Why sound might be the most underrated brand asset
We spend a lot of time talking about what brands look like. Far less time is spent talking about what they sound like – despite sound being one of the most immediate and emotionally powerful ways humans experience the world.
I recently sat down with Freddie Dennham Webb, founding partner and creative director at Father, a creative music and sound design studio working across branding, culture, and environments. What emerged was not a conversation about sonic logos or jingles, but about how sound quietly shapes behaviour, memory, and meaning – often without us realising.
Father began twelve years ago with Freddie and his creative partner Joe playing in a band while working as runners at Soho production companies. Music and advertising felt like separate worlds until a director invited them to pitch on a Kia commercial. Winning that project reframed everything. It revealed that musical intuition could translate into brand storytelling – and that sound could operate as strategy, not decoration.
Today, Father works across sonic identities, exhibitions, retail spaces, and products. From the Marie Antoinette exhibition at the V&A to upcoming work for Elsa Schiaparelli, the studio treats sound as infrastructure – something that underpins experience rather than simply accompanies it.
For Freddie, sound’s impact is deeply personal. Time spent in hospital during his daughter’s transplant highlighted how poorly considered sonic environments can undermine wellbeing. It reinforced the idea that sound is not neutral – it actively shapes how we feel, react, and recover.
Neurologically, sound bypasses rational thought. It triggers instinct before analysis. A sudden noise can provoke fear or alertness in an instant, long before the brain catches up. That immediacy is what makes sound such a powerful partner to visual identity – and such a missed opportunity when ignored.
Importantly, this isn’t just intuition. At Father, sound is tested and measured. Research consistently shows that pairing sound with visual identity significantly increases emotional engagement and brand recall. For Freddie, this validation doesn’t constrain creativity – it gives it confidence.
Sound’s role isn’t limited to consumer brands. In B2B, where complexity and abstraction often dominate, sound can humanise systems and turn function into feeling. Logistics, infrastructure, technology – these sectors still communicate with people, not just organisations.
The future of sonic branding, Freddie argues, isn’t a three-second logo at the end of an advert. It’s an ecosystem: sound in products, spaces, transport, healthcare, and digital experiences. As brands begin to recognise this, the opportunity to design sound intentionally – rather than leaving it to chance – becomes a powerful competitive advantage.
The question isn’t whether brands use sound. They always have. The question is whether they choose to design it.
Key Takeaways
Sound is processed faster than visuals and has a direct emotional impact.
Sonic branding is more than a logo – it’s an ecosystem across touchpoints.
Sound can and should be measured without limiting creativity.
B2B brands have as much to gain from sound as consumer brands.
Intentional sound design turns experience into strategy.