We recently spoke with ad agency music directors Nick Pacelli (Translation) and Dan Burt (JWT) to find out how they work with music. Formed in 2004, Translation has a reputation for helping Fortune 500 companies thrive in contemporary culture, whilst JWT has been pioneering marketing communications for the past 150 years.
We wanted to discover how they find and select music, how they’re creating relationships with artists, and what advice they have for anyone wanting to work with them.
Q&A with Nick Pacelli, Executive Director of Music & Entertainment at Translation (Nick also manages DJ Duo Bixel Boys and Ruen)
1) What does your role at Translation entail?
I oversee all music and talent selection across our brands, be it original composition and scores for commercials, or straight up music syncs. I also crossover into music strategy and creative development for the agency’s larger music platforms like Budweiser Made in America.
2) Where are your go-to places when you start searching for music?
This really varies project to project. Most often I have the music before I even have the project. My days are spent talking to labels and managers, and my nights are spent in the studio, at shows or in clubs. I like to listen to music in advance of its release and then I like to see the way music makes people move at shows or in clubs. I make my own libraries of music I hear or am exposed to early, and I constantly have a pulse on what’s coming out, so it’s really just a plug and play for me.
3) What advice would you have for artists/music companies wanting to get in touch with you?
I’m very easy to get ahold of. I want you to get in touch with me and share your music. I am a music guy. Don’t be afraid to ask to buy me a beer and play me some music, or invite me to a showcase. This is what we live for.
4) What’s the ratio of bespoke compositions vs. existing music that you use?
It’s a draw. Even when I license a song I sometimes remix it, or reimagine the track.
5) Do you work with and/or help to select composers?
I love hiring actual producers like Diplo or Just Blaze to make music for me. The approach is often to make a hit song that we will cut down for a commercial, and then to release the full song to support the campaign. There’s nothing better than when kids remix your commercial, or comment on YouTube and ask for the full song. The ultimate is when you hear the song you made for a commercial remixed and played in a club.
6) Do you use music libraries?
I rarely use a music library. When I search for music either myself or the creative team involved in the project will write a very tight brief that I will give to labels and managers. I usually know exactly what I am looking for.
7) Our recent article was all about the challenges in the brand/agency/music relationship. What are the biggest challenges you face as part of a creative team?
Brands work with Translation in music because they know we are experts. They trust our music pedigree and with Steve Stoute as our leader we have an advantage. Many of the employees have spent time working inside labels or are actual artists themselves. The culture of the agency is driven around music – it’s loud in the office.
8) Do you find yourself leaning towards any particular type of music now that budgets are shrinking?
Not really. When budgets are small I just find up and coming artists from whatever genre I’m searching in. Music and artists are very accessible these days.
9) Can you think of a time you received a music pitch that particularly impressed you?
I had Zedd’s creative director sitting in my house for a little party, and we were talking about a new Bud Light Platinum campaign I was working on for the Super Bowl. He said he had the perfect track from Zedd that they wanted to drop around that same time. I told him to play it and if everyone at the party started to dance or ask about it I would pitch it to Steve Stoute. Three months later I debuted Zedd’s track “Turn Up Your Night” in our Super Bowl bowl commercial and then dropped the track on iTunes as a free download.
10) What was your favourite project to be a part of and why?
Hands down being a part of the Apple music team responsible for the Apple iPod dancing silhouette commercials where we launched the careers of so many artists.
Q&A with Dan Burt, Music Producer at JWT
1) What does your role at JWT entail?
Finding, clearing, arranging, editing or commissioning music for any content produced here are the more interesting parts.
2) Where are your go-to places when you start a music search?
It really depends on the brief/specs and budget, there are so many different places to go nowadays! Stock libraries/tons of excellent labels/music companies we try and reach out to if appropriate – but it really depends on the scope of the project.
3) You must have lots of great relationships with music companies that have been built up over time. How can other existing or new music companies catch your attention and entice you to work with them?
Not sure really, besides having great work up on their site, and trying to establish relationships with directors/creatives/agency people in a non-threatening manner. When we start working on a project many times the director or creatives have established relationships with companies they want to work with, so we can’t always work with new companies as often as we’d like.
4) What advice would you give artists/music companies wanting to get in touch with you?
If there’s a way to find out what kind of music we generally need or use, by looking at our work online or any other way, that’s always appreciated. Include links and a description of the stuff you have (including d/l links and instrumentals if possible). Just because there is no response from a supervisor, doesn’t mean they haven’t checked out your music, since a lot of them get so many emails. I find the RIYL tags helpful as well (not everyone likes that though). Not emailing or calling too frequently I think is also appreciated.
5) What’s the ratio of bespoke compositions vs. existing music that you use?
It varies really – at the moment I think it’s likely around 50/50 for JWT.
6) Do you ever use music libraries?
Yes all the time!
7) What are the biggest challenges you face as part of a creative team?
Budgets are usually the biggest challenge for me if the creative is very particular, but it really depends on the project. Sometimes getting a creative direction/finding what the right sound is for a client can be a challenge if it’s a new client, or group, but again it varies.
8) Do you find yourself leaning towards indie music, firstly because music budgets are shrinking, and also because of the credibility it brings?
Mostly because music budgets are shrinking, and also (but not always) because independent music is much faster/easier to clear.
9) Can you think of a time you received a music pitch that particularly impressed you?
Not exactly a music pitch, but I remember meeting someone from ROIR records (Bad Brains, Flipper, and a few other great artists) of which I’m a big fan. Plus I got a lot of Flipper stickers. I remember thinking there’s no way anyone would ever let me use this kind of music in a spot.
6 months later we had an online spot with Shaun White skateboarding through a mall and they needed something that fit. Remembering my meeting and that they were interested in licensing, we ended up using ‘Banned in DC’ by Bad Brains which they still owned! That was exciting.
Bring stickers.
10) What has been your favourite project to be a part of so far and why?
Not sure I have a favorite per se, but we did something with the country artist Cliff Carlisle a long while ago where we featured his 1930s recording of “Footprints in the Snow” for an L.L. Bean advert. We had to track down his granddaughter in Alabama (I think it was his granddaughter, which was quite a challenge) who was so appreciative she sent me one of his guitar picks. And of course they started selling copies of the track after all these years after it was in a commercial!
