10 famous adverts that used classical music to evoke emotion

15 July 2025, 13:31

Classical music can elevate a commercial away from the everyday, and into a sense of otherworldly wonder. Here are its best-known uses in adverts.

Ever watched an advert and found yourself humming the music all day long? You’re not alone – a quick scroll through online forums reveals just how often a few familiar notes trigger memories of products, jingles, and taglines from years gone by. You’ll often see posts like, “What’s that classical piece from the old chocolate ad – anyone know?”

It’s not just the visuals that stay with us – it’s the music. The right soundtrack lodges itself in the memory, and sometimes it’s the reason we remember the advert at all.

Classical music has long been a favourite among advertisers for exactly that reason. It stirs up nostalgia, adds a sense of familiarity, and can make even the simplest message feel cinematic. Here are ten adverts where classical music played a starring role.

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1. Delibes – Flower Duet (British Airways)

   Delibes’ Flower Duet has been part of British Airways’ identity since the late 1980s, first used in the airline’s ‘Face’ advert created by Saatchi & Saatchi. Its soaring melody quickly became associated with the romance of travel and has since featured across BA’s branding – from in-flight boarding music to TV campaigns. In 2019, the piece was reimagined by the British Airways Orchestra to mark the airline’s centenary.

   

   British Airways Flower Duet Lakme Commercial

   

   Nadine Sierra & Pretty Yende - Delibes: Lakmé / Flower Duet

2. Grieg – In the Hall of the Mountain King (Alton Towers)

   Used for years in Alton Towers’ adverts and across the theme park itself, this piece has become its unofficial theme tune. Grieg’s music begins with quiet suspense and builds into a thrilling crescendo – not unlike a rollercoaster ride. It was originally written to depict a boy escaping from a troll king in a Norwegian folk tale, but it turns out to be the perfect soundtrack for thrill-seekers too.

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   Alton Towers Theme Song

   

   Edvard Grieg - In the Hall of the Mountain King | Classic FM

3. Orff – O Fortuna (Old Spice)

   Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana is one of the most recognisable choral works of the 20th century – and for many, its popularity owes a great deal to its dramatic use in advertising. In the 1970s and ’80s, ‘O Fortuna’ became the unmistakable soundtrack to Old Spice’s aftershave commercials – a heady mix of crashing waves, confident narration, and full-blown choral intensity. For some viewers, it was their first encounter with classical music, and judging by the YouTube comments decades later, it’s an association that’s stuck.

   

   Old Spice Theme song

   

   André Rieu - O Fortuna (Carmina Burana - Carl Orff)

4. Debussy – Clair de lune (Chanel)

   Baz Luhrmann’s 2004 Chanel No.5 advert, Le Film, felt more like a mini movie than an advert – all sweeping visuals, whispered narration, and high-gloss romance. Debussy’s ‘Clair de lune’ was at its heart: a soundtrack that captured the ad’s dreamy, nostalgic mood. Delicate, soft and impressionistic, the music added a timeless elegance to a campaign built entirely on feeling.

   

   CHANEL N°5, the film with Nicole Kidman – CHANEL Fragrance

   

   Debussy - Clair de Lune on LED piano

5. Handel – Zadok the Priest (P&O Cruises)

   Famously performed at every British coronation since 1727, Handel’s Zadok the Priest has become one of the most enduring musical symbols of national ceremony and tradition – with a longer association with royal pageantry than the National Anthem itself. It was a clever choice for P&O Cruises: by borrowing music so closely associated with royal occasions, the advert gave their holidays an added sense of prestige.

   

   P&O Cruises advert

   

   Handel's Zadok the Priest - The Royal Scottish National Orchestra | Classic FM

6. Tchaikovsky - The Nutcracker Suite Op.71a: II.Vi Dance of the Mirltons (Cadbury’s Fruit and Nut)

   In the 1970s, Cadbury’s ran a hugely popular advert for its Fruit and Nut chocolate bar, with humourist Frank Muir singing the jingle “Everyone’s a Fruit and Nut Case” to the tune of Tchaikovsky’s Dance of the Mirlitons. Playful and irresistibly catchy, the music added charm and mischief to the campaign.You might say it’s a wonderfully unexpected pairing – a 19th-century ballet tune forever linked with a much-loved British chocolate bar.

   

   Cadburys Fruit and Nut advert 1977 Frank Muir HQ

7. Dvořák - Symphony No.9 in E Minor, B.178/Op.95, ‘From the New World’ II. Largo (Hovis)

   Dvořák’s New World Symphony is one of classical music’s most recognisable works – and for many in the UK, the second movement will forever be tied to a boy pushing a bike up a steep cobbled hill. The 1973 advert, directed by Ridley Scott, paired the music’s gentle tone with nostalgic imagery.

   

   Hovis 'Bike' advert 1973 (Britain's favourite TV ad)

   

   Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 "From the New World" / Karajan · Berliner Philharmoniker

8. Mozart’s Requiem - Lacrimosa (McDonald’s)

   Set to slow-motion footage of two diners eating their meals, the music from Mozart’s Requiem brought unexpected drama to a perfectly everyday moment. Tongue firmly in cheek, the ad showed how even the most powerful music can be used to clever – and comedic – effect. We’re lovin’ it.

   

   Mozart Lacrimosa McDonalds

   

   Mozart: Requiem – Lacrimosa | SO & GC | CM Berlin

9. Gershwin - Rhapsody in Blue (Galaxy Chocolate)

   Galaxy’s 1992 advert paired the smooth richness of chocolate with the sweeping elegance of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. The now-iconic line, “Why have cotton when you can have silk?”, said it all. Gershwin’s score added a sense of style and indulgence, reinforcing Galaxy’s image as a luxurious treat.

   

   Galaxy (chocolate) advert 1992

   

   Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue - Hayato Sumino FULL performance | Classic FM Live

10. Richard Strauss – Also Sprach Zarathustra (Pampers)

    Perhaps best known as the soundtrack to 2001: A Space Odyssey, Strauss’ epic fanfare took on a very different role in this cheeky Pampers campaign. The ad, nicknamed Pooface, used slow-motion shots of babies mid-nappy incident, set to the grandeur of Strauss’ music – turning tiny expressions of concentration and chaos into cinematic commercial gold.

    

    Also sprach … Pampers poop commercial

    

    Strauss: Also sprach Zarathustra / Dudamel · Berliner Philharmoniker