Here’s an agency hack I’ve never talked about.

When we define a client’s universe at my agency, we ask questions about how their brand should look, sound, feel, and talk. Some brands are more aggressive, some more gentle. Some more quaint, some more futuristic…

One of the first things I do when working with a new brand is find a song that represents their tone of voice.

While we never share this song publicly, we have the song playing internally while making critical design and copy decisions.

If a brand’s song is death metal, you’ll make very different choices listening to that vs. say, relaxing ambient nature music or soulful 70s funk.

While I can’t prove it, I believe that this strategy makes a brand’s expression more unique and cohesive than creating work in the void.

Synesthesia is the ability to see music in anything; everything.