“In a world saturated with images, sound is one of the most powerful attention triggers—even with eyes closed,” begins Enrico Giaretta, musician, composer (or rather, “cantaviatore”) and Sonic Brand Director at Inarea.
After various experiences with overseas agencies, Giaretta brings to Inarea a unique approach to sound design, centered around a core concept: a ‘pure sound source’ as the foundation for multiple outputs. The goal is to provide the brand with a communication tool that seamlessly integrates into its identity world, much like a symphony. In general, creating a sound is not complex; what is challenging is crafting one that can integrate across all levels and forms of corporate communication. It’s similar to the red used by Valentino Garavani, which, regardless of the garment it’s applied to, is always associated with the designer.
How is a brand's sonic identity built?
“Once we understand the content, values, and meanings associated with a brand, as well as its existing sonic elements and characteristic phonemes,” Giaretta continues, “we then identify the physical and digital touchpoints where the brand can be perceived. For example, sounds below 80 Hz are not audible on all mobile devices, while in environments like a stadium, frequencies can drop well below 80 Hz. Next, we define the brand’s sonic DNA: that unique and recognizable source that allows the brand to be instantly associated with its sound.
For example, the sound essence of Banca Ifis is characterized by a “glissando” that recalls its payoff “the value of growing together.” For Bauli, we selected the A3 note (at 440 Hz), the tuning reference for nearly all instruments, which we associated with the animation of the letter “i” at the end of the sound logo.” The sound logo is usually less than two seconds long. The shorter and more essential it is, the more effective and memorable it becomes, and consequently, the more enduring over time.
Towards a Sonic Future: Inarea's Musical Alphabet
If words are increasingly intertwined with sound, and sound itself is deeply connected to perception—since the human brain reacts more quickly to auditory stimuli than any other, interpreting a sound in just 0.146 seconds—then the next step could be enabling a brand’s communication through music alone. With this goal in mind, at Inarea, we are developing the concept of a “sound alphabet,” which assigns a musical note to each letter, creating a universal language. This is a pervasive and engaging tool that, starting from a simple identifying sound cell, can transform into small melodies and even into complex brand themes. A prime example of this is Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, which emerges from the evolution of a simple rhythmic cell composed of just four notes.