AVL is the world's largest independent provider of leading powertrain systems, using technology to innovate and drive future mobility trends. Following a performance in the concert hall named after him in Graz, CEO of AVL Professor Helmut List asked Novo Sonic’s Tom Huber: “If we invented a new instrument to capture the essence of AVL, what would it sound like?”
Led by the Novo Sonic team, the collaboration brought together AVL with New York-based sound and robotics sculptor and Björk-collaborator Andy Cavatorta. It combined the brand’s strategic DNA with our sonic brand expertise and the artistic intent of the whole team. We formed a deep connection through our shared passion for innovation and performance, setting the stage for a beautiful artistic collaboration.
To co-create a new musical ecosystem for AVL, we all immersed ourselves in AVL’s strategic approach to discover the brand’s sonic DNA. The result was a new musical language, expressed through a unique new instrument that brought it to life in harmony with the brand strategy. The acoustic ecosystem we created perfectly captured the brand’s inner voice and spirit.
The Irvine 7 instrument changes the paradigm of what we expect as players, composers and listeners. Using sensitive AVL gallium phosphate crystals, it demands an entirely new technique to play it. Working together in Brooklyn, the team developed numerous prototypes of Irvine, bringing their artistry and composition talents together to finesse sonic possibilities and performance techniques. Music created with each new iteration of the instrument contributed to the final sonic expression of the brand. The result is much more than the sum of its parts.
A potent combination of art, science and brand informs the beautiful AVL brand melody. It brings together the emotions that make the organization unique and adds depth to its story. We developed these unique sound components into the brand’s sonic DNA for a 360° audio brand campaign that engaged internal and external audiences with all their senses. This included authentic compositions and brand sound modules for the acoustic rollout.
Revealed in a pre-launch campaign before the official launch of the new brand movie, the sonic brand rollout encompassed employer branding, company presentations and live events. The campaign had 2,1 million video views and reached 28 million engineers on YouTube and other platforms.
