Leffe has created a new sonic identity, designed to capture its 800-year history by tapping into the brand’s authentic abbey heritage.
Developed in partnership with global branding agency Jones Knowles Ritchie (JKR) and Songtradr company Massive Music London, the Leffe sound system creates a sensory experience that helps appeal to a broader more musically inclined audience.
Named ‘The Sound of Monastic Divinity’, the identity encapsulates the depth of Leffe’s history which originates from the Leffe Abbey back in 1240.
It was created by recording the acoustics of a bursting balloon within the original Leffe Abbey, and converting the reverb to create a unique and recognisable dimension to the sonic branding.
Leffe marketing director Lourenço Arriaga said they began by looking to develop the brand’s visual identity, but identified “a significant opportunity in the element of sound” within the category.
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“We noticed it lacked distinctive and memorable sonic identities. In fact, many brands were relying on generic ‘refreshment signifiers’ and a wide variety of music, which created inconsistencies,” he added.
“We realised that their was a huge amount of potential in using sound to truly resonate with consumers and create a more enriching and unique sensorial world for the brand.”
At its heart is a sonic logo which begins with two notes of the organ melody built into rich cords, and then is completed with warm choral voices and a bell.
Meanwhile, the sonic palette includes rhythms and sound design and has been created as a flexible musical blueprint for future content and activations.
“We set out to create a sonic identity that was both timeless and progressive. Drawing inspiration from Leffe’s birthplace and history, we focused on finding what was distinctive to the brand,” said JKR executive creative director Sean Thomas.
“From there, we crafted flexible audio signatures and effects that could bring this essence to life across all channels, designed to evolve with the brand and adapt to both current and future platforms,” he continued.
