What does BMW sound like?

Not "a" BMW—they're performance cars that can go from throaty to whisper-quiet in a matter of moments, and then back again. Even cooler, BMWs emit distinctive sounds that aficionados can identify just like a dog knows its master's whistle.

Instead, what the brand sounds like, in the beginning of a new refinement effort, is a measure of music and non-musical tones that BMW has begun using as an auditory signal at the end of new TV and radio ads in Europe and, later this year, around the world.

The line ends with two identical sounds that have a hammer-and-tongs tinge, a deep and highly resonant tone with a metallic edge. It will replace a "double gong" used in BMW advertisements since the late 1990s.Continue reading...

For generations, background music of pretty much any type has been commonly known as Muzak.

Elevator riders, phone customers on-hold and consumers everywhere would often find themselves pausing in their day to figure out the name of the Muzak-adapted song they had stumbled across.

But now it appears that future generations will have no idea what Muzak is, and that the Muzak name itself will belong to the past.Continue reading...

If you're Tim Allen, you might be hoping that your return to television comedy in ABC's Last Man Standing continues to be well-received. Because there are more hints that your long-standing and respected gig as the mellifluous voiceover for Chevrolet's "Chevy Runs Deep" campaign has reached its end.

Following the US TV debut of its anti-obesity campaign on cable news networks Monday night, Coca-Cola revealed its new anti-obesity commercial in primetime broadcast TV, with the "Be OK" 30-second commercial (watch below) debuting on FOX's American Idol Wednesday evening and shared on Twitter. According to the Associated Press, this latest commercial will also run before the Super Bowl on CBS.

The spot aims to debunk notions that a can of Coke is high-calorie, with the message that one can of Coke "= 140 happy calories to spend on extra happy activities: 25 minutes of letting your dog be your GPS + 10 minutes of letting your body do the talking [shown over dancing] + 75 seconds of laughing out loud + 1 victory dance. Coca-Cola: 140 calories."Continue reading...

The sound of an Apple Macintosh computer starting up — a resounding digital chime, familiar to viewers of WALL-E — can strike a person with dread or joy, depending on what he or she is opening the computer for. Whatever the sound makes a consumer feel, it is now Apple’s sound and Apple’s alone.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office approved the company’s trademark application this week and so Apple’s trademarked sound joins the ranks of Harley-Davidson’s engine, NBC’s chimes, the 20th Century Fox fanfare, and the first bar of “O Canada,” the Canadian national anthem.Continue reading...

Apple's 2012 Thanksgiving TV commercial ("Turkey," above) highlights the iPhone 5 Shared Photo Stream function of iOS 6 ("it's as easy as pie"), with a music track that references its new "Orchestra" spot, below, and its earlier iPhone 5 commercials. The narrator is, once again, actor Jeff Daniels, whose HBO series The Newsroom returns in June.Continue reading...

Coca-Cola pretty much has a lock on Christmas (or at least Santa Clause) as far as brands go. This holiday season, its holiday campaign features a giant Santa puppet and a catchy tune, "Something in the Air," composed by Grayson Sanders.

Does the campaign stand with the brand's iconic "Holidays Are Coming" campaign with its now-iconic festive red trucks, or its more recent "Snow Globes" holiday campaign?Continue reading...

Pepsi has been marketing itself as the cola of choice for music lovers for years now, but Coca-Cola has decided to go all out in horning in on its territory this year. For the Olympic Games in London, Coke launched its “Move to the Beat” campaign, which featured Grammy award-winning producer Mark Ronson creating a catchy anthem with British singer Katy B.

Now Coca-Cola is going all-in on the music front by investing $10 million in streaming-music service Spotify, according to the New York Times. Coke, of course, likes to point out its music cred throughout its history, such as sticking its logo on sheet music way back in the 19th century, sponsoring radio shows in the early days, and creating some of the marketing world’s best-known jingles. Prominently displayed on Coke’s site right now is a contest to send lucky consumers to the American Music Awards.

"At Coca-Cola we have long recognized the power of music to connect people around the world," stated Joe Belliotti, Director, Global Entertainment Marketing, The Coca-Cola Company. "As we step up our activation through Coca-Cola Music, we are excited by the innovative music technology platform created by Spotify and the opportunity to create a truly global music network. The potential for this partnership is limitless."Continue reading...