It’s been 24 years since the last Bronco came off the line at Ford, so the iconic brand knew it needed to make a bold statement for the 2020 rerelease of its off-road workhorse. As their creative agency, Wieden+Kennedy’s internal team collaborated with Musicbed composer Ryan Taubert and Director Salomon Ligthelm to create a sound as epic as the campaign.
When you’re relaunching a brand as iconic as the Ford Bronco, there’s more than a little bit of pressure. It’s almost like remaking The Godfather. In other words, you better not screw it up or you’re going to have an army of angry fans at your door. Wieden+Kennedy’s team was facing this pressure head-on, and so much of their brand reveal hinged on the creative—specifically the director’s vision and the music.
Every composer brings something different to the table — their own style, experience, taste, and talent. Our Custom Music roster has some of the most well-respected names in the film and advertising industry for a good reason — they’re making music that’s unique to themselves.
There is a very distinct “X” factor that distinguishes an ordinary composer from a great composer. We are downright positive that Ryan Taubert has cracked the intangible code. Ryan was drawn in to making music initially through visuals. After teaching himself to compose by reproducing scores from movies as a kid, he is now a highly sought after Composer making some of the most captivating pieces of music for film…ever, we’d say.
There is always more to a place than what you can see. There are the sounds, the tastes, the smells. There is — maybe most importantly — the way a place makes you feel. In Brandon’s Li’s recent travel film, Gateway to the Ganges, he used Musicbed artist Ryan Taubert’s “We Wish It Was Never Light” to bring a feeling of darkness and foreboding to the otherwise vibrant and beautiful Indian landscape.
Ryan’s story is a perfect example of what the Musicbed Film Fest is all about: giving artists the freedom to bring their ideas to life. In the same way that combining the right music with the right film results in a far more powerful emotional experience than either on their own, Ryan’s experience with Musicbed shows that combining a passion for creating music with the right platform results in a truly great artist.
Salomon Ligthelm is literally all over the place: all over the world, all over the Internet. And when we Skyped with him recently about the exclusive Musicbed release of the ANOMALY soundtrack, he was all over Defacto Sound’s studio. Outside briefly, inside briefly, popping in and out of various offices and stairwells. Salomon is frenetic in the best possible way. And that energy comes across not just in his conversations, but in the things he creates. It all feels very human and very alive, which, he told us, was exactly what he was after with this latest score (composed by Ryan Taubert).
The truth of the matter is, most innovative artists aren’t in it for the success. Quite the opposite, actually. They resist the “proven” avenues to success and continue to push forward anyway, creating a paradox: the most successful creatives are those not driven by success. Instead, they’re so driven (sometimes obsessively) by their love for a craft, they find the success they weren’t seeking in the first place.
