Futuristic neon design of a motorcycle helmet

Linkbuds

Sony

Break A Rule is one of our creative pillars. So when Sony broke their own alphanumeric naming rule with the launch of Linkbuds, we heard the call – the ambition to innovate – loud and clear.

We worked with Sony to shake their traditional product launch mold, up the art factor through strong design and storytelling, and align with Gen Z’s playful spirit in an authentic way.

Enter the Portal

Enter the Portal

Sony Linkbuds have a breakthrough design feature. They’re hollow, like a donut. We identified this distinction as a superpower in the saturated earbud marketplace and leaned right in. The resulting work is based on the Linkbuds as a portal: a device to seamlessly blend the experience of listening to music and interacting with surrounding environments. The inspiration being, of course, the headphone habits of Gen Z.
Artistic rendering of Gen Z boy wearing Sony’s LinkBuds headphones on city bus

First, we created an immersive film that combines VFX and intricate sound design to follow Gen Z through the portals of their lives and stories. Bursts of vibrant colour and dizzying effects track the characters as they explore cities, share content, scroll apps, play video games, and catch shows. We branded the essence of the video with the hashtag #Neveroff, an ode to the most tuned in generation yet. 

In addition to the film, we guided the creation of a TikTok trend, crafted content partnerships, and built a Social Toolkit for local market use.


How it Went

Artistic rendering of Gen Z girl wearing Sony’s LinkBuds headphones on city streets

How it went

Performance for Gen Z audiences increased across all social media channels when compared to other market segments. A TikTok brand lift study called the film “outstanding”, citing a significant lift in Ad recall. Last but not least, the #LinkBudsNeverOff hashtag went viral on TikTok with a staggering 21 billion views, making it the audio industry’s most famous HTC.

Strong client relationship + trust to get bold = big results. We’re thrilled to have set the bar for Sony’s new product launches where it belongs: way up high.