The drummer in Def Leppard only has one arm
I missed my UPS delivery yesterday. It got me thinking: if only UPS had a chime to rival that ear-raping ice-cream van that stalks my postcode like the child catcher from Chitty Bang Bang. And so there you have it — a perfectly good premise for a blog. And in hindsight, that title is a little misleading.
Why don’t UPS vans chime?
And who said it was OK for ice-cream vendors to make such a fuss about their arrival? Well, the Government did. They made Mr. Whippy an exception to the rule on noise pollution quite a while ago:
“It is an offence under section 62 of the Control of Pollution Act 1974 (CoPA) to use a loudspeaker in the street. There is a specific exception for the operation of loudspeakers fixed to vehicles used to convey and sell perishable commodities for human consumption to the public, such as ice-cream, provided that they do not give reasonable cause for annoyance to persons in the vicinity.”So technically, if your company delivers a perishable commodity for human consumption, you would be in your rights to announce your arrival with a brand jingle of sorts, albeit not before noon or after 7pm.
Brand jingles and restrictions
Your jingle must NOT:
- Be played too frequently (less than intervals of 2 mins)
- Be played for too long (no more than 12 seconds)
- Be too loud (80dB)
- Appear distorted
- Be played near people sensitive to noise (eg. fishermen)
- Be played in a stationary position (only as you approach small children or fishermen)
- Be played within sight of another van (avoid turf wars)
Sound as a brand asset
From a branding perspective, this is looking very exciting indeed. Why shouldn’t a street food vendor have a branded jingle? Popular ones are mostly taken: “Do Your Ears Hang Low?”, “Pop Goes The Weasel”, “The Entertainer”, “Music Box Dancer”, “Home on the Range”, “Für Elise”, “Camptown Races”.
“Sound can trigger memories and emotions far more effectively than any carefully scripted advertising headline.”Audio is becoming recognized as a serious brand asset. Hearing is one of our most powerful senses, affecting mood, energy, and focus from birth. Brands that use sound effectively can create deeper emotional connections with customers.
Beyond jingles: brand soundscapes
A brand’s audio isn’t just a logo jingle like Intel’s four notes — think broader: a brand soundscape. Audio should reflect brand personality. For example:
- Organic: strings, woodwinds, natural sounds
- Digital: synths, electronic effects
- Vocal: human, animal, or abstract sounds
Sound, like color, is measurable in frequencies and waveforms. Could a brand’s soundscape be navigated using musical principles like the circle of fifths, similar to a color wheel for visuals?
“The use of audio in UX design helps to augment what is primarily a visual experience.”
Functionality in UX design
Audio already plays a key role in UX design:
- Sound: chimes, blips, beeps for micro gestures
- Voice: complex information, dialogue
- Music: express mood or emotion
These elements should sit within the brand’s soundscape, guided by basic music theory to maintain hierarchy, emotion, and feedback.
H1 – Primary brand sounds: main theme or jingle
H2 – Primary UX sounds: functional clicks, gestures
Body – Secondary UX sounds: passive sounds like section openings
Bold/italics – Notifications/alerts: feedback and assurance
Accessibility and audio
Brand audio also scales accessibility. Descriptive labels can be read aloud by screen readers in a brand-specific voice. Sound can connect with customers on levels that visuals alone cannot.
Watch this space
Future brand guidelines may include:
- Preferred accents, dialects, or character stylings
- Celebrity voiceovers
- On-hold music selection
Brand soundscapes may seem abstract today, but sound as a core brand asset is increasingly relevant.
“Creativity, accessibility, and emotion — all amplified by the right sounds.”
Personal note
In the meantime, I’m dusting off my Casiotone, replacing the AAs, and getting back to scales and arpeggios. Now, how did that A-ha riff go again…