High Five: Tapping into the Power of Audio

I love the case study of this campaign - it’s the perfect testimony to the power of sound. It showcases how, when done right, audio branding can generate recognition, share of voice and meaningful engagement for brands. 

This campaign is so beautiful that, when I first saw it, I got emotional. It’s an undeniably touching cause that was treated with the love and gentleness it deserves. From a craft and creativity perspective, I love to see how they really pushed the sound concept as far as it could go - from building a bespoke physical instrument to a digital one that users could play with, leveraging artist partnerships and performances, tentpole activations, and even selling the instrument in an auction to really drive the ROI for the cause. This concept also holds a special place in my heart because, by referencing the heartbeat, it’s an ode to the rhythm built in all of us. I believe each of us has a beat, a rhythm, and an endless source of symphonies built right inside of our hearts, which is what I think makes our shared connection to music so powerful. 

I’ve been fascinated with the topic of voices for years. As part of my university graduation film, I worked on a documentary called ‘The Female Voice’, which looked at how women’s voices (and literally the sound of our voice) is heard and received and what that can mean in terms of how we constructively collaborate as a society. During our research for the documentary, the theme of the abuse women suffer in virtual spaces kept coming up across the different conversations we were having. This campaign hits right on that note. The agency made the most of modern audio technology in a clever way, producing a clear audiovisual depiction of how women can suffer disproportionately to men whilst being in the exact same position. I love that the audio tech is what gave the men the chance to experience it in their own skin and reflect on the experience of their female peers. Constructive collaboration comes from a place of true empathy and the ability to put ourselves in each other’s (player) seat, so big high five for that! 

From start to finish, this ad is an ode to craftsmanship and creativity - from the cast to the filmmaking - everything comes together to create a narrative context that doesn’t shout about BMW, but enhances the brand’s elegance and class. From a music and sound point of view, everything has been meticulously thought-out to deliver tension, humour and highlight the quality of the product and BMW experience. As the narrative evolves and erupts into a fully fledged action sequence, we experience the full suite of huffs, puffs, thuds, crashes and slams you’d expect from an action-packed fight scene and car chase, wrapped up in the soft rumbling vibrations and deliberate stillness of Hans Zimmer’s score, constantly reminding the viewer of the cool smoothness of the car’s ride throughout. What I also love about this ad is that it perfectly showcases the sound world of the BMWi7 car itself, highlighting how brands can use ownable sound cues to craft a premium product experience from the inside out. We see the motion-activated interactions between the characters and the car’s sound system, as well as the product sounds of the car’s hydraulic features, driving modes, and voice notifications.