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RTA - The Sound of RTA

18/08/2020
Music & Sound
Amsterdam, Netherlands
19
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Credits

Have you ever considered how many sounds help you find your way while using public transport? From the ticket machines to closing doors and announcements.

Sound has the unique ability to unite our experience of urban life and improve our lives for the better. Hence why it’s important for a transportation company like RTA to have an ownable sonic branding strategy - as a way of engaging with their customers as well as an opportunity to regenerate from the noise pollution we experience on a daily basis.

After all, RTA stands for Roads & Transport Authority, and it literally keeps Dubai moving. To keep up with the expansion of the city, RTA is constantly improving an efficient and welcoming public transport system. It allows both locals and tourists to get around and includes 5 different modes of transportation: metro, trams, buses, (water) taxis and roads.

Because of the vast amount of physical touchpoints, RTA needed a cohesive yet flexible brand sound that could reflect their (and Dubai’s) personality at its best. Not to mention the amount of content that RTA regularly produces to keep their customers informed.

To start working on the sonic identity, we validated our ticket and hopped on all 5 modes of transportation to record the sounds of each – from the acceleration of the metro to the hum of a boat engine. We also recorded sounds from Dubai city as well as the desert. A fascinating contrast that highlights the multiple facets of the Middle East’s melting pot.

Following on the re-branding strategy that includes happiness, positive energy, innovation and creativity as brand values, RTA decided to pair their visuals with a sound that could reflect the same juxtaposition of boldness and creativity. 

With the field recordings in place, we then manipulated them into samples and grouped them into ‘melodic’, ‘percussive’ and ‘atmospheric’, creating an RTA palette of sounds.

For example, the ‘Engaging’ adaptation is happy, family-friendly and fun - perfect for Product or App sounds. Whereas the ‘Transparent’ one is more ambient and ideal for background music at events, or for voiceover-heavy radio advertisements.

Like a take-me-from-A-to-B indication. 
Clear, international and, most importantly, modern.

Something that reflects the brand values and the energy of their 6,300 employees. It owns the flexibility of being adapted not only for communications purposes but also into the very fabric of the transport system.

After travelling around Dubai and through music, we can finally say it: 
This is not RTA’s final destination. This is just the beginning.

About MassiveMusic Amsterdam

We are MassiveMusic, a Songtradr company and the agency of record for some of the most famous brands in the world. As a trusted partner, we deliver everything a brand needs in the field of music, voice and sound. Impactful strategies, sonic brand identities and best-in-class compositions – we create this and much more thanks to our fervent passion for music combined with craftsmanship and scientific research. The ultimate goal? To make the world sound better, while helping brands and agencies be more effective through the emotional power of sound. Our nifty creators and strategic thinkers can be found in offices and studios around the world. Rumour has it we also throw a massive party every once in a while.