Music is a demanding form of expression.
For an artist to communicate through lyrics in a song, the
artist must conform his or her ideas within a time signature and in
rhythm. When artists are limited in the number of syllables to
express an idea or tell a story, they need to find shorthand ways
to communicate. For many artists, they find the shorthand that they
need to convey ideas, evoke emotions, and connect with their
audiences in brands.
For example, in 1966, Wilson Pickett told us he bought his
paramour Sally a new 1965 Ford Mustang. Mr. Pickett's audience
would have instantly known this was a flashy gift at the time,
which moved fast and looked good. Mr. Pickett was able to clearly
communicate the situation through the use of the MUSTANG brand and
could easily imbue Sally with the car's characteristics in the
song's hook when he called her Mustang Sally.
