Three spots conceived by Ogilvy and Mather–“Bubblewrap,” “Shaking” and “Prove”–depict a frenetic DHL warehouse where time-lapse footage and a flurry of camera angles showcase employees working non-stop. The task was assigned to Jun Mizumachi of Tonic (NYC) to supply the sounds that work hand-in-hand with the sights.
Mizumachi reports that the frantic factory setting proved challenging when supplying audio that works in tandem with the video. “This wasn’t like other sound designs,because factory sounds like belt conveyors and forklifts aren’t thought of as beautiful sounds,’’ says Mizumachi. “But it was important to convey that this location was both organized and modern.”
Mizumachi combined recordings of factory activity with various ambient sounds from his own library to create a realistic yet atmospheric backdrop. “Another goal of mine was to work within the framework of the music,” Mizumachi says. “When you combine sounds to achieve an overall effect, you have to focus on that effect complementing the music—not competing with it. At the same time, there are points where the music drops out, and in those moments, the sound design should be interesting enough to keep carrying the spot.”
Tonic also oversaw the sound mix for the DHL spots, which were engineered by Anthony Erice. Considering the client, we’ll assume these mixes were delivered right on time.
