Belgium is known for great beer - it’s the world capital of historical abbey brewing going back

centuries. But how does one brand stand out against the rest? By doing something no other

abbey beer has ever done; harness the power of sound to transport anyone, anywhere to the

beer’s birthplace. By going back to the original Notre Dame de Leffe abbey, and evoking the

immense musical history of this space, we had the perfect ingredients to create a sound unlike

anything else. Belgium’s abbeys have rich musical heritage - hymnal choirs, bells for

gatherings/tracking time, a towering organ as the centrepiece. We wanted to create a sonic

world that immerses the listener in this space, creating an emotional engagement unlike any

other beer brand in the world. The monks living at the abbey today were involved throughout

the creative process, approving the sonic assets and ensuring that they ring true to the Leffe

identity both now and in the future, giving our work an authentic seal of approval.

Leffe has been developing its visual brand, with the aim to create a stronger link to its rich

abbey heritage in the mind of consumers. However, there was no previous consideration for

how sound can help drive this connection and create a richer sensorial world for the consumer.

Moreover, the beer category generally lacks stand-out ownable sonic identities, is rife with

generic ‘refreshment signifiers’, and uses a vast range of inconsistent music. By drawing on the

visual brand, the strategic tone-of-voice, and rich history of the Leffe abbey we aimed to a)

stand out in the category through music and sound design b) create a strategic foundation for

how the brand uses sound across all touchpoints now and in the future, and c) immerse a

younger, more musically inclined audience in a completely unique sensory world, while also

appealing to the current core consumer.