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Arts & Communication Music and sound in Greek TV commercials

direction. However, a key difference between television emotion, provide relaxation, or remain neutral. In all cases,
and cinema is that television offers reproducibility and viewers actively contribute to shaping and interpreting the
continuity in programming and musical expression. final meaning, whereas the creator’s intention influences
This repeatability aids in familiarizing the public with and directs the outcome.
television’s operations. Music may serve various roles:
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as part of the narrative, background music, an emotional 4. Music and television advertising: Poetic
intensifier, a source of relaxation, or as a neutral element. and rhetorical dimensions
In any case, viewers actively contribute to framing the final An advertisement is a short, self-contained audiovisual
meaning, whereas the creator’s intention influences and narrative that draws on features from the art of filmmaking
directs the result. The audience analyzes the information and aims to capture public interest evoke consumer
in a sociocultural context on a case-by-case basis, resulting sentiment, shape beliefs, and prompt actions, such as
in a polysemic product with multiple interpretations. 17 purchasing a product. Therefore, a television commercial
According to Eco, the projected object is a representation is a complex creative entity that combines verbal (ad
created by the interpreter’s perception, resulting in copy, slogans, narration, and song lyrics), visual (images
unlimited semiotic considerations. With a vast television and plot), and audio (music and sound effects) elements.
audience, interpretations of each code or project are According to the American Marketing Association,
virtually endless. The objective or collective understanding advertising is “any paid form of non-personal presentation
of a signal does not stem from an absolute principle and promotion of ideas, goods, or services by an identified
but from conventions that link a product to a specific sponsor.” Advertisers employ a marketing tactic known
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interpretation. Music acts as a “melodic ambassador” for as branding – a strategy primarily used by multinational
a program’s style, employing musical markings that artfully companies to strengthen their position and dominance in
blend familiar harmonic practices and standardized the international market. The goal of branding is to create
melodic patterns. Musical language denotes style and era, a “personality” for each product or company, allowing
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as well as space and time, not only in terms of the music consumers to identify with its values when making a
itself but also concerning extramusical elements. purchase. The promotional message is often associated
Music can imply extramusical phenomena in at least with movements such as social equality, environmental
two ways. First, music can mimic sounds, such as birds protection, and anti-racism, projecting values and norms
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chirping, streams flowing, or storms brewing. Second, beyond the mere promotion of products.
music can signal social conventions or predetermined The strategic advertising approach, which integrates
cultural codes. In the first case, music functions as an product promotion with a broader social context, sets
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indicative index. In the second case, a specific genre of the stage for understanding how advertising shapes
music, such as jazz, is used to represent a city or urban and is shaped by mass culture and consumer behavior.
environment. This approach leverages musical styles Advertising derives from mass culture and the “ideology
based on social knowledge and often exploits the musical of consumption;” it presupposes and reinforces it. Mass
preferences of viewers. Thus, a soundtrack associates culture is directly related to mass production and the
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a TV series or show with a specific effect, training the mass availability and distribution of goods. The role of
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audience each time on what to expect. advertising both supports and perpetuates the culture of
In short, the primary function of music in relation consumption, which, in capitalism, is seen as evidence
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to multimedia content results from the synergy between of progress and a means of satisfying human wishes.
visual and auditory material. These elements work together Although some of these necessities are essential for
to create a rich, multifaceted experience for the audience – survival, advertising often creates desires for specific
a polysemic outcome, as the audiovisual process generates products. Many of the needs portrayed in advertisements
several interpretations. Each viewer acts as a receiver, are artificially constructed and deliberately designed to
processing the combined visual and auditory information affect consumer behavior.
within a sociocultural context, leading to a diverse range The product’s “personality,” as conveyed through
of possible meanings and emotional responses. This meticulously designed audiovisual elements, aligns with
combination allows for a more immersive and engaging the consumer’s own personality, creating a powerful
experience, where audio enhances the visual narrative and emotional and communicative connection. This emotional
vice versa, resulting in a more impactful and memorable association influences the psychology of the audience,
presentation of ideas and emotions. Music can be part of initiating a perceived sense of “need.” Companies employ
the narrative, serve as a background layer, intensify an a structured approach to product promotion, following a

Volume 3 Issue 2 (2025) 7 doi: 10.36922/ac.4374