What Do Nike, KFC, H&M, D&G have in common?

They are all using the EXACT same music in their ads!

D&G

KFC

NIKE

H&M

Each brand licensed Jay-Z's "Blueprint²" instrumental + likely paid a lot of money to do so.

The Jay-Z track samples Ennio Morricone's "The Ecstasy of Gold" which was used in Clint Eastwood's famous 1966 hit movie, "The Good, The Bad & The Ugly."

A few thoughts come to mind….

1. How + why are brands doing this? What if these ads shared the same colours, actors or set design?

2. Why not create an original piece of music that embodies the emotion + represents the brand/campaign (costs a lot less than licensing a Jay track)?

3. Why not own the music as a brand asset + have the option to use it when/as needed, across multiple channels (versus only the one channel you've licensed for)? 🤔

Agency + brand leaders continue to treat audio as an afterthought but doing so can be confusing + erode brand equity.

Music + sound are an integral part of your brand experience.