Just in case you didn’t have enough goofy ad jingles stuck in your head, ad agency DDB has added an earworm expert to their staff. The Omnicom unit has named Daniel Müllensiefen, a lecturer in psychology, music and computing at Goldsmiths University their “scientist in residence.” Actually, Müllensiefen’s brief goes far beyond earworms, those catchy tunes that rattle around in your head all day after you hear them on the way to work. DDB says that the new position will be part of an effort apply neuroscientific theory and psychological testing to enhance client ad campaigns, making him their resident neuromarketing expert.
“We’ve always prided ourselves on understanding people,” said Sarah Carter, strategy director at DDB. “This will help us with the emotional side of advertising that tends to be overlooked by clients in favour of messages and more rational things.” [From FT.com – DDB uses science to make ads catchy by Tim Bradshaw.]
The “scientist in residence” gig isn’t full time – Dr. Müllensiefen will only spend about a day a week at DDB. (And no, that’s not the eminent academic in the picture. The image is from a “big head” campaign created by DDB to tout its own creative success.)
