Who is HUGO, and who is BOSS? Music has the answer
Who are you? And what is your identity? For HUGO BOSS, the answer won't come quite easily. After all, the brand has split into two – HUGO and BOSS. Both are ready to embark on a journey of their own. But: They want you to know exactly who they are. And they will tell us about their newfound identities through their sounds.
After taking on the CEO position at the HUGO BOSS AG, Daniel Grieder decided to make a revolutionary and ambitious move. He initiated a relaunch for both HUGO and BOSS, two brands that cater to different customers. On one side, you have HUGO, representing the young, progressive Gen-Z; on the other you have BOSS, which focuses on success-oriented yet trendy millennials, ready to take on the world.
Both have a joint motif. Whether it's being younger or relatable – ultimately, both strive to move people. And what is better to make the world emotional than music? It's an artwork that transcends cultures, generations and subcultures. Music is for everybody. It gives a person a sense of identity and belonging. Same goes for brands. We believe that a company has its own corporate sound and brand voice. For HUGO and BOSS, their audio branding was a vital move to making the first step into a new era.
Music delivers a message; it's an essential part of a brand's identity, especially for those with a long heritage like HUGO and BOSS. We connect through sound, develop relationships with brands and feel like they're one of us. Thus, making music important for the overall strategy, especially across significant touchpoints like brick-and-mortar retail, where the customer experiences the brand through the product and the atmosphere of the surroundings.
„When we look at the young consumer base, we see future-oriented generations that are driven by culture and creativity. We believe that the best marketing campaigns start with cultural trends themselves, and music is one of the most expressive forms of communication. It truly brings the message across and tells a story.“Robin Hofmann, HearDis! CEO
To create a voice for HUGO and BOSS, HearDis! worked on an Audio Branding tailored to each brand's identity. To make that individual sound, we analyzed the core values and attributes of the brands and translated them into music. The results for HUGO can be heard in their campaigns: Fun, trendy music that resembles the sound of popular music. For BOSS, the sound is more refined and delivers one of their core values, "confidence". This can be heard through songs like "All the stars" by SZA and Kendrick Lamar, which is played throughout their campaigns. BOSS is ambitious, HUGO is carefree.
So, who is HUGO, and who is BOSS? Listen to their sound, and you'll know (linking to Spotify):
The Boss Sound - sample tracks
The Hugo Sound - sample tracks:
Capsule Collection “Hugo Smiley”:
