Music and Sound have transformed our 2020 year and helped elevate us to the next level. Whether that was allowing us to forget about the pandemic, driving us in the direction of self-reflection, making us more aware of the social climate, or allowing us to dance in the mirror in our rooms. This year showed the world how essential and influential music is in our lives.
As the year is coming to an end, it is always fun to reflect on brands and music that shaped our year. What was cool about 2020 was how many brands started creating experiences around their sonic identity or tapped into the power of music partnerships. We recapped some of the brands that we think did a great job of integrating music and sound touchpoints into their brand experience.
💳 💵 MasterCard– Not only has Mastercard embraced the importance of having a sonic identity, but in 2020, they dropped their FIRST record, “Merry Go Round,” and they also released their first full album this year. Their CMO (Raja Rajamannar) said, “Sound is our next frontier for brand expression and a powerful way for us to reach consumers through the passions that connect us all.” Am I the only one excited to check out this album👀? Kudos to Mastercard for embracing audio branding to the fullest.
🍪 🥛OREO – This year, OREO wanted to encourage fans to spread musical messages of kindness to create a brighter and more connected country. They partnered with Lady Gaga and created a contest called “Sing it with Oreo,” which allowed fans to record messages that were instantly turned into mini songs. Oreo has found the power of what happens when you use music to connect and spread joy. Umm… sign me up for a pack of Oreos and this contest. 🙋🏽♀️ 🙂
📞 📱 AT&T- AT&T has done a great job of integrating its sonic identity into each touchpoint of its brand experience. This year they created interactive sound touchpoints at their Discovery District ( a hub of unique and cool interactive experiences in Dallas, Texas) where visitors can directly interact with their technology and sound. We are looking forward to checking out the Discovery District and seeing more of what AT&T does in the audio branding space. 🙌🏾
We connected with some of our favorite audio and music/event strategists to recap and hear what their favorite songs were that got them through 2020! Be READY to add these songs to your playlist.🎵🔥🎤 (20 songs in no particular order)
1. WAP by Cardi B Feat. Megan Thee Stallion – (David Pellum, Music Licensing Executive)
2. Strange Girl by Laura Marling – (Emily Rosenblum, Music and Marketing Executive)
3. The Neverending Story by Jay Electronica feat. Jay Z – (Rick Heffernan, CoFounder at Light On)
“From the Litto Nebbia sample to Alchemist’s production, uncredited Jay-Z appearance and Jay Electronica’s spellbinding flow, this release was worth the wait!”
4. Miracles by Sault – (Alexis Johnson, Producer at Next Music)
5. Rascal by RMR – (Steven Rachel, Head of Creative Services at Booper)
“A la Lil Nas X, I love the fusion of country & hip hop music & this juxtaposition of music and meaning from RMR invokes the absurdity of 2020 where worlds collide & people create new things from the ashes of the old.”
6. Energy by Disclosure – (Leah Jackson, Creative Producer at Rocketplace)
7. LifeTime by Romy – (Dann Liebermann, Executive Producer at The Elements Music)
“Her free, say-it-how-it-is spirit, really captured the zeitgeist and the song’s release hit at the exact moment in the year (September) when we all needed to close our eyes, dance and surrender. And I love that, underlying the beat of the music, she shines a light on the simple things in life, that ‘matter.”
8. Mombattiye by Mickey Singh – (Saad Ahmed, Founder at Brown Leaf Promotions)
9. Both of Us by Jayda G – (Hannah Widowski, Event Producer at Ideaison)
10. Beginning of the End by Weezer – (Matea Šragalj, Social Media Strategist at GIF Out Loud)
11. Circles by Mac Miller – (Kevin Earle, Marketing Director at MCP Presents & The Pineapple Agency)
“2020 has been a great reminder that life is cyclical – with ups and downs – ebbs and flows – and you have to be nimble and adapt, but you also have to remain positive in the down times because they will pass and you have to be in the right mind state and remain ready for the next chapter. Drawin’ circles”
12. Bad influence by Omah Lay – (Eddidong Ekong, Marketing Manager at Boomplay)
13. These Days by St.Panther – (Ben Schwier, Global Music and Culture Director)
14. Can’t Fight by Lianne La Havas – (Chynna Morgan, Founder at GIF Out Loud)
15. And It’s Still Alright” by Nathaniel Rateliff – (Mike Turnwall, Sound Designer)
“This album came out before we were all hit by coronavirus, but the general message of the album carried over well into the year as it became more and more of a challenging time. The themes of these songs, especially that of the title track “And It’s Still Alright” are recognizing that life becomes more challenging with every year, whether it’s heartbreaks or just getting older, but you learn to deal and roll with the punches. I found myself listening to this album a lot when I was dealing with feelings of isolation and the complications that 2020 brought, but found solace in hearing Rateliff singing about his personal struggles.”
16. How We Be by Sinkane – (Varghese Chacko, Founding Partner of NYC Nightlife United)
A tune from the past that got us through 2020 ⏱
17. Whole Lotta Choppas (remix) by Sada Baby feat. Nicki Minaj – (Ashley Greene, Strategist at GIF Out Loud)
18. Tap in by Saweetie – (Chynna Morgan, Founder at GIF Out Loud)
“This song brought back nostalgic vibes for me! Growing up in the Bay Area at the time when the hyphy movement was at an all-time high; as soon as I heard (Tap in), with Too Short (Blow the Whistle) beat, it immediately brought me back to the dance floor as if I was dancing in my bedroom in 2006.
19. Black Parade by Beyonce – (GIF Out Loud Team)
20. End of Daze by Spillage Village, JID & EARTHGANG – ( Kevin Earle, Marketing Director at MCP Presents & The Pineapple Agency)
Music that shook our self-awareness ✊🏾
“As a white male, I can’t ever even pretend to understand the challenges of minorities and people of color in this nation – with so much negativity coming out of 2020, I think one of the positives that will forever be cemented in our culture is the discussion of race coming to the forefront and the Black communities voices being heard in a major way.
This song, and especially the video paint a great picture of some of the struggles faced this year – some of the thoughts and attitudes of the community – and in the end, some of the optimism that is bubbling up as we come out of these ‘end of days.”
DJ of 2020– (Amorphous) If you haven’t already, check out DJ Amorphous, who does the dopest mixes of songs. While listening to his remixes, the whole time, you’re thinking, “How did he bring these two songs together?” Check out the remix he posted this year featuring Rihanna and Luther Vandross – “Never Kissed It Too Much (Mashup).”
We hope that we assisted with adding some fire 🔥 to your playlists. Thanks for reading and checking out our recap! This year allowed our team to reflect and remember our purpose, which is, creating shareable moments using music and sound. We are hopeful of what 2021 will bring, and we are excited to explore ways to help elevate your brand during your brand activations by creating the most memorable and interactive GIFS + Sound experiences. See you all in 2021 ❤️
