Trying to Purchase Authenticity

How many of you are working for brands which have been deemed stodgy or irrelevant by newer generations and have sought to reawaken the brand with younger consumers?  Maybe your brand is just experiencing a decline in sales that needs to be stemmed.

For those seeking to involve music in your marketing solutions to revive your brand - be cautious.

I remember every conversation I would have with people at McDonald's and their agencies pre-"I'm Lovin' It" how they didn't just want to jump into music with a big splash (because they definitely had, and still have, the muscle to do just that), that they wanted to be seen as authentic when they developed music-related strategies and promotions.

Wm. Wrigley, Jr. Co. is about to unveil a major music-centric branding campaign (Wall Street Journal - subscription required) featuring musical artists Chris Brown, Ne-Yo, and Julianne Hough.  Brown and Ne-Yo are platinum R&B superstars, while Hough is a budding country music artist more well-known for her moves on "Dancing With the Stars."

The tactic used in the campaign - updating classic brand jingles or piggybacking off of well-known brand tag lines - has been used numerous times by different brands through the years.  But is blatantly paying these artists to do so the right tactic to enable Wrigley to begin to claim authenticity with the audiences it is seeking to drive back to the brand?

A few months back I detailed two music promotions I felt lacked authenticity because they were so blatantly crass.  My initial reaction in reading of the Wrigley effort was similar - that it had the possibility to either reap major benefits or cause major ridicule - for the company's gum brands.

I am interested in hearing about the results the brand sees out of this effort, because, even though Wrigley isn't saying how much the company paid these artists to be involved with this campaign  - I'm guessing it was a nice chunk of change.  Add to that the major press the brand is trying to garner just surrounding the campaign launch alone, and you get a set of very high expectations which need to be met.

Sometimes it takes decades for a brand to reach a spot where it is as cool as the musical artists it wishes to associate with - like Converse.

I know I'm the guy always pushing for music and marketers to come together, but I am continually intrigued by what musical solutions different brands feel will move the needle for their individual businesses.