Not your mom’s jingles: Ad music is getting an upgrade

Have you ever found yourself getting misty eyed during a Gatorade commercial?

It’s not just a you problem (though your boss was extra mean that day).

Heavy Duty Projects is working behind the scenes to create ad music that pulls on consumer heartstrings.

The LA-based production company works with brands, ad agencies, and media companies on:

• Music supervision: providing expertise, sourcing songs, and guiding brands through the selection process.
• Original compositions: recording custom music around a brand’s needs.
• Artist collaborations: handling collaborations and negotiations between clients and talent.
• Covers and remixes: post-production services like sound design, mixing, and audio finishing.

Heavy Duty Projects works with its roster of artists and composers to take a client’s vision from initial concept to final product using demo tapes and rounds of revisions.

Brands like 7-Eleven, Sweetgreen, Nike, and Apple have tapped the studio for projects ranging from TV ads and shows to video game scores.

Brands are turning up the volume

Sound can be a powerful tool for getting customers to buy things, but it can get pricey.

The most affordable route for brands is stock music, followed by custom audio, with licensing from major artists as the big-ticket option.

But, for many brands, the right music is worth it.

“Every creative wants the music to support the story in the best way possible,” the company’s co-founder Kate Urcioli tells The Hustle. “A lot of times, custom music is the only way to do that.”

High costs have pushed some brands to look for other avenues: Coca-Cola launched Coke Studio, an in-house music shop, to create its own original music.

And on TikTok: Brands can work with vetted sound partners (like Heavy Duty Projects) to create original audio for use in campaigns on the platform.

For now, we’ll just be over here playing this Carl’s Jr. banger on repeat.