The Sounds of Travelling Well

Agency

McCANN Erickson (M) Sdn Bhd

Client

Cathay Pacific Airways Limited

Product/Service

Cathay Pacific & Cathay Dragon

Brief

Cathay Pacific is a well-known airline in Malaysia, but it is perceived as somewhat old-fashioned. The newly-acquired Cathay Dragon also suffered from the same issue. Adding to the problem was that the most crucial segment of our target audience, Millennial travellers, found little appeal in the airlines’ traditional advertising efforts. They perceived the brand as not relevant to them.

Solution

Since Malaysian youth deeply love music, we created a song for them. But a song unlike any other. “The Sounds of Travelling Well” is comprised entirely of the natural, ambient sounds we hear when we travel. And not one single musical instrument.

On a journey with the two airlines, we collected hundreds of “live” sounds at various locations around Asia. Then began a huge process of trial and error. Assembling it was like solving a giant jigsaw puzzle where the pieces didn’t necessarily fit.

Through experimentation, sharper sounds like Hong Kong’s iconic Ding-Ding tram were turned into strings, while heavier sounds like a bamboo-cutting ritual in Kyoto formed the percussion.