Narrative music in congruent and incongruent TV advertising

Recent research suggests that music comprises a sign system that could add meanings to advertising. However, research in this area is scant and there is practically no research that has examined the process by which consumers use music to create meanings. This study extends previous research on prin t advertising to delineate effects of music in congruent / incongruent TV a dvertising. A mixed design integrating features of qualitative and quantita tive methods was used. Results indicated that the viewers' knowledge of cul tural texts form a reference point for reading the commercials. Specificall y, music in congruent ads reduces "noise" by reinforcing the connecting cul tural context to communicate meanings. However, music in incongruent ads he lps enact an alternative context that is meaningful to the viewer to commun icate the ad message.