A brand as diverse as Toyota needs more than a single sound, it requires a sonic ecosystem that’s culturally and musically flexible to accommodate a broad range of marketing efforts.

As the “Human Movement Company,” the solution had to evoke brand attributes, create an emotional connection and be infinitely flexible to ensure it would feel natural and integrated, expressing varied products across all touch points.

We drew inspiration from the phonetics in Toyota’s name, “Oh Oh Ah,” and transformed it into a 3-note signature that evokes the brand regardless of keys, instrumentation, vocals or genres. For ultimate flexibility, the signature can be woven into a musical score to reinforce and deepen the emotional connection to Toyota.

The sonic system has been integrated across campaigns, as a sign-off on broadcast, digital, radio; a soundtrack for activations, conferences, press-reveals, in-dealership, sponsorships, auto shows and events. Budget: $250k.

We took inspiration from the name Toyota, honing in on basic vowel sounds “Oh Oh Ah.” We turned this into a signature that evokes Toyota’s human, optimistic and confident attributes. To achieve flexibility, we wove the signature into ownable music, so it could connect to people persistently through many genres.. Creating branded music opened new opportunities to reinforce the sonic identity across touch points.

The Sonic Signature is a 3-note musical phrase that will be used in every auditory communication. Watermarking Music is a way of weaving the Sonic Signature into a larger body of music which allows us to create music in different genres and moods, while still connecting listeners to the brand. Assets are available and can be created in various keys, instrumentation, vocals, tempo, and genre.

Research confirmed the signature consciously and sub-consciously represents Toyota's brand attributes, enhancing positive associations of Toyota.

Toyota revealed the new Sonic System worldwide at the 2022 Super Bowl. The sonic system has been integrated across campaigns, as a sign-off on broadcast, digital, radio; a soundtrack for activations, conferences, press-reveals, in-dealership, sponsorships, auto shows and events. Select from the Toyota Sonic library or create a unique signature or watermark composition using the proprietary guidelines. Implementation will continue across all audio materials in perpetuity.

We did significant research ahead of creative development to ensure that our sonic solution would be grounded in best practices and neuroscience to ensure long term success.

A team of behavioral psychologists and music educators were consulted so we could best understand the science behind music; emotional reactions to different sounds, tones, and instruments, and how to create a memorable signature that positively represents the brand.

Once developed, the signature was tested without any visuals or additional context. Research confirmed the signature consciously and sub-consciously represents Toyota's brand attributes. Pre-launch, the signature performed above average on brand recall.

As the sonic elements begin to be layered with other branding elements, it will create an even stronger positive association and will continue to reinforce brand recognition, recall and awareness. The Sonic Identity System has been adopted across Toyota’s national, regional and local efforts.