Mozart Finally Got a Music Video, Thanks to Magnum Ice Cream

Mozart was a total rock star in the 18th century. He started his career young and utterly disrupted the musical community of his time, kind of like the Beatles. Of course, this is hard to imagine now, what with him being several hundred years dead, and his music associated with an elitist classical tradition.

But ice cream brand Magnum is giving him new flavor for generations that don’t know him yet. “Mozart by Magnum,” created by LOLA MullenLowe Madrid, marks the composer’s first-ever music video … and it does his sensuous reputation justice.

Described as “a tribute from one classic to another,” the video is a Magnum remix of the first movement of Mozart’s 25th Symphony in G minor, KV. 183. This was Mozart’s first piece in a minor key. He was just 17 when he wrote it, breaking conventions of what people expected of him up to that point, like when Miley Cyrus released “Wrecking Ball.”

The scenery opens with something that resembles postcoital play. After he and the woman he’s with pull themselves back into casual shape, he goes to his piano to play a few notes. But, gripped by something that feels like an unaccustomed block, he slams down on his keys and peers into the inner frame with aggrieved concentration.

Suddenly he’s sucked in, sent tumbling into a mad animated world of inspiration, like when that girl in A-ha’s “Take On Me” gets sucked into the comic book world.

The woman freaks out upon noticing Mozart’s disappearance and goes to find reinforcements, but by the time she’s back, he’s tranquilly returned, looking sweaty but fresh, fingers dripping notes with the ease of ice cream melting on a hot concrete block.

Weirdly enough, the connection to Magnum isn’t massively unintuitive, and further serves to humanize the composer. In a letter from Paris dated July 3, 1778, Mozart tells his father he went out for ice cream after a successful performance (as one should): “After the symphony I therefore immediately went to the Palais Royale out of joy—had a good ice [cream]—prayed the Rosary that I had promised—and went home.” This letter is owned by the International Mozarteum Foundation but, for the first time, will be visible to the public in a special exhibition related to the campaign.

“Mozart was one of the greatest composers, a man of pleasure and, as we now know, a true ice cream lover,” says Christiane Haasis, Unilever’s DAChBeNeLux business unit lead for ice cream. “With his passion and desire to constantly reinvent himself, he would be the ideal Magnum ambassador today.”

The “Mozart by Magnum” video premiered July 29 in the composer’s birthplace of Salzburg in Austria, during a reception hosted in partnership with the International Mozarteum Foundation. The latter is also hosting the special branded exhibition, which will be open through Sept. 11.

“We, the International Mozarteum Foundation, are of course particularly pleased that Magnum, one of the world’s leading ice cream brands, is honoring Wolfgang Amadé Mozart with this international creative project,” says Rainer Heneis, the foundation’s CEO. “Cooperations like this certainly help to make younger generations aware of Mozart. I am convinced it will encourage many people to take a closer look at the musical genius.”

“Mozart by Magnum” is part of the “Magnum Remix” series, where music is mashed up with classic Magnum ice creams. “It’s a dream come true to be able to pay tribute to a classic like Mozart, creating his first ever music video for one of his compositions and to have it become part of an exhibition at his very own museum,” says Tomas Ostiglia, executive creative director at LOLA MullenLowe.

Mozart’s 25th Symphony in G minor, KV. 183 was rearranged and produced by Pietranera-Sancho of HeyFolks studio, and recorded with the Malaga Symphony Orchestra. Felipe Guevara of Closed Studios made the mix.

CREDITS 

Global Vice President Ice Cream, Unilever: Julien Barraux
Global Brand Director, Magnum: Ben Curtis
Category Director, Refreshment DACH: Wolfgang Fritz
Assistant Brand Manager, Magnum DACH: Britta Seiffert

Creative Agency: LOLA MullenLowe, Madrid 
Executive Creative Director: Tomás Ostiglia 
Managing Director: Tom Elliston 
Creative Directors: Kevin Cabuli, Jorge Zacher         
Art Director: Diego Vieira, Yan Graller
Copywriter: German Rivera 
Global Account Director: Oscar Fernandez-Baca, Flora Bell
Account Supervisor: Cristina Panea 
Head of Production: Felipe Calviño 
Producer: Jorge Saade, Diego Baltazar
Production Company: Proppa (Propaganda Producciones)
Executive Producer: Pablo Martinez
Director: Martin Werner & Ralph Karam

Animation:
Production Company: Final Frontier
Animation Studio: LeCube

Music:
Symphony n25 in Gm K.183 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Arrangements and production: Pietranera-Sancho in HeyFolks Studio
Recorded with Malaga’s symphonic orchestra in Auditorio Centro Cultural MVA
Orquestra Director: Juan Pietranera
Mix: Felipe Guevara in Closed Studios

PR:
PR Agency, Austria: BuzzDriver – Jockel Weichert & Barbara Fuchs-Puchner
PR Agency, Germany: COR Berlin Kommunikation GmbH – Kristina Meie & Alexander Frohn

Event & Exhibition installation (Salzburg): 
Event Agency: Since Today – Alexander Klima 

International Mozarteum Foundation (Salzburg): 
Rainer Heneis (CEO), Linus Klumpner (Director Mozart-Museums)