Madison Avenue Music
There are moments in life when two seemingly different worlds unexpectedly collide. And when they do, you realize they were never separated at all.
That’s exactly what happened to me with advertising and radio.
For most of my professional business life, I was an “ad guy.” I spent 12 years at BBDO in New York working on major brands like Polaroid, GE, Pillsbury and others before eventually leading agencies in Philadelphia and later launching my consulting business, Strum Consulting Group. Advertising shaped how I think. I understood that advertising is an “uninvited guest”, and only through creativity and entertaining messages does advertising get the invitation into a consumer’s mind. Advertising taught me about storytelling, emotion, positioning, timing, and…music.
At the same time, music and radio were always running in the background of my life.
I currently am both a marketing consultant and a DJ at WFDU Retro Radio hosting a show called “Hum with Strum” every Thursday from 9a-1p. 89.1 FM in New York and streaming at wfdu.fm. But long before WFDU, before “Hum with Strum,” I was a kid in the 60s obsessed with WABC, WMCA, Cousin Brucie, Dan Ingram, Joe O’Brien and the magic of radio. Radio, not TV, was my first media love. Like many people of my generation, I can hear certain songs and instantly remember where I was, who I was with, and what was happening in my life. That’s why I love working at WFDU because that is the underpinning of what Retro Radio is all about.
And Madison Avenue figured that out too.
Advertising agencies learned decades ago that music could trigger emotion faster than almost anything else. A great song or jingle could instantly create familiarity, warmth, credibility, excitement, nostalgia or joy. Sometimes a song becomes bigger because of the commercial. Other times the commercial became iconic because of the song.
That intersection became the inspiration for my WFDU segment “Madison Avenue Music” in the noon hour every Thursday.
Every week during “Hum with Strum” on WFDU Retro Radio, I play retro songs that became part of advertising history. Often listeners instantly recognize the connection. Other times they say, “Wait…THAT’S where I know that song from!”
And honestly, that makes me smile every time.
I sat in conference rooms with clients and creative teams discussing which songs fit a brand. I watched advertisers spend millions trying to create emotional connections with consumers. (BTW, using the same songs we play commercial free at WFDU). I saw firsthand how the right music choice could elevate a campaign. And now I get to play those same songs and talk about how advertisers are using those same songs to sell their wares.
Full circle.
One of the fascinating things about “Madison Avenue Music” is how differently songs evolve once attached to a brand. Some artists hated it. Others embraced it. Purists sometimes complain that commercials “sell out” great music. I understand the argument. But I also think advertising often introduces great songs to entirely new audiences.
Without commercials, some younger listeners might never discover songs like Magic by Pilot (Ozempic), and many others.
And great radio works the same way.
The best DJs don’t simply play songs. They create emotional connections. They create companionship. They tap into the listeners’ memories.
Advertising and radio have always had more in common than people realize.
Both are battling for attention.
Both depend on creativity.
Both require timing.
Both rely on emotional connection.
And both work best when they feel authentic.
Ironically, after 50 years in business, radio has brought me back to some of the same feelings I had when I was a kid. The excitement of connecting with an audience. The joy of storytelling. The challenge of creating something memorable. And the excitement of hearing a great song.
Only now the are no clients and ad campaigns to sell.
Just great music
Stories.
Memories.
And a microphone.
Not a bad second act. I love it. It is fuel for my soul.
And maybe that’s why “Madison Avenue Music” feels so natural to me. It’s not a gimmick or a novelty segment. It’s the intersection of two passions that have been intertwined my entire life: music and marketing.
Turns out the soundtrack of our lives was also the soundtrack of Madison Avenue. And when done well it helps turn commercials into an “invited guest”.
Strum on.
More Strumings
- 50 Things I’ve Learned in 50 Years of Business
- Memories of Earle Palmer Brown: 30 years in the rear view mirror.
- Still Humming After All These Years.
- “When Will You Retire, Lonny?”
