ADAM K ON SPACE & SOUND – 2

BRANDED SPACE

When I think of “sounds of brands” my mind turns to spaces (not necessarily to mechanized products) that advertisers appropriate through the use of sound to help build their own brands. In effect, creating a “branded space” in the consumer’s mindset.

One of the best examples this is a Southwest Airlines television campaign, which first appeared on the airwaves (another space to explore at some point) a few years back. The sound is that of the “ding” that fills the cabin a few minutes after take off. I believe the sound is used to single that it’s okay for a passenger to get out of their seat and move about the cabin. The campaign’s themeline “You are free to move around the country”, which is delivered in the same fashion (audio quality) of a pilot’s announcement over the airplane’s PA system seems to support my understanding of the usage or the significance of this sound.

BTW: The term in advertising for this kind of device (the “ding”) is called a mnemonic.

What’s important to recognize is that this sound is not unique to Southwest’s jets, or the specific brand experience of this airline. The sound is created equally (so-to-speak) by all the different airlines and (I believe) is an industry standard used by all the different manufacturers of passenger jets (e.g. Boeing and Airbus). In this respect, the sound can be considered as ubiquitous to airline travel.

The smarts of the Southwest folks and their agency is to take ownership of the sound and link it to the Southwest brand, enabling the brand to be filled with many compelling associations and feelings about airline travel – all of which can be said to “take off” and “land” in the area of personal empowerment.