Breaking down the anatomy of Riyadh Air's sonic identity
The carrier worked with UK-based audio branding agency Sonicbrand to create a sensory experience designed to accompany passengers through every stage of their journey. The Saudi Music Commission and the Ministry of Culture also supported the making of the airline's sonic identity.
To find out more, Campaign Middle East secured exclusive access to the making of the sound of Riyadh Air.
Titled Sound of a New Era, the sonic identity was launched earlier this year across the airline's social media channels, with supporting creative assets including a short film and a four-minute documentary.
The music was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London, where 13 musicians from the Saudi National Orchestra performed on traditional Arabic instruments including the oud, qanun and ney. The airline said its approach was to 'capture the balance between traditional and modern characteristics of Saudi Arabia', resulting in a sonic palette that fuses digital soundscapes with classical instrumentation —'symbolising our commitment to preserving heritage and embracing innovation'.
Insights into Riyadh Air's sonic identity
Sonicbrand spent several months researching the airline's brand and ethos to inform the sound strategy and ensure the identity could be implemented consistently across touchpoints.
'We took a very deliberate, research-led approach,' said David Marcus, Managing Director at Sonicbrand. 'A key part of our immersion process was a series of in-depth stakeholder sessions across the organisation. We spoke with the C-suite, brand leadership, guest experience, product design and customer loyalty teams to understand how sonic branding could support the customer journey.'
As part of its research, Sonicbrand identified that many airlines used their sonic branding inconsistently —sometimes to negative effect. 'In some cases, a 20-second loop of boarding music became quickly irritating to passengers,' said Marcus.
To avoid that risk, the agency looked beyond the airline sector, drawing lessons from lifestyle and luxury brands that use sound to enhance customer experience. 'This gave us valuable insights into how audio can connect emotionally, reinforce brand messaging and inspire loyalty,' he added.
Resonating with and enhancing customer experience through sonic branding
The target audience for Riyadh Air's sonic identity is diverse, including frequent travelers, business professionals, cultural explorers (both international and Saudi), luxury enthusiasts, tech-savvy millennials and Gen Z, families, and the larger Saudi diaspora.
The airline said it wanted its sonic brand to be 'versatile, conveying sophistication for business travelers, evoking discovery for cultural explorers, feeling premium for luxury travelers, being engaging for younger audiences, and fostering pride for Saudis.'
To capture this, the team worked on ensuring that the airline's sonic identity was seamlessly enjoyable across every touchpoint of the customer's journey.
'A great example of this was our approach to creating the boarding music,' Marcus added. 'Learning from our sector analysis, we designed different, evolving musical soundscapes for day and night that would deliver the brand personality and create the right ambient sound for the boarding experience.'
He further explained that the music was tested through the in-flight speakers across Riyadh Air's fleet of aircrafts. 'We adjusted the frequency levels to make sure that no matter where you're seated — whether it's at the front of the aircraft or the back — the listening experience remained consistent, immersive, and emotionally uplifting.'
Riyadh Air has said that since it hasn't taken flight yet, the full impact of its sonic branding remains unknown. However, it claims that early feedback has been positive since the music is making the rounds on social channels and brand campaigns. The launch film has collected more than 6m views on Riyadh Air's YouTube channel and more than 1m views on Instagram.
At this stage, Riyadh Air and Sonicbrand say the goal is to measure emotional response and brand association over time.
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