From hazelnuts to harmony: Nutella unveils sonic brand

The iconic cocoa spread, owned by the Ferrero Group, required the help of international creative music agency MassiveMusic to design a sonic identity capable of leveraging the brand’s undeniably positive nature. The addition of sonic assets to the Nutella brand falls in line with ambitions to stand out across global markets.

The audio brand, which comprises a sonic logo and extended brand DNA, was designed with an underlying acoustic pop aesthetic that seeks to bring generations together.

Brian Barth, head of creative direction at MassiveMusic Amsterdam, says, “Nutella is a staple at family breakfast time across the globe. Its unique flavour has built an iconic brand legacy which brings families across generations and people from different parts of the world together.”

Nutella’s key ingredient, the hazelnut, features at the core of the audio design. During the research phase, the MassiveMusic Amsterdam team undertook a number of activities to explore the noises hazelnuts can make, including dropping them on drums, guitars and pianos.

Barth adds, “Exploring the musical potential of the hazelnut was an exciting challenge; an exploration that enabled us to create a sound that truly reflects its taste and significance. With their new and ownable sound, Nutella can continue building brand strength and saliency across all channels for many years to come.”

The sounds of hazelnuts can be heard in the cheerful end result, which also features guitar, horns and vocals, and is now set to be rolled out across the UK, Europe, North America, Latin America and Asia.