SiriusXM encapsulates the power of music throughout our lives

During a tour of Abbey Road Studios, one of the invited guests in our group was unmoved by the experience, remarking that he ‘didn’t really like music’.

I stopped to wonder how this was possible, given that I’d been barely holding back tears after passing the piano John Lennon had written A Day in a Life on.

The magic of music isn’t for everyone then, but for those who can’t function without it, its great to see creatives capture the feeling of good music, and Uncommon Creative Studio’s striking new campaign for SiriusXM, featuring a captivating film directed by Kim Gehrig and a series of dynamic digital billboards, comes pretty close.

The campaign's objective is to underscore the profound significance of music in our lives.

Gehrig's film employs a straightforward yet powerful technique to convey how music seamlessly accompanies us throughout various stages of life. Beginning with a young girl in a dance studio, the film gracefully depicts her subtle progression through the years as she moves to the music. The soundtrack evolves to reflect different emotions, moods, and phases of her journey.

Complementing the TV spot, which aired during the recent Oscars ceremony in the US, is an out-of-home (OOH) campaign spotlighting three popular genres on SiriusXM: hip-hop, country, and sports. Shot by photographer and filmmaker Gabriel Moses, the campaign captures SiriusXM subscribers and devoted fans immersed in the fervour of these genres. The visuals, showcased in both static and dynamic billboards, vividly capture the energy and excitement music can evoke.

Our take

This campaign marks SiriusXM's first major initiative since the unveiling of its new identity last year, a design also crafted by Uncommon Creative Studio.

Its recent success (including a sizable investment from billionaire Warren Buffet) is testament to how, in a world where you can pick any tune at the touch on a phone screen, radio curation – albeit via the internet and satellite – still has an enduring relevance.

The focus on dance, childhood and nostalgic music with a modern twist allows the TV spot to appeal to many generations at once.

The ‘no one’s watching so why should I care’ vibe of the piece speaks to music’s unique ability to connect on a personal level across all demographics.

The OOH adverts, meanwhile, focus on more fleeting moments where the listener is lost in the radio’s output, feeling a connection with others despite being alone: this captures the collective appeal of radio (alone, together), contrasted with the individual experience of streaming.

Credits

Creative Studio: Uncommon
Production Company: Somesuch
Director: Kim Gehrig
DOP: Chayse Irvin
Choreographer: Denna Thomsen
Production Designer: James Chinlund
Editor: Tom Lindsay @ Cosmo Street
Post-production: Blacksmith
OOH Photographer/Director: Gabriel Moses @ Concrete Rep
DOP: Jake Gabbay @ WPA
Set Design: Jack Flanagan @ Streeters
Production Company: Concrete Rep & Pony Projects
Editor: Joseph Taylor @ TRIM
VFX & Online: Studio Private