Effects of popular music in advertising on attention and memory

This study examines the effects of popular music in advertising to determine both the theoretical (the effect of popular music on the processing of advertising messages) and practical (the design of more effective advertisements using popular music) implications. An experiment is reported that tested the effects of three integrations of popular music in advertising: original lyrics, altered lyrics, and instrumentals (plus a control treatment with no music) on attention and memory. The results indicated that song vocals, either original or altered, are more effective stimuli of advertising effects than instrumentals or no popular music.