Freevee

Originally launched as IMBD Freedive in 2019, the service rebranded to Freevee in early 2022. With a unique format that lies between contemporary streaming and classic broadcast television, the Freevee viewing experience feels simultaneously familiar and cutting-edge. The mnemonic needed to be memorable, friendly and cohesive with Freevee’s vibrant visual identity.

After exploring multiple forms for the Freevee sonic, we decided that a semantic mnemonic, or a sound that explicitly verbalizes the brand name, would help introduce Freevee into the vast landscape of streaming services. Repeat exposure to a semantic device within the Freevee platform and across marketing channels would enable the brand to build equity and familiarity across the market.

However, using a voice in mnemonic devices comes with its own set of challenges. Voices must be clear, recognizable and universal — being expressive while remaining inclusive. “Unlike with an instrument like a cello or piano, we as humans are hardwired to be incredibly perceptive to small vocal changes”, Yuta Endo, Antfood Creative Director, explains. “When combining vocal attributes like 'shouted', 'spoken and sung', 'one, few and many', and 'female, male and androgynous', the variations are endless. In addition, different vocal recordings respond very differently to the same vocal processing signal chains. Thus, finding the exact combination of vocal recording and processing technique is a difficult, but worthwhile challenge”.

We eventually settled on a bright choir of voices to give the sound a playful and slightly irreverent energy. We experimented with a wide range of processing techniques to find an expression that would capture the energy and vibrancy of the brand, preserve the intelligibility of the name, and hold up to repeated listens. The final vocal treatment balances playfulness and uniqueness with humanity and intelligibility, striking a highly unique tone that drives home both the identity and personality of this brand.

This vocal element is supported by an immersive and dynamic instrumental palette informed by the visual logo’s bold color palette and confident motion. Musically, the harmony of the sound is inspired by the plagal cadence, one of the most ubiquitous gestures in western music that often conveys praise, conclusion, or a sense of gratitude. This harmony brings an angelic connotation, which we intentionally lean into to support the feeling of bliss associated with getting something for free. These choices helped Freevee carve its own space in the competitive streaming service sonic landscape.

Finally, our sound would have to be versatile enough to span multiple use cases, including content preroll, commercial breaks and in marketing. We needed to ensure the sonic was appropriate for all such applications without being disruptive for certain moods and shows, or growing annoying for a user watching episode after episode of a series. To accomplish this, our mnemonic is designed to work with a modular swelling element that can flex and evolve based on context. While this initial lead-in can vary, the core of the mnemonic - the articulation of the brand name - will always stay the same. This two-part structure offers the flexibility to adapt the sound for different use cases while maintaining an ownable sonic core that reinforces the Freevee brand name.

Our work can be heard anywhere the brand makes sound, helping them build equity and reinforce their identity.