Targeting Testosterone? TV Ad Music More Likely To Appeal To Men

Popular TV ads are more likely to license music that appeals to men instead of women, according to a new study from Songtradr. AI sonic analysis technology from Songtradr examined the top 50 TV ads with licensed songs this year (by household TV ad impressions, per iSpot), and found the average music selection skewed toward music that men are more likely to prefer.

• Among the songs in those top 50 ads, the average favorability rating for men was 52%, versus 48% for women.
• For the songs that scored more favorably for women, less than half had a score of 75% or higher (meaning most were not overwhelmingly favorable).
• Meanwhile, 70% of favorable songs for men scored 75% or higher – indicating more ads leaned heavily into music that overwhelmingly appealed to men.
• The study makes the case that many TV ad campaigns are still out of step with household purchasing trends in the United States, since women control or influence 85% of U.S. consumer spending.