The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) have celebrated Our Soundtrack Our Ads and marked the one-month countdown until entries are open for the Awards’ category, Best Use of an Australian Recording in an Advertisement.
Hosted at Sony Music Entertainment Australia’s offices in Sydney, the event was attended by over 120 leaders of the Australian advertising and music industries, including the Hon. John Graham and representatives from new music bodies Sound NSW and Music Australia.
For the second year, ARIA Awards for Best Use of an Australian Recording in an Advertisement will be handed out in two categories: up to and over two minutes in duration. This year, the winners will be determined by an expanded judging academy, which will function similar to those that select other ARIA Awards. Entries open on 27 July at Our Soundtrack Our Ads – ARIA.
Annabelle Herd and the Hon John Graham
The Best Use of an Australian Recording in an Advertisement category was launched in 2022, as part of Our Soundtrack Our Ads: a joint initiative between Our Soundtrack Our Stories and M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment. It is an extension of the existing Our Soundtrack Our Stories, launched in 2021 to promote the use of Australian music across the local business and media landscape.
Annabelle Herd, ARIA CEO, opened the evening with welcoming remarks and moderated a panel discussion with Hannah Marsh, director of licensing at Sony Music Australia, 72 & Sunny’s head of brand Laura Popa; and Ricky Simandjuntak, creative director and brand strategist at Plate it Forward.
ARIA winner Amy Shark and Josh Hannan, from Australian Idol 2023, also took to the stage to perform for attendees.
Josh Hannan
Speaking on the opportunity afforded by the use of Australian music in advertising, Simandjuntak said: “It really helps me teach the artist that they can operate as a business, with multiple revenue streams and ways of making music.
“It’s a way to say to them here’s a way to think of how you can work with brands via a syncing agency and develop new ways to fund the project.
“But looking back, using Australian music isn’t just about using the artist, there’s a whole ecosystem around the artist and it has a knock-on effect for all sorts of jobs like art directors, creative directors, designers and videographers as well, it opens all these opportunities that may otherwise not happen.”
Ricky Simandjuntak, Laura Popa and Hannah Marsh
Last year’s winners were Innocean Australia and Australian Marine Conservation Society, for their Voice of the Sea campaign featuring music by John Williamson in the over two minute category; while 72andSunny with Campfire X took under two minutes, for Google Helping You Help Others with music from Baker Boy.
Herd said: “Advertising forms a critical part of Australian culture that is too often overlooked when we consider who is telling our nation’s stories, we are proud to continue celebrating the relationship between musicians and advertisers, as well as the significant opportunity to continue soundtracking Australian stories with Australian music.”
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Top image: Amy Shark