Ever since countries started taking safety measures to combat the pandemic, life as we know it changed dramatically. The quantity of time spent watching our devices along with video ads went through the roof.

This confirms one thing: the need for advertisers to stand out remains an everlasting challenge, and perhaps under today’s circumstances this challenge is even harder to conquer than before.

Like most commercials, the entire process starts with the script. The script contains the story and the action that will take place in the ad. However, one way advertisers can reach their goal is to stop drilling their audience with words, and instead let them experience the message through sound design.

Here we have compiled several examples of how sound design can enhanced the ad experience opposed to traditional voice-over.

Nike: “Write the Future” (2010)

Sports and sports products are categories in which sound design plays a major role in creating a sheer array of feelings that normally transcends the traditional. The sole objective of these ads is to inspire, motivate, and put you in the moment of your favorite athlete at their peak performance.

Nike’s brand film, Write the Future, came out in 2010 and received plenty of positive reviews. Moreover, it ended up bringing home several major awards. Over the course of 3 minutes, with almost no dialogue or voice-over, the company managed to tell the personal stories of multiple athletes as the game unfolds.

Notice how the music evolves and flows as the moving images come and go. The crowd energy changes and tells us how and what to feel. There are dynamic stops in the mix, moments of tension, and moments where everything moves at a slower pace, all to support the players performance with no need for dialogue.

Mountain Hardware: OutDry Packs (2016)

Mountain Hardware focuses on people’s connection to the outside world. Their products are meant to allow us to spend a much safer and enjoyable time in nature - whether we’re going camping or hiking, or taking a break from daily stress triggers like crowded cities. 

Instead of using voice and dialogue as the main way to convey their message, they’ve capture the viewer’s attention with the calming sounds of nature with rain, wind blown trees, or crashing ocean waves. Brand advertising is also about the association; for outdoor camping and hiking enthusiasts, the sound of nature is key. That’s how this brand chooses to speak to its audience.

Volkswagen Passat: The Force (2012)

This well-crafted and clever commercial borrows the Star Wars brand to tell the story of a child who just wants to mimic Darth Vader’s control of the force, except it doesn’t seem to work for him.

While John Williams’s Imperial March can be heard throughout the majority of the duration of the ad, the important part comes near the end where they finally pull back the soundtrack, change themes and create tension and suspense. If the audience wasn’t watching before, the dramatic shift in sound can be enough to make your head tilt towards the screen.

It’s here when we finally see the kid get what he was looking for: the sound of the Volkswagen’s engine. It’s indeed a clever way to bring recognition to the feature they’re making without uttering a single word.

What can we learn from the previous examples?

1. Just like exposition can ruin a perfectly built story in tv and film, sometimes needless voice-over can also ruin a good commercial ad.

2. The use of dynamic sounds and moments of tension and suspense are capable of keeping your audience engaged.

Learn how to use sound to speak for your brand.