Listen: New National Trust sonic brand aims to engage diverse and younger audience

Crafted by global sonic branding agency MassiveMusic, the National Trust’s first-ever sonic identity also hopes to underscore its 150-year history of heritage conservation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In adopting novel recording techniques, Songtradr-owned MassiveMusic believes it has designed an audio identity which enhances brand recall and promotes inclusivity.

The National Trust is now Europe’s biggest conservation charity, looking after 500 historic properties, gardens and nature reserves. The project sought to capture the unique sounds of various locations, including the opening of a gate latch and a creaky floorboard.

The result is a short, hummable sonic logo, encapsulating the brand’s ability to create enduring memories for its five million members. Also hoping to evoke warmth, its starts with a soft crescendo before breaking into a calming melody with a strong bass.

Underscoring the National Trust’s overarching inclusive brand narrative, it believes the new sonic identity can appeal to a broad range of audiences across demographics.

Emma Byford, senior account manager at MassiveMusic, says, “Music and memory are intrinsically linked with one another, so it was essential we created a sound embedded in people’s experience of National Trust sites. We worked collaboratively with the Trust and conducted extensive market research to ensure that the sonic identity would help with their ambition to be a stronger, more inclusive brand. It's been a truly inspiring and rewarding project to work on and we can’t wait for everyone to hear it.”