F.A.Z. Sonic Branding

New Music for new channels

Traditional daily newspapers are becoming increasingly digital.
Formerly analog published newspapers now not only have been releasing digital articles and issues, but in addition to this offer regularly broadcasted audio articles and podcasts.
With a wide range of offered audio formats, the role of audio branding and consistency in sonic character is becoming more substantial, as it gives the listener the necessary orientation and affiliation towards the brand.

The Acoustic Ecosystem

However, audio articles are not the only acoustic contact points of a newspaper:
Social media, apps, TV, cinema and radio campaigns — all acoustic elements at these touch points must harmonize with the acoustic bracket of the audio articles, hit the core of the brand and be adaptable for their respective areas of application. With the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, we were now able to implement such a sonic strategy for one of the largest and most well-known newspapers in Germany.

“Freedom starts in the mind” - The guiding principle of the brand F.A.Z.

Our core mission in the creative approach of defining the sonic identity for the F.A.Z. brand was to outline the aspect of freedom that is inseparable from the newspaper and central in its values: freedom of thought, the power of facts and variety of perspectives have been the driving force behind the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung for 70 years.

The translation of the F.A.Z. core values into an audible experience found its counterpart in the approach of ’Neue Musik’ (‘New Music’). Both share the similar characteristics: intellectually stimulating, unusual perspectives and pluralistic in spirit.

In post-war Germany — analogous to the founding of the F.A.Z. the second wave of “Neue Musik” breaks with familiar patterns of listening and composition, works, for example, with polyrhythmics and dissonance, contrasting melodies, etc. — a musical-cultural movement as an alternative to uniformity and traditional conventions. Based on this idea and the resulting acoustic identity of the F.A.Z. brand, all elements of the acoustic brand communication were produced.

In the German press landscape there are at present only very few brands with an holistic sound strategy. With a view to the growing audio portfolio of the F.A.Z., the new corporate sound is the logical continuation of our brand strategy, in order to sharpen the position of the Frankfurter Allgemeine also auditively.– Yamina Grossmann, Head of Marketing