Our Infraero Sound Branding project, which fixed structural problems in communication and brand management, fit the company like a glove. After our study, we applied strategic guidelines to the music theme and sound logo effects preceding operational, institutional, and commercial messages. We’ve also changed the brand voice of the airports, which had remained the same for 40 years, adapting their old way of speaking to a new sound and verbal tone. We have a lot to tell you about that. Drag down!

Zanna talks about Infraero

"We had no notion of the grandiosity and reach of Sound Branding until we encountered Zanna Sound. Consequently, the theme was not at the top of the company's priority list. Soon, I realized that sonic identity is expansive and can assist Infraero in updating its image. Through it, we are reevaluating our communication approach and initiating a series of process changes"

Lea Cavallero
Presidential Advisor at Infraero

EXPERIENCED - CONNECTED - DYNAMIC - ATTENTIVE –

The study for the creation of Infraero’s Sound Branding (Brazilian Airport Infrastructure Company) revealed that airport users sought more efficiency, less sensuality, an enhanced sonic experience, and increased comfort. If you sharpen your senses, you’ll notice that the auditory pieces heard in 61 airports across the Infraero network throughout the country embody a distinct brand.

Context

Airports are small towns where airline companies, service providers, representatives of the Brazilian National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa), the Federal Police, the Department of Agricultural Defenses and Air Traffic Control from Air Force Command all inhabit. The audience was feeling disoriented and inevitably charged all problems there to Infraero. At the root of this confusion was the shared usage of the airport’s sound system.

In 2010, Zanna Agency sought out the Brazilian Airport Infrastructure Company (Infraero) marketing directors to present our perception of the problem and its solutions. In May 2012, the agency was invited to develop the Sound Branding guidelines and brand voice tone of Brazilian airports.

Musical theme and sound logos

Infraero’s musical theme has a world music pop rhythm. It is agile without being frantic and embodies sound textures typical of Brazil that are also familiar to foreign ears. We recorded alfaias, accordion, cuíca, berimbau, guitar with nylon strings and, in counterpoint, international instruments such as a flute, guitar with steel strings, cello, box, cajon and ukulele. This mix is reflected on the three sound logo examples that anticipate institutional, operational, and commercial messages at airports.

Airport brand voice and tone

Our research revealed that the airport voice, which had been the soundtrack of the travel experience for Brazilians and foreigners for decades, was incongruent with the brand’s profile. The new voice should be that of a 40-year-old Brazilian woman—entrepreneurial, successful, experienced, cosmopolitan, and fluent in other languages. The casting was conducted in three stages, and among more than 60 voices, the chosen one reflects these attributes. Integrated into the Sound Branding project, the change in verbal tone helped the company reposition itself. The brand started conveying its message in a much more friendly and contemporary manner.

The serious style of announcements, such as “Infraero informs: this airport is closed for landings and takeoffs with no prediction for normalization,” gave way to a language closer to the user: “Passenger, landings and takeoffs will return to normal as soon as weather conditions improve.” Feel the difference? This is how the new verbal tone made communication more positive and accessible, transforming it from negative and difficult.

SOUND UX

The musical theme, sound logos and voice of airports were applied to the set of messages in Portuguese, English and Spanish, SAC, telephone and ombudsman service, internet content, social media and various other applications. Zanna also made a training video to explain how the Sound Branding should be used in brand management and trained strategic areas to adopt the company’s new brand voice and tone in advertising. The goal was to bring this new way of speaking to frontline staff and airport attendants.

Criação

Strategy
brand workshops
Deliveries
infraero music theme, sound logo concept and, brand voice and tone, Sound Branding book.
Sound UX
in airport environments, movie tracks, SAC, ringtones, social media, spots and advertising in movies, training videos.

Time

berimbau and cuíca
André Vercelino
drums and percussion
Carlos César
accordion
Chico Chagas
nylon and ukelele steel guitar
João Gaspar
flute and piccolo
Lena Horta
cello
Lui Coimbra
composition, arrangement, and musical directing
Zanna
brand voice
Ana Paula de Aquino
executive producer
Tati Botafogo
brand manager
Cibele Nunes