s why we so often turn to music for inspiration when we want our clients to feel something, encouraging them all to pick “soul songs” from which to help drive branding ideas. People connect with music in a primal way. No one knows this better than Philadelphia-based musician and bon vivant Adam Weiner, aka Low Cut Connie.

Known for his high-energy live shows, Low Cut Connie has a stage presence that’s almost unmatched in today’s musical landscape. He personifies the Yalo tenet of “amping it up to 11” in almost every way, which made him a natural fit to partner with Yalo. For over ten years, Yalo and Low Cut Connie have shared a love of bringing music into everything they do, and have supported each other through branding and event opportunities. 

When it came time for Low Cut Connie’s summer residence at Ardmore Theater, we knew we had to jump in and tell the world about it, with a website that allowed for the kind of fan interaction that LCC was known for (in digital form, of course). Instead of just the ability to get information and purchase tickets, this site allowed fans to choose the song they wanted Low Cut Connie to cover at each of his shows, with a selection that changed every week. 

Since the audience was allowed to pick the songs, it resulted in some… interesting choices. Here’s the band performing “Part of Your World” from The Little Mermaid, much to Adam’s delight (warning: adult content throughout):

Says Adam: 

“I absolutely loved working with my Digital Yalo pals on my project, the Connie Club, this past summer. It was a complex idea with a lot of different media elements, and Josh, Arnold and the Yalo team had great collaborative ideas right from the start. They sculpted an interactive platform for me that brought me closer to my fans and was exciting for everyone involved. I always love working with these guys and hope to continue doing so in the future.” 

Music and branding will always go hand-in-hand, as people respond to music in a way that can help make brand work memorable. Marketers have known and used that information for… oh, since around the first television ad. 

At Yalo, we know that it can be used for more than just a background track. We encourage our Tribe and clients to find their own “Soul Song,” the song that hits the emotional core of you or your brand.

Want to learn more about how music can help your brand? Just ask! Want to jam out to Low Cut Connie? No asking needed. 

A lot has been written about the importance of music in branding. Whether it’s discovering a new favorite song in a commercial (“Pink Moon” in a VW ad), hearing a jingle that you sing over and over again for years despite never having set foot in the store (O-O-O-Oreilly’s!), or the sweeping score that adds even more melodrama to a heart wrenching spot (looking at you, multitude of P&G Olympics ads), music can make an otherwise forgettable visual last for years. 

Why? People connect with music in a way that eclipses most other ways of communication. There’s a reason earworms exist but not eyeworms (gross)—even the most annoying or mundane jingle can sit in your brain just as easily as your favorite song*. This has been proven again and again far beyond the marketing world and long before recorded sound.  

One of the earliest examples of music as a communication tool is opera. Beginning in the 1500s and (slowly) spreading across cultures and languages, opera managed storytelling through music in a way that didn’t require an understanding of Italian—only an understanding that a key change can indicate sadness or happiness, and that a whole story can be told without a single word. It was one of the first times that music was used to help bridge barriers between cultures—a phenomenon that continues to this day. Songs have since been used as rally cries, as protest vehicles, and ways to incite change and celebrate victories. 

A recent study by Harvard University found that no matter what genre a song is in, or what language the participant spoke, the psychological purpose of a song (is it meant to make you happy? Sad? Pump you up? Is it a lullaby?) can easily be identified through tonality, tempo and instrumentation. All societies put words to songs. All societies dance. In an economy that’s becoming increasingly global, music might be our best chance to transcend differences. 

Ok, back to the world of marketing. Like we said, music can make a huge impact on your brand. But did you know it can help even before a single ad is written, or concept is concepted, or strategy is…uh…strategized? Mention the word “music” and a tune probably starts playing in your head. Though this tune is different for everyone, it’s still made up of notes and rhythm that compose a universal language. How else could 100,000 people sing a song correctly and in tune from a band halfway around the world? In the world of marketing where “right” is never black and white, music provides an ideal medium to define a singular, unified direction. 

At Yalo we use music to help companies set the emotional compass of their brand before the heavy lift of designs, mock-ups, or mood boards are executed. In fact, we put music at the core of everything we do. Our tribe is encouraged to use music as a concepting tool, as a way of drumming up inspiration (pun completely intended) or as a way to relax when things get a little hectic. We’re even given a concert budget to see live music. 

Want to learn more about how music can help your brand? Just ask! And In case you’re wondering what our favorite song is these days, just press play below. (Though with a medium so dynamic and diverse as music, it changes all the time.)

*We’re not telling you to go out and write a jingle for your brand. Whether jingles actually drive sales is a whole other can of (ear)worms.

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