How many other commercials can you replay in your head verbatim? Odds are not many. And odds are even better that the few you do recall also use music as a mnemonic device.

Music has been used as a mnemonic at least since the time of the Old Testament. In "Bible History of the Old Testament"  Albert Edersheim writes "In a society where many were illiterate, music served as a memory aid. Songs sung in the temple worship services were thus not only devotional, but often instructional as well."

At the dawn of Western culture, the Greeks used music as a memory-enhancing device. Classical Greek dramas were sung rather than recited, and even the Homeric epics which were recited by rhapsodes (or bards), were based on a poetic foot and chanted rhythmically.

Music can relax the pulse rate to match the beat, decrease blood pressure, and increase the amplitude and frequency of brain waves. More important, both hemispheres of the brain are stimulated and activated, which enhances memory significantly. Some studies indicate that the area of the brain in which music is processed is the compliment to that for language, and reinforces recall of words associated with the music.

There are seven principal message-enhancing aspects to music:

Attention. Music captures more attention for a commercial, and that's an indispensable first step to recall. Two types of music are most effective at capturing attention:  Music which is somewhat striking and which has a dramatic opening phrase; and music which is familiar, such as re-use of popular songs in commercials.

Meter. The mind retains metric messages much more easily than blank verse or prose. The metric foot of most music is a strong recall reinforcement.

Emotion. Music stimulates emotion with a quick – and extremely effective – shorthand. "Ode to Joy" from Beethoven's ninth symphony evokes majesty and awe. "Itsy-Bitsy, Teeny-Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" epitomizes mindless silliness. Minor key tends to be poignant, major key upbeat. Up-tempo is energetic, slow is lyrical or sad. Orchestral arrangement sounds important, a solo guitar, intimate.

Order. The inherent order of the harmonic and rhythmical patterns of music make the mind more receptive – figuratively open it – to the message the music carries.

Repetition. The consistent use of musical signatures or styles (like the thirteen-year-old "Intel Inside") drives significantly increased recall. MRI studies at Dartmouth 's Brain Sciences Department found that when music has become established in the auditory cortex it can be perceived in the mind even when it's not being played.

Identification. Listeners identify with music they heard in their adolescence and early adulthood. (Though not necessarily music first performed then.) That's why Cadillac used Led Zep's "Rock and Roll" and Microsoft launched Windows 95 with the Stones "Start Me Up." It's a quick, effective way of saying: "Listen up. This message is for – and about – you."

Instant communication. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a song can be, too. Even a song which doesn't trigger instant identification can communicate the advertiser's point perfectly. One of our favorite examples is Heinz Ketchup's use of Carly Simon's "Anticipation." It doesn't matter if you're a boomer who heard the song when it first came out or a Gen Nexter who's hearing it for the first time in the commercial, it says "thick, rich ketchup (worth waiting for)" perfectly.

Used right, music can multiply the effectiveness of broadcast advertising. Data on music's persuasive impact on the web is not yet definitive, but it seems likely that the effect will be the same. Greater awareness, higher recall, stronger emotional connection, greater target audience identification, and greater receptivity to persuasion should be music to any advertiser's ears.

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