Kmart, Telstra and Bunnings deploy the most recognisable and memorable music in their advertising, according to a study by Cubery, a specialist creative effectiveness consultancy,
The research was conducted via an online survey of more than 1,000 Australians aged 18 and over. People were asked to spontaneously recall a song or piece of music they remembered from an ad and the brand it was for.
“Music and jingles don’t just create a feeling, they shape how a brand is encoded into memory,” said Sam Walters, GM of consulting at Cubery.
“Nobody is mistakenly singing ‘we’re happy little Marmites,’ and that kind of ownership has the potential to be incredibly lucrative for brands.”
Kmart’s continued use of Avicii’s iconic EDM anthem ‘Levels’ emerged as the strongest brand/music combination in the Australian advertising landscape.
“The song has become inseparable from Kmart’s energetic creative identity,” said Walters.
“When people hear that familiar hook, odds are they’re going to think of Kmart.
“Putting your own spin on famous songs can also work to make them your own. Every Australian is now intimately familiar with Telstra’s whistling rendition of ‘Islands in the Stream,’ with the tune a crucial factor behind the ad’s repeated appearances on The Cubery Hot List in 2025. It’s therefore unsurprising to see it a close runner up to Kmart.”
Rounding out the top three was the first bespoke brand composition, with Bunnings’ unmistakable jingle.
Fourth was Qantas and “I still call Australia home”.
The findings more broadly reinforce that music isn’t simply a decorative element when it comes to the pursuit of advertising effectiveness; it has the ability to fundamentally shape and alter a brand’s identity, and how it’s committed to memory.
“Levels helps inject dynamism and a sense of modernity into Kmart, while Peter Allan’s ‘I Still Call Australia Home’ anchors Qantas in national pride and belonging,” said Walters.
“When music aligns with what people already know and believe about a brand, or what the brand is striving to become, it helps strengthen mental shortcuts. And that’s when you move from simply having an ad that’s catchy to one that’s embedded into culture.”
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