Hang On, Little Tomato
Remember the 1970s Heinz ketchup campaign featuring Carly Simon’s song “Anticipation”? It’s a classic example of harmonizing product marketing and popular culture, underlining Heinz’s thick, rich texture and emphasizing good things are worth waiting for.
The inspired marriage with Simon’s song cemented Heinz’s identity as a premium brand while showcasing the power of combining popular music with advertising. The yearslong marketing drive is universally considered one of the most iconic campaigns ever.
It led me to speak with musician Evan Lampson about the song “Hang on Little Tomato.” The 2004 Pink Martini hit was inspired by a 1964 Life Magazine ad, where Hunt’s catsup urged a tomato to stay on the vine until it’s fat and juicy.
Since 2004, Pink Martini has performed 1,229 concerts featuring this song. The origin story about Hunt’s catsup gets told on stage every time.
Assuming the average concert venue has 3,000 seats, 3.7 million concertgoers have heard the plug for Hunt’s. Add in 300,000 albums sold, 5.1 million hits on YouTube, and…well, you get the idea.
Granted, Hunt’s probably can’t directly trace sales to this story. The romantic appeal of a 60-year-old magazine advertisement is a thin relationship. And while it’s reinforced every time you hear the song, it’s still very subtle.
Thus Mr. Lampson urged writing background songs with a similar theme to the product, observing, “If it’s too subtle, no one will make the connection.”
All of which suggests you too may get branding mileage by using the right music as background for your ads. There are countless aspiring musicians looking for an alliance. Find one whose personality and musical style suits your company and you’ll have an instant cross-promotional opportunity.
Naturally, any communications effort must incorporate social media, publicity, sales promotion and a wide range of other tools as part of a larger campaign. Because even if you’re not formally sponsoring a musical group, periodically mentioning them on your Instagram or other platform pages ensures you’ll be able to ride on each other’s coattails.
Here’s the bottom line: Determining how to subtly integrate your message into someone’s music could lead you to whistling a happy tune every time you check your sales figures.
Oh yes: Mr. Lampson mentioned his song “Asking for More” might be good for a weight-conscious food.
With that said, I wish you a week of profitable marketing.
Get more flavor from your marketing at www.marketbuilding.com.