The Sounds of Travelling Well by Cathay Pacific

The Sounds of Travelling Well

When we travel, we hear sounds, but are we truly listening to them? I admit, despite being more of a visual person, over the years, I've slowly realised that when you truly listen to the sounds of a place, you get the full magic of the travel experience. Because through sound, memories and feelings can be just as strongly evoked. Because hearing is our second most essential sense.

This was why we crafted a song unlike any other. A song made from the many sounds we experience on a journey. We composed a song made entirely from recorded sounds. And not a single musical instrument. On a journey with the two airlines, we collected hundreds of “live” sounds at various locations around Asia.

Back at the studio, the huge process of trial and error began. Our biggest challenge was in figuring out how to turn these sounds into a proper song. Assembling it was like solving a giant jigsaw puzzle where the pieces didn’t necessarily fit.

But we knew what kind of sounds were for what kinds of instruments. For example, sharper, more melodic sounds like Hong Kong’s Ding-Ding Tram were used as strings, while heavier sounds like a bamboo-cutting ceremony in Kyoto formed percussion instruments.

To launch Cathay Pacific’s sister airline Cathay Dragon, we created a music video that follows the journey of a social influencer, as she experiences travel not just via the eyes, but the ears. What today's travellers have so often seen is now heard as a song made entirely from the sounds of travel.

Original Film

To further engage with consumers, we also launched a contest asking travellers what sounds of travel they would like to discover on their next trip. Their submissions were compiled and published for the world to see, fulfilling the campaign’s objective of getting travellers to shift their focus from the eyes to the ears.

Behind The Sounds of Travelling Well

Awards:

2018
AD STARS
Bronze [Film Craft: Sound Design]
Bronze [Film Craft: Editing]

NEW YORK FESTIVALS ADVERTISING AWARDS
Finalist Certificate [Film Craft]

KANCILS
Silver [Film Craft: Sound Design and Original Music]
Bronze [Online Film]
Bronze [Film Craft: Editing]
Bronze [Film Craft: Sound design on digital platform]

2017
SPIKES ASIA ADVERTISING FESTIVAL
Silver Spike [Film Craft: Sound Design]
Shortlist [Film Craft: Use of Original Music]

YOUTUBE MALAYSIA ADS AWARDS
Best Travel Ad

Credits:

Agency: McCann Erickson

Chief Creative Officer: Ng Heok Seong
Associate Creative Director: Yow Kuan Wai

Copywriter: Zachary Yeoh

Designer: Thomas Chiew

Digital Designer: Hanafi Roslan

Digital Tech Lead: Jason Chia

Head of Strategic Planning: Nura Yusof

Account Director: Jeanette Laws

Account Manager: Carmen Lim

Account Executive: Amber Gan

Head of AV: Pauline Moreira

The Sounds of Travelling Well by Cathay Pacific

Owner

The Sounds of Travelling Well by Cathay Pacific

The music video follows the journey of a social influencer, as she experiences travel not just via the eyes, but the ears. What today's traveller Read More

Creative Fields