Music can make us buy more in the supermarket: a recent University of Bath study found piped tunes can boost basket sizes by 10%. Meanwhile, brands are prioritising sonic branding to cut through the noise on social media and reaping the badabababa-benefits. But can the right song or sound actually improve the taste of food and drink?
That’s being put to the test by ultra-premium Venezuelan rum brand Diplomático, in a stunt that marks the launch of its Chancellor SKU. Diplomático has worked with Oxford University “experimental psychologist” Professor Charles Spence and acclaimed pianist and composer Clara Rodriguez to produce a four-minute track “designed to enhance the way the rum is experienced”.
With the title The Chancellor’s Treasured Notes (YouTube), it’s not likely to trouble the charts. But does it serve its function in “making the rum feel richer, warmer, and more expressive”?
The Grocer can’t say for sure, since Diplomático declined to send one of the 900 individually numbered bottles (rsp £1,900 for a 700ml bottle) to enjoy with the track. So a glass of tap water had to do.
It opens with percussive rattles, frog chirps and wood block knocks – reminiscent of mid-1950s exotica – which transports the listener somewhere tropical. Gulp. A piano meanders between melody and discord, raising the tension. Gulp. Enter guitar and bass in a waltz. Gulp. It culminates in a Venezuelan joropo. Aah.
An enjoyable, mindful few minutes to escape and hydrate, with rum or none.
No comments yet