Navigating the Tightrope in Advertising Music
In a recent piece published by LBB titled “Fresh or Familiar: The Key to Musical Cut-Through”, our very own Senior Composer and Producer, Keith Bayley, was featured alongside other leading voices in the advertising music and sound world.
The article explores a central creative tension in music for media: how do you strike the balance between innovation and recognition? Between the fresh and the familiar?
This question lies at the heart of much of what we do at The Futz Butler. Whether composing for advertising, branded content, or longform storytelling, the challenge is always the same: to create music that feels distinctive enough to grab attention, but grounded enough to resonate emotionally with an audience. It’s not just about writing a great track – it’s about writing the right track for the context, the narrative, and the brand.
Often, that means navigating the subtle dance between sonic novelty and recognisable cues that help anchor the listener.
Insights from Keith Bayley on Musical Impact
Keith weighs in with insight drawn from years of experience scoring for brands, offering a grounded perspective on how to navigate this fine line when creating music that truly connects.
“The ear is naturally drawn to the reassuring comfort of well-loved sounds and melodies… Familiarity can generate immediate attention via borrowed interest, sparking memories and emotional signposts.”
At the same time, Keith underscores the power of originality:
“Fresh new sounds born out of restless innovation can be an exhilarating experience for an audience… That’s how you truly create identity, stand-out and ownership.”
It’s a great read, particularly for creatives and marketers looking to better understand how music can powerfully shape perceptions.
SONAL: The Futz Butler’s Solution to Music Briefing Challenges
Whether you’re producing a commercial, branded content, or social campaign, music plays a pivotal role in shaping audience perception and driving emotional resonance.
At The Futz Butler, this challenge is something we’ve encountered time and again – and it’s precisely why we developed SONAL, our proprietary music briefing methodology. SONAL was designed to cut through ambiguity and subjectivity, helping brands and creatives articulate the emotional, narrative, and strategic roles music needs to play in their projects.
Rather than leaving music decisions to vague adjectives or disconnected references, SONAL provides a structured yet intuitive way to align vision with sound – whether you’re seeking something sonically distinctive or strategically familiar.
The result? Music that’s not just on-brief, but beyond-brief.
Explore how SONAL helps you find the sweet spot between fresh and familiar here.
