The Brief
Aston Martin were on the brink of putting the sounds of a 2007 Mercedes C-Class into their new category-leading DB11. Indicators, warning tones, everything.
I was commissioned to produce a piece of research that would prove the necessity of developing a bespoke in-car sonic identity to senior stakeholders.
The Insight
Using an affective design approach, I conducted an online consumer study that demonstrated that the Mercedes sounds were perceived as cheap, flimsy and unsafe.
When I asked what brand of vehicle consumers thought the sounds came from, they answered Kia and Nissan.
My research also showed that the sounds from a wide range of other luxury automobiles were similarly poor, highlighting a golden opportunity for innovation and differentiation.
The decision-makers at Aston Martin were convinced.
The Execution
A number of creative concept routes were developed based on my initial research.
I conducted further research to test consumers’ implicit emotional responses to each route. One clearly stood out in terms of communicating Aston Martin’s brand values and was taken forward into full development.
The Results
Upon completion of the project I conducted follow-up validation research that confirmed that the final sounds embodied the Aston Martin values of Power, Beauty and Soul.
This time when asked, consumers said that the tones sounded like they came from an Aston Martin.
The bespoke sonic identity was used as one of the key marketing messages when the car was launched.
