Reigniting 400 years of relevance for an iconic music brand.
Client
ZILDJIAN
Industry
CONSUMER GOODS
CHALLENGE
Competitive pressures put a world leader in danger of becoming a commodity.
For 400 years, Zildjian has been the oldest musical instrument manufacturer in the world, the oldest family-run business in America, and the most storied cymbal company in history. But when they came to us, their market had been flooded by competitors from all over the globe, including Sabian: a cymbal company founded by Robert Zildjian, who broke away from the family and took the generations-old secret alloy with him.
Which meant that Zildjian and Sabian cymbals would be made of exactly the same stuff.
OPPORTUNITY
Build a brand story that celebrates your audience, not just your product.
We interviewed drummers across the U.S. to learn what they loved most about Zildjian – but we didn’t talk to them on the phone or in focus group rooms. We interviewed each of them behind their drum kits. As they told us their stories, none of them talked about “cymbals.” They didn’t talk about the alloy mixture or hand-hammering or the mythology of Zildjian’s 400-year rise. They talked about Sound.
Sounds that were in their heads. Sounds they dreamed about. Sounds they woke up humming and worked through constant experimentation to recreate.
The youngest drummer we interviewed summed it up for us in one sentence:
I don’t want to sound like Charlie Baker or Lou Pert or Travis Barker. I want to sound like me.
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AUDIENCE INSIGHT
Drummers aren’t shopping for cymbals. They’re searching for a sound that’s uniquely their own.
STRATEGY
Unleash a sound that’s only yours.
CAMPAIGN IDEA
Genuine You
An authentic campaign celebrating drummers’ unique craft and self expression.
