Athletes are not the only seasoned pros involved in bringing the Super Bowl to life. The monumental sporting occasion is also the biggest day for advertisers in the US, and the right song can arguably make or break a big game campaign.

That’s where Portland-based music agency Marmoset comes in. They specialize in finding music for ads, film and TV shows and worked on 5 Super Bowl spots this year. To learn more about the challenges involved in finding and licensing that perfect track, we recently sat down with four of its team members.

How do Super Bowl syncs differ from other syncs?

Jackie Corbett: Super Bowl syncs often differ from other syncs in a few ways. Typically they have a shorter term length – the spots might only air on broadcast TV for a week or two at most because the creative often ties in with the game itself, and therefore may not be relevant weeks or months down the line. Music budgets are typically higher for Super Bowl ads because the audience and reach is exceptionally big.

Nicole Wilson: Especially for Super Bowl ads, clients are often looking for a song that supports the narrative, but doesn’t compete with the VO. You’ve really got to thread the needle. And because we know celebrity cameos are the norm for Super Bowl spots, it’s all about crafting the perfect feeling or vibe, like what “On The Move” by Dr. Crosby does for the BetMGM spot, featuring Tom Brady, Vince Vaughn and Wayne Gretsky.

Fun fact: I was the Creative Producer on the writing and recording of this song exactly 10 years ago, working closely with the artist, Dr. Crosby aka Buddy Ross aka Josiah Sherman – a frequent Frank Ocean collaborator and brilliant songwriter. Perhaps it’s no coincidence that Crosby is the first name of my only child?

Clearly, Super Bowl spots are on the biggest stage, thus the music we deliver absolutely must have a recognizable or nostalgic feel – whether it’s a supporting role like “On The Move” in the BetMGM spot, or more of a lead storytelling role like the cover of “You’re All I Need To Get By” for the regional UKHC spot that aired in the Mideast region.

Music is a critical character in the story they’re telling. Our goal is to deliver music in a way that sticks with you long after the commercial ends. Earworms. Our team at Marmoset practices this philosophy on every project, whether for the Super Bowl or otherwise. But there’s no denying the fact that Super Bowl spots always feel a little more special.

What makes the licensing and clearance process particularly challenging?

Jackie Corbett: Because Super Bowl commercials have more than 100 million eyes on them, brands need to be sure everything is properly licensed and legally sound. All four of the Super Bowl spots Marmoset helped curate this year were for longtime clients where we’ve built a track record of deep trust over many years. They often come to us when navigating complex projects, tight timelines, fast turnarounds, and of course always for a very specific sound or song.

One challenge associated with licensing music for Super Bowl spots is they are typically very confidential and secretive during the production stage. Managing the proper paperwork, such as NDAs, high coverage insurance, and tight license agreements is always critical.

Farnell Newton: Whether for the Super Bowl or for our more “everyday” type of projects, clients go to Marmoset because we’re uniquely positioned to offer all pre-cleared, one-stop licensing. That means our clients don’t stress out about clearing a laundry list of rights holders and negotiating with multiple parties – which can take days, if not weeks.

Offering unique, impactful music, combined with deep trust is the reason an independent agency based in Portland, Oregon is involved with more Super Bowl commercials (4) than Patrick Mahomes has Super Bowl rings (3).

Because it’s the most watched TV event in the history of humankind, our creative team levels-up and prepares for these projects back in October or November. We know our speed, tight communication, and our attention to the hundreds of important details gives clients the level of trust us they needs for a Super Bowl level project.

Insiders have suggested that Super Bowl airtime is about $13M a minute for advertisers this year. With stakes that high, there’s perhaps nothing more important than trust.

“Insiders have suggested that Super Bowl airtime is about $13M a minute for advertisers this year. With stakes that high, there’s perhaps nothing more important than trust.”

Farnell Newton, Marmoset

Can you talk through your experience with placing music in Super Bowl spots this year from a creative and clearance perspective?

José Maldonado: For the UKHC Super Bowl spot, we were initially asked to clear the rights for “Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper. The story or narrative of the spot is about the journey of a lung cancer patient, and his family, as they went through testing and treatment at the hospital.

Marmoset was called upon to recreate the timeless classic as a modern cover interpretation, where “Iron & Wine” was referenced for rough, high level style, arrangement and genre considerations.

Upon doing our diligence, we soon learned that “Time After Time” was not available for clearance, so we moved onto another creative option in: “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Ashford & Simpson. Unfortunately, the song was deemed unavailable, as we discovered it had already been utilized for another healthcare brand.

“We negotiated and cleared the publishing via SONY/ATV. All parties involved worked together in harmony, everyone aligned to bring this heart-touching campaign to life.”

José Maldonado, Marmoset

As we continued down the creative rabbithole with our clients, the third time was indeed the charm, confidently landing on yet another Ashford & Simpson banger, “You’re All I Need to Get By” – made popular by Motown duo Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. We negotiated and cleared the publishing via SONY/ATV. All parties involved worked together in harmony, everyone aligned to bring this heart-touching campaign to life.

Here’s a snippet from the creative brief:

Here in Kentucky, the healthcare needs are daunting, to say the least. Our state is the number one in the country for cancer incidence and deaths. But we’re lucky to have a place like UK HealthCare to meet those challenges—in fact, that’s our entire mission. It’s why we’re ranked one of the best hospitals in the nation.

UK HealthCare is somewhere that can make a real difference when the stakes are highest—and while we know this is still just an ad, it’s an ad that could potentially help someone make a choice that saves their life. 

It goes without saying, the stakes were high for this one. Add the Super Bowl on top and the stakes probably couldn’t have been any higher in terms of working to pair music and picture. Marmoset’s Creative Team knocked this one out of the park with a beautiful, modern take on a Motown classic.

Who knew music could help save lives?

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