“Sound and scent are electric when they move together"

Hannah Crawford: I think sonic and scent branding have historically been underused partly because they’re intangible. You can’t physically hold sound or scent in the same way you can a logo, typeface or colour palette, so they can feel more abstract for brands to articulate and systemise. But honestly, that also makes them one of the biggest slam dunks in branding.

Emotionally, they are our most powerful senses. Everyone can relate to a piece of music or a fragrance that instantly transports them to a person, place or memory.

And the data backs it up – System1 found sonic branding can lift brand awareness by 191% within the first two seconds of exposure in short-form social ads, while Dr Alan Hirsch’s famous scent studies showed an 84% increase in purchase intent for Nike trainers in scented environments.

Research from Professor Charles Spence, the world’s leading academic on multi-sensory branding, consistently finds that when sound, scent, visuals and environment align coherently, brands become exponentially more emotionally resonant, distinctive and memorable.

Francesca Briginshaw: It takes time and experience on planet earth to find your desert island disc or your signature fragrance because those things sit at the core of identity and self-expression. If you meet someone who smells like a perfume shop and has erratic music taste, their identity isn’t always that clear – and for them, maybe that’s the point. But in the context of brands, most CMOs are on a mission to build brands that are instantly recognisable, distinct and memorable. That’s why there’s a shift from standalone assets to much more joined-up brand experiences across sound and scent. Multi-sensory branding can be a shortcut to emotion and identity, which ultimately shapes the brands we choose to buy.

FB: A hell of a lot more for a hell of a lot less money! But seriously, I think the clever brands are trying to build more quality and meaning into what they do rather than just interrupting and bombarding people with messaging. Great brands have an appetite to build real love through creating work and experiences that people actively seek out and genuinely want to spend time with – whether that’s listening, watching or experiencing something in real life.

HC: It starts with intention – what story are we trying to tell, what feeling are we trying to leave people with, and what role should sound play in shaping that? The ambition is always to create something that moves beyond being just an asset and starts embedding itself in culture and memory – the thing kids sing in the playground, parents hum on the way to work, or you find yourself whistling inadvertently without even realising where it came from. They’re the sound identities that stand the test of time.

FB: DLMDD has brought brand rigour and design thinking together with the craft and artistry of perfumery, working with master perfumers behind some of the most iconic fragrance brands on planet earth. Clients unearth their creative brief through a journey around the fragrance wheel – a global convention for understanding fragrance families and mapping them against brand identity – before we embark on the bespoke signature fragrance creation process.

HC: Sound and scent are immense in isolation, but electric when they move together. They’re the perfect sensorial twins – two of the most emotionally powerful and instinctive senses we have. What excites me most is that, historically, they’ve almost always been developed in silos: your visual agency here, your sonic agency there, your scent partner somewhere else entirely. We’re bringing those worlds together in a much more intentional way, helping brands create multisensory identities that feel richer, more connected and memorable. I’m really excited to learn more about the scent industry which, to now, has only been something I’ve been able to explore on a personal level. 

HC: We kept in touch as friends (and competitors!), and in 2024, knowing the BBC’s radio hosts were falling like flies, we started doing our 10,000 hours of presenting on loose.fm to prepare ourselves for the inevitable call from the Director General to fill the breakfast slot. The phone lines must have crossed at the Beeb because at the other end of the line was DLMDD, asking to reunite us professionally and bring things full circle.

FB: What DLMDD is developing in sound, scent and multi-sensory branding is hugely exciting. I’m fascinated by working across the senses and excited to stretch into this burgeoning new part of the industry for brand experience. We’re also lucky to have worked with the founders many years ago, so I know it’s going to be a lot of fun.

HC: Francesca’s a powerhouse who just gets the creative industries in a way that’s in her blood, and she’s an eternal optimist – which is infectious and balances my cynicism. Over the last couple of years doing our HAN+FRAN live radio broadcast together, we’ve realised there’s always a way one of us fills in the gaps for the other, whether creatively, strategically, technically or organisationally. It’s a partnership that’s evolved really naturally over time, and knowing we can rely on, support and inspire each other makes starting something new together really exciting.

FB: Hannah and I are pretty different to each other, which I think always makes the best teams, but we communicate really well and ultimately we’re super-focused on the same goal. We’re on each other’s side.

HC: Knowing the team at DLMDD and watching what the team has been pioneering and growing over the last few years has been inspiring to see from afar, and it’s super exciting to now be a part of the next chapter! And with Francesca too – how lucky are we?! Scent and sound and building branded experiences and community feels more important than ever in this world of ‘AI slop’ – how exciting to be a part of this future. 

FB: The opportunity for a brand to harness the power of multi-sensory is huge. In a time when so many of us have digital fatigue – people are prioritising spending quality time (and money!) on real and unique experiences, in person. DLMDD are just starting to scratch the surface with its Scent division – news of their first client will be out soon (it’s a fabulous one) – so to be joining at this time in the company’s story is truly exciting.