Brand Voice and Nailing the Right Tone With Video
Can you imagine any of your favorite movies, tv shows, or web series with a totally different soundtrack-like, what if The Sopranos’ theme song was switched with the one from Friends? Or, what if all the ROCKYs were suddenly stripped of music and replaced with canned laughter? Think about it. Sound can be just as impactful as visuals when it comes to almost any video production. While SFX and complex scores have been traditionally reserved for the most prominent in entertainment, marketing teams now use the same tools & techniques in setting the right tone for their own brands.
At Bottle Rocket Media, we have great admiration for the maestros that have given us so many audio-visual experiences to remember; John Williams rocked us in Star Wars, Hans Zimmer took us into a dream world in Inception, and Danny Elfman creeped us out in Beetlejuice. And wanna talk amazing SFX? How about every Pixar Toy Story installment – featuring crack teams of specialists just to ensure Woody’s spurs sound ‘authentic.’
Well, here’s the good news.
Thanks to the digital age, the same intense aural impact can now be made without the need for an orchestra, a recording studio, or a team of Foley artists with horns and blocks in tow. Modern technology has gone light years beyond what we imagined only 10 years ago. With small-footprint crews manning 360-video, VR, and drone technology, brands in almost every industry are dropping cost-effective music video-style presentations that move fast and send the right messaging; carefully selected sound solutions are more accessible than ever before, helping to bring tons of new products & services out of the shadows and into the light.
Here are a few examples to illustrate the power of sound in video:
- Zoë Gives Us the Chills
Have you heard of ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response)? It’s a lot more interesting than it sounds. AND it’s a technique that won’t break the bank. In this example, featuring the talented Zoë Kravitz and an ice-cold bottle of Michelob Ultra: Pure Gold, we can almost feel the whisper of her voice, her fingertips against the glass, and the sounds of the pour – awakening our tactile senses and creating a spinetingling experience that’s both captivating and memorable. Never underestimate the power of giving your audience real goosebumps!
- Tom Cruise Terrifies Us in SFX-less Trailer
We’re not quite sure if this almost soundless trailer for 2016’s The Mummy was a major league screw up or a brilliant publicity stunt. Without traditional SFX to back up the action, audiences are left to fill the void with their own imaginations. For some of us at Bottle Rocket Media, it made the video more profound – especially when hearing Tom Cruise scream for his life, unaided and unenhanced. No SFX, just pure human terror!
For others, the unorthodox style detracted from the weight of the scenes – creating more of a ridiculous or unintended comedic feel. What do you think?
- Sounds of Space Give Theme to Promo Video
At Bottle Rocket Media, we are committed to ensuring our own brand familiarity through consistent themes that help hit target audiences, yet remain in line with our unique voice and mission. So, it stands to reason we would attempt a promo piece incorporating the sounds of satellites, NASA dispatchers, and of course, the earthshaking feel of a blast-off at Cape Canaveral – all while prominently displaying some of the valued clients that have helped us reach the stratosphere of 360-degree video production and soar beyond it.
Ready to Sound Off to the World?
Getting your brand to sound just right is not necessarily a quick process, and it can lead to a lengthy, frustrating wild goose chase across the endless chasms of the Internet before anything promising sticks out. So, for those of you eager to dive in, we highly recommend taking a gander at KillerTracks.com, one of our main sources of music. Also, for decent SFX, check out MotionArray.com. Finally, there is always YouTube, with many amazingly FREE options to explore.
Still stuck? Click here to find out how Bottle Rocket Media can help your brand get heard.