Winners & Shortlists

SOUNDTREE

Short List
TitleSOUNDTREE
BrandBMW (SCHWEIZ)
Product/ServiceBMW M4, M235I, X5, I3
Category A08. USE OF MUSIC/SOUND DESIGN
Entrant Company SERVICEPLAN Munich, GERMANY
Advertising Agency SERVICEPLAN Munich, GERMANY
Advertising Agency 2 SERVICEPLAN SUISSE Zurich, SWITZERLAND
Production Company PUMPKIN FILM Zürich, SWITZERLAND
Credits
Name Company Position
Alexander Schill Serviceplan Chief Creative Officer
Sacha Moser Serviceplan Suisse Executive Creative Director
Markus Maczey Plan.net Executive Creative Director
Axinja Werner Plan.net Creative Director
Cornelia Blasy/Steiner Plan.net Creative Director
Ulrike Schumann Serviceplan Suisse Copywriter
Volker Heine Plan.net Copywriter
Carina Disch Plan.net Copywriter
Julia Bochanneck Serviceplan Suisse Art Director
Christian Sommer Serviceplan Suisse Art Director
Florian Panier Serviceplan Creative Producer
Christian Baertschi Serviceplan Suisse Account Director
Klara Zuercher Serviceplan Suisse Account Supervisor
Roxana Hudson Serviceplan Suisse Account Supervisor
Marina Gnann Plan.net Account Supervisor
Karim Huu Do Pumpkin Film AG Photographer/Director/Cinematographer
Tobias Kreutzer Heimoto AG Programmer
Martin Richi ZAAK Zurich Producer
Kay Rueegsegger ZAAK Zurich Producer
Anna Wiget ZAAK Zurich Producer
plan.net Additional company
Kirschnermusic GmbH Additional company
ZAAK Zurich Additional company

Creative Execution

We brought all new BMW models to the recording studio to transform their engine sounds into sound waves – and from waves into Soundtrees. The special Christmas trees that resulted were used to embellish the BMW Christmas mailing. But the heart of the idea was the microsite www.soundtree.ch featuring a “noisy” Soundtree configurator. Here, simply by putting the pedal to the metal, everyone could create their own Soundtrees. And share them via Social Media.

The BMW Soundtrees perfectly combined sheer driving pleasure, the promotion of BMW’s most sonorous 2014 models and the Christmas theme – in a playful and successful way. In total, 6400 Christmas mailings were sent out to existing Swiss customers. Between 15 December 2013 and 23 January 2014, www.soundtree.ch received 14,400 visits, and 8236 Soundtrees were created. Without additional communication efforts, the number of visits increased by 1900, and 736 more Soundtrees were created (January). Finally, the 3-D trees of BMW engine sounds laid the foundation for the first brand-appropriate and sustainable Christmas decoration.

We found out that drawings of BMW engine sound waves resemble a Christmas tree when rotated through 90 degrees. So when BMW Switzerland asked for its annual Christmas mailing, we presented BMW fans with the perfect Christmas tree. The BMW Soundtrees are tall, well shaped and made from what is music to any BMW driver’s ears: BMW engine sounds. Every BMW model has its own characteristic Soundtree. The Soundtrees adorned the BMW Christmas mailing itself. But, most importantly, they could be configured and shared online by everyone who visited the microsite www.soundtree.ch. To add to the surprise, we included the sounds of new BMW models which would only be launched in mid-2014.