Thalys: Sounds of the City
Thalys sought to boost travel across its network to key destinations like Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam. The client needed a campaign that would encourage potential travelers to explore these cities, building anticipation and a deeper connection before their actual journey.
Creative Idea
Thalys turned city sounds into interactive billboards, letting people hear destinations.
Thalys encouraged travel by transforming authentic city soundscapes into interactive billboards, allowing passersby to plug in headphones and experience destinations like Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam through immersive audio, building anticipation and connection before their journey.
Turning the Tool of Isolation into an Instrument of Discovery
Over 1,000 Jacks and a Sonic Map
To bring the "sonic identities" of Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam to life, agency Rosapark collaborated with INA (Institut National de l'Audiovisuel) to source a mix of archival recordings and fresh field audio. The production team constructed three massive interactive billboards, each functioning as a physical map embedded with over 1,000 unique headphone jacks. Each jack was mapped to a precise geographical coordinate, allowing users to hear hyper - local sounds ranging from the clanging church bells of Amsterdam to the specific chatter of a Parisian café or a market vendor in Brussels.
Reversing the Urban Headphone Habit
The campaign was built on a clever psychological subversion. Creative Director Jamie Standen noted that while urbanites typically wear headphones to block out the noise of their surroundings, this installation invited them to use those same headphones to lean into the noise of a different city. This "headphone flip" helped shift the brand perception of Thalys from a functional utility to a sensory travel experience. The goal was to combat the "blasé" attitude of travelers who viewed nearby capitals as unexciting or non - exotic due to their proximity.
From Soundscapes to Scents
The initiative’s impact extended far beyond the physical billboards. A documentary video of the activation earned over 20,000 views shortly after launch, and the campaign was ranked as one of the most awarded of 2015 in the Gunn Report. The "Sounds of the City" concept proved so successful that it spawned a 2017 sequel, "Scents of the City," which utilized 700 tubes of scented beads to broadcast 16 different fragrances per destination, including the aroma of buttered tartines and even the Sex Museum in Amsterdam.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
Thalys, a train service, could credibly connect people to the authentic experiences and unique atmospheres of European cities.
Category
Travel advertising often relies on visual clichés or generic promises, failing to convey the true, immersive sensory experience of a destination.
Customer
Travelers desired a deeper, more authentic connection to potential destinations, seeking to truly "feel" a city before committing to a trip.
Culture
A growing cultural appreciation for immersive, sensory experiences and authentic local discovery made this unique sonic approach highly resonant.
Company
Thalys, a train service, could credibly connect people to the authentic experiences and unique atmospheres of European cities.
Category
Travel advertising often relies on visual clichés or generic promises, failing to convey the true, immersive sensory experience of a destination.
Strategy:
Transform the intangible essence of a destination into a tangible, immersive experience to foster deeper connection.
Customer
Travelers desired a deeper, more authentic connection to potential destinations, seeking to truly "feel" a city before committing to a trip.
Culture
A growing cultural appreciation for immersive, sensory experiences and authentic local discovery made this unique sonic approach highly resonant.
Strategy:
Transform the intangible essence of a destination into a tangible, immersive experience to foster deeper connection.
Strategy Technique
Make the Invisible Visible
Thalys made the unique, often overlooked, sound identity of its destination cities tangible. This allowed potential travelers to experience the vibrant atmosphere before their journey, building connection.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Install it
The campaign physically installed interactive billboards with headphone jacks in public spaces. This allowed people to directly engage with and experience the unique soundscapes of Thalys destinations.
Explore Technique
Craft Breakdown
This campaign's craft is exceptional due to its innovative core idea and the meticulous execution of its central sonic element. It brilliantly uses sound and technology to create an immersive, interactive experience that connects people to destinations.
The sheer scale and detail of collecting, curating, and organizing thousands of distinct, authentic sounds for three major cities, ensuring each 'jack' on the map offers a unique sonic experience, is a remarkable feat of sound design.
The technical execution of integrating over a thousand individual sound inputs into large-scale, robust, and user-friendly interactive billboards, complete with unique headphone jacks, showcases strong digital and engineering craft.
The true brilliance of this campaign lies in the seamless integration of a groundbreaking idea, meticulous sound design, and robust digital craft to create a truly immersive and memorable public experience.
