MUSI3041 Assignment 1: Agnes Wu
Commercial Soundscapes: Lee Tung Avenue
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| Lee Tung Avenue |
As such, the music serves a purpose no other than perfecting the consumerist experience. The background music is played in the corridors, and the foreground music is played in the stores.
Foreground music
The Baker & The Bottlemen
This bakery played quick, rap music from Drake, was broadcasted through a ceiling speaker system and was very bass heavy. Usually, it would be quite odd to include rap music in the playlist of a bakery. However, already hinted at in the name; it is a bakery by day, and wine bar at night. So the music is used to show that they are a hip, off-beat brand. Although there was a spread of pastries in the shop’s main area, the entrance displayed an array of wines ready for purchase. This was the first thing that I as a consumer noticed when walking inside, and with the aid of the upbeat rap music, would further entice consumers to make expensive purchases along with the pastries, which unfortunately did not work for me as I am not fond of alcohol.
Ms B’s Cakery
This nicely furnished cakery played Reforget by Lauv, a pop song by a Billboard 100 artist. Unlike most other shops, the music was played through a portable speaker next to the door and near the corner of the shop. This was to deliberately set the tone once potential consumers open the door and step inside the premises. The music was mainstream pop with a moderate tempo, and its mood was also not too boisterous, nor too melancholy; it was just right and agreeable. In turn, consumers are encroached with familiar music before even taking a good look at the cakes, which instantly creates a sense of intimacy and enables them to make a purchase with ease.
Mr Simms Olde Sweet Shop
This confectionery shop played Bee Gees’ To Love Somebody, an old-school pop ballad, which fits the aesthetic of this shop, recreating a vintage, Victorian style confectionery shop. The music was very distinct, and was one of the main things I noticed inside the shop. It was played on a white, retro-inspired Marshall speaker placed on top of a cupboard along with their licorice-filled mason jars; visible enough for consumers to admire. It was a strategic placement as not only does it serve a decorating purpose, it also curates the brand experience by transporting people into a world without commercial shopping districts.
Omotesando Koffee
As part of the third wave coffee chain movement in Hong Kong, everything, including the music, is part of the barista experience. This coffee shop played oriental-inspired programmed bgm music, which was a contrast from other shops that played identifiable Billboard music (although I failed to recognize almost half of them). The calm music was played through a ceiling speaker system at a mellow volume, juxtaposing the puffing coffee machines, which probably was not the exact consumer experience the brand intended to create. The choice of music was to establish this coffee chain as a Japanese brand with refined taste, craftsmanship, and also contribute to their minimalist but natural ambience as seen with the choice of color design. However, a distinctive feature was that they used a high-quality speaker, Bose, as printed on the speaker, visible enough for consumers to notice if they raised their heads. It aligns themselves with Bose, a sophisticated brand, enabling coffee-drinkers to infer that they themselves also are refined people who rightly pay for the artisan coffee experience.
Benefit
The only non-F&B shop discussed here played fast-paced upbeat pop, which was broadcasted through a ceiling speaker system. It was identifiable, but not loud enough to take center-stage. The choice of bubblegum pop was to establish the brand as a fun, ultra girly and young cosmetic brand, which was reflected in the gaudy store design. Smartly, the music was played at a volume to not overpower the visuals, still allowing the consumers to focus on the products without being distracted.
Background music
Underground shopping street corridor
The underground part of the shopping corridor played audible festive-sounding programmed music, but unrecognizable and difficult to label which festival it represented. This encourages potential consumers to make a purchase at their shops, as this music evokes memories of festivities, which is inevitably linked to over-buying and consumerism. However, this music was not used in the outdoors shopping district, as the developers would like to identify Lee Tung Avenue as a serious, mid-range shopping district, differentiating from the childish notes of the Disney Main Street as the excessive outdoor decor evidently took inspiration from the Disney’s frenzied and commercialized version of American small towns.
It was interesting to note that as I exited the commercial space, along with seeing the banner bidding farewell to its consumers, the background music faded into obscurity as I descended down the escalator, signaling the end of a capitalist experience as I entered into the MTR.
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